MotoGP
Need a fix between races during the season? We’ve got you covered here...
How does one fill the void left between races? What will satisfy that hunger for speed and adrenaline? How about five of the best films on motorcycle racing?
1. On Any Sunday
Let's kick things off with a film that really captures not only the thrill of what it means to race, but the general exhilaration that only a life lived on two wheels seems to be able to give us.
Released in 1971 and directed by Bruce Brown, On Any Sunday featured Steve McQueen (who also invested in the production), and has for decades since been lauded as the definitive motorcycle documentary. Following the lives of racers and passionate enthusiasts, it dissected their psyches and helped to uncover the specific talents and personality types that appeared to succeed in different motorcycling disciplines.
On Any Sunday, The Next Chapter picked up the baton (and was directed by Brown's son, Dana) in 2014, and the original remains a timeless must-watch.
2. Faster
This 2003 docu-film concentrated itself on MotoGP, following the 2001 and 2002 seasons to give an incredible insight into the world of the top level of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
Timed perfectly to coincide with Valentino Rossi's ascendancy to god-like status in MotoGP, it also threw a lot of focus on John Hopkins which, when watched now, is a strong reminder of just how talented the American was at such a young age (18 when he debuted). It includes a 'Who's Who' of MotoGP royalty, featuring interviews with a parade of legends of the sport, which all adds to its totally engrossing nature.
3. TT: Closer To The Edge
A stunning study of the most famous road race in the world, TT: Closer To The Edge offers up a hair-raising experience.
If you've ever watched the actual event and just gawped in amazement wondering how, or maybe just why, then this film goes some way towards helping us mere mortals understand. Based all around the 2010 Isle of Man TT, it helps to build the palpable sense of tension that surrounds the event and also looks at what exactly motivates those who take part. And there's a lot of Guy Martin in there too.
4. Dust To Glory
The Baja 1000 is the pivot for this fabulous film, which does an amazing job of conveying the highs and lows of the event, as well as the passion of those who are directly and indirectly involved in it.
A movie that perfectly harnesses the beauty of what it is to go offroad riding, and what it means to overcome hurdles both physical and mental, this is a documentary that those with even the most fleeting of interests in motorcycles or sport cannot fail to be impressed by.
5. The Age Of 27 (The Casey Stoner Story)
Maybe the least obvious choice on the list, especially given the fact there are other biographical films out there, but this one goes a long way towards helping to discover one of MotoGP's – and motorcycle racing's – more enigmatic and misunderstood characters.
Casey Stoner's aversion to the media and glitz of MotoGP was never in any doubt during his relatively short but illustrious career prior to his early retirement at 27, but this film helps to understand that behind the sometimes frosty exterior lay a young man who'd made a lot of sacrifices to make it to the top and who was a consummate professional in his approach to racing.
It also helps to pick apart some of the reasons why one of the most talented riders to have ever twisted a throttle decided to call it a day when it seemed he had more titles in him.
6. Ready to Race - KTM Goes MotoGP
News came out in the summer of 2014 that KTM will join the MotoGP. It was the next logical step for Austria’s most successful motorbike racing team, after years of dominance on the junior moto circuits, KTM planed the jump into MotoGP, the pinnacle of motorcycle racing. 900 days went past between the announcement the first official race.
At the start of the Season in Qatar Red Bull KTM Factory Racing had it’s first official race in MotoGP, while at the second outing in Argentina Pol Espargaró and Bradley Smith won the first world-championship-points in KTM-history. The exciting and demanding time of development is now open to all fans, who can watch history in the making up close: The documentary “KTM goes MotoGP” captured (almost) everything.
We didn't forget about cars! Here are the greatest motor racing films:
