While Marc Marquez, Brad Baker, and Jared Mees grabbed most of the attention at this past weekend’s in Barcelona, each of the other forty-five racers has his, or her, own story for the two-day event.
Scott Redding had high hopes of a strong performance, but crashed heavily and tore a muscle in his chest. Guy Martin, with 17 Isle of Man TT podiums and many victories on the Irish roads circuits, never looked at ease on Barcelona’s tiny dirt oval. Moto2 champ Tito Rabat didn’t see his experience or recent practice pay off with a good result.
The greatest disappointment probably goes to Baker, whose crash and resulting concussion and dislocated shoulder forced him to retire from competition, and miss his chance to defend his title. The story of Superprestigio’s unrealized hopes has many characters.
When the story reaches Shayna Texter, the plot takes a unique turn. Miss Texter is the five-foot-tall, 95-pound flat tracker from Willow Street, Pennsylvania, and the only female racer to participate in the Superprestigio competition.
Lest you assume her inclusion was some sort of publicity stunt, first consider her accomplishments on two wheels: multiple Northeast, South-central, and Winter National Amateur Championships; 250cc 4-Stroke Mile National Champion; 2009 Pro Twins Champion; first female rider to win an AMA National event; 2012 AMA All-Star Pro Champion; and 5th Place overall in the 2012 AMA Pro Single Championship, just to name a few high points in her career so far.
After these accomplishments sink in, take a look at her on track at the Knoxville Pro Single Main, or at the Sacramento Mile. Having neither the talent and experience, nor the courage, to ride a Mile pro flat track event, I’m inspired and awed by her abilities and daring.
I was not alone in having high hopes for her performance in Barcelona, even considering the very deep waters of a field comprising some of the top riders in various two-wheeled disciplines and including no fewer than eight motorcycle racing world champions.
She had additional challenges to face. Her inclusion was arranged at the very last minute, requiring a hasty U.S. passport application.
Holding the necessary little blue book in her hands for the first time on the Monday before the Friday practice sessions, she began her maiden voyage abroad to test her skills on an unfamiliar bike, an unfamiliar tire, a motocross-style starting gate, all thousands of miles from home in a land of foreign languages, the vagaries of international travel, a six-hour time difference…
Perhaps the most significant challenge was the track itself. At 95 pounds, she has an advantage on the longer tracks where her slight form helps with corner speed and acceleration (see the above videos of her at work on half mile and mile circuits).
The indoor track at Palau Sant Jordi is, in a word, tiny. You could toss a well-made paper airplane from one end to the other. Her size would be no advantage in Barcelona.
But one of the best things about this Superprestigio event is that it embodies a spirit of camaraderie and love of motorcycling rather than the winning is everything attitude that often accompanies professional sports of all types.
As I observed her in the paddock, she appeared to me to fit in as a motorcycle racer above and beyond the uniqueness of her gender.
When, during the rider introductions on Saturday night, the announcer introduced her to the crowd, the welcoming applause was the loudest and warmest up to that point in the evening. (To be honest, the crowd was a bit more excited when Marc Marquez arrived, but one can forgive them for that.)
As one of the handful of Americans in attendance, this was a wonderful moment for me as I stood on the infield photographing the proceedings: not only was I touched that she was accepted as the only female rider, but she was also welcomed enthusiastically as a visiting American motorcycle racer.
In spite of the various obstacles presented by her size, experience, and distance from home, Texter turned in an overall effort that is not reflected on the results sheet. She rode and raced hard, unfortunately ending up among those who, like Redding, Martin, and many other more experienced racers, had hoped for more at this event.
She crashed in her first heat, got stuck in traffic on the second, and was never comfortable on the Michelin 17-inch Supermoto wets. In the Last Chance Qualifier she finished fourth, but by that time only the winner went on. At that point she, like the majority of the participants, was done for the weekend, though a bit older and wiser for the effort.
They say you can’t keep a good man down, and I believe that applies to women as well. It certainly applies to women flat trackers, so I expect to see Texter back on US flat tracks in 2015, speeding down our, short, half and full mile tracks, full stick all the way.
Photos: © 2014 Scott Jones / Photo.GP – All Rights Reserved
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