Scarlet Fever

Ducati’s rumbling V-twins and sensuous Italian flair has gripped the Adriatic coastline and Abhik Das recounts the surprising flow of adrenaline-pumping events

If there ever has been a colour that has dominated racing grids across decades of motor racing, it’s the colour red. Seas of fans and fanatics along with the race machineries of two exemplary Italian brands have sported this colour over the years. “Rosso corsa” or racing red as it’s known in Italian; this bright red colour has draped the fastest of Ferraris and its “Tifosi” or fans while it’s also the chosen colour of the Ferraris of the two-wheel world—Ducati and its “Ducatisti.” This is the 2018 edition of the World Ducati Week (WDW). In its 10th year running, this is a festival that brings in the Ducatisti from across the globe, every alternate year in a mega celebration of speed and history of an iconic motorcycling brand. The festival was held at the Marco Simoncelli Misano World Circuit, in Italy over a weekend which saw the Adriatic Riviera resonate the sounds of the legendary Ducati V-twin motors. At the core of the Ducatisti world lie many riding groups, collectively known as Ducati Owners Clubs. About 270 such associations exist across the world and 147 of them from 33 countries marked their attendance at the WDW this year. The event showcases a host of challenges and competitions on track. This year, the Scrambler Flat Track Race saw hard battles between the famed manufacturer’s professional riders in road racing. MotoGP star and factory rider, Andrea Dovizioso clinched the top spot in the race, slipping and sliding his way to victory while managing to keep eight other champions behind him. The highly anticipated “Race of Champions” at-

tracted the maximum crowd. Quite evidently, as it sees 12 Ducati MotoGP and WSBK (World Superbike) Champions competing on the Misano circuit riding the Panigale V4 S specially prepared with racing configurations and dedicated liveries. A fly past by the Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team marked the beginning of the day’s proceedings as the riders lined up for a proper, time kept race. The likes of Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo, Danilo Petrucci, Jack Miller, Marco Melandri, Troy Bayliss and others set blistering laps on equally tuned motorcycles. While veteran Marco Melandri and the young gun Jack Miller put up an exciting exchange of places through some hard racing, it was Ducati’s MotoGP Team test rider Michele Pirro who started from pole position and took the chequered flag in first place. The 13 Panigale V4 S that were raced have already been auctioned off complete with the steering yoke bearing the rider’s name and race number,

their autograph on the tank and a certificate of authenticity signed by Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. Not just that but the livery and colour schemes of the riders from their MotorGP/WSBK machines were retained along with a series of special components used in the Race of Champions. The motorcycles also come with a complete set of original parts required for legal road use. Troy Bayliss’ motorcycle generated the highest bid reaching a record-breaking figure of a whopping 120,000 Euros (Rs 96 lakh approx). This was followed by Dovizioso, Melandri, Lorenzo, Pirro and Petrucci’s machines that were also in great demand and went from

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO, JORGE LORENZO, DANILO PETRUCCI, JACK MILLER, MARCO MELANDRI, TROY BAYLISS SET BLISTERING LAPS ON EQUALLY TUNED MOTORCYCLES

40,000 (Rs 32 lakh approx) to 62,400 Euros (Rs 50 lakh approx). The WDW ended with the Ducatisti covering 75,000sqm of the Misano circuit’s paddock lining up to participate in a parade. The procession first took a lap of the circuit and then made their way to Rimini where they were welcomed with music, food and entertainment at the Scrambler Beach Party. Ducati’s Scrambler brand had a dedicated space for itself called the “Land of Joy” in the Scrambler Village. With attractions like hot air balloon rides that offered a unique view of the festival, to the Scrambler Silodrome, Ducati’s version of the wall of death. Two Scramblers being ridden by professional stuntmen inside the cylindrical wooden structure offered a thrilling spectacle of daring acrobatics. Ducati enthusiasts from across the globe had a ball attending the event and a total of 91,596 attendees descended at the Misano World Circuit, setting a new record for the event. As the day came to a close, from the looks of it, 2020 promises to be an even bigger year for Ducati.

SCRAMBLERS RIDDEN BY STUNTMEN INSIDE A CYLINDRICAL WOODEN STRUCTURE MADE FOR A THRILLING SPECTACLE