Countdown to the Superprestigio: Marc Marquez Goes Training with Brad "The Bullet" Baker

Normally, motorcycle racing fans face a long and empty wait between the last tests in November and the first tests in late January and early February. Fortunately, this year, it’s different, thanks to the revival of the Superprestigio brand by Jaime Alguersuari, father of the Formula One driver of the same name, and founder of Spanish magazine Solomoto.

Alguersuari has pulled off a massive coup by getting 2013 MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez involved, and getting him to front the race. On Saturday, 11th January, some of the best riders in the world will race on an indoor dirt track oval at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona’s Olympic Park.

The Superprestigio was always a chance for the best American riders to test themselves against the top Spanish riders, and Alguersuari has arranged for this to happen again.

With Marquez already involved, AMA flat track champion Brad ‘The Bullet’ Baker responded to a challenge from American writer Mark Gardiner on Twitter, and has traveled to Barcelona to race at the event.

Baker will be racing in the Open class against the cream of the European dirt track scene, while Marquez will take on top names from the Grand Prix and World Superbike paddocks in the Superprestigio class.

Currently signed up are Alvaro Bautista, Pol and Aleix Espargaro, Christian Iddon, Maverick Vinales, Marcel Schrotter, Jonas Folger, Julian Simon, Alex Rins, Tito Rabat, Kenny Noyes, and many more. The top riders from both classes will meet in a grand final at the end of the evening.

With Baker already in Spain, Marquez invited the American champion for a training session at Rufea, a facility some 170km from Barcelona. There, Spanish magazine Solomoto captured the pair of them training, getting ready for the event on Saturday night.

The event itself is to be televised by Spanish TV, which will be streaming it live on their website. The action starts at 6pm, and ends with the grand final at 8:44. If you’re in Barcelona, it should be a fantastic way to spend the night. Below is the video of Brad Baker and Marc Marquez training, made by Solomoto.