The OpportunityWhat do you do when a multiple Le Mans winning, ex-F1 driving racing legend says, “I have always wanted to race a motorcycle?”. The Answer? You say yes.
Emanuele Pirro needs little introduction, not just a proven fast car racer, but a motorsport enthusiast and gentleman. In his words, “I have always had such respect for motorcycle racers and have always wanted to be part of the club”. Its not uncommon for car racers to want to talk about bikes, but this was another level. At Works Racing, we have a very high appreciation for car racing, plus sharing a car and bike with the same pairing had never been achieved before. So how could we at Works Racing say no?
Emanuele Pirro
Like many a good plan, it started with a drink. In this instance, a coffee, but it soon became obvious that we shared a passion for adventure with Emanuele. Although he rides motorbikes, he had only been on track once before, let alone raced. First chance to race with at the Goodwood Members meeting, where Emanuele had a chance to understand what racing a bike was like and represented himself very well. So well, we made the big decision to race a Works Racing Norton at the Goodwood Revival. Where the best classic motorcycle racers and the stars of today and yesterday on 2 wheels battle it out over the weekend. This would be no club race. Remember, this would be Emanuele’s 2nd ever motorcycle race and a first on a Norton 30M.
Emanuele testing at Donington Park
Works Racing went to Goodwood with realistic and important goals: Enjoy the weekend and the chance to race with Emanuele, maybe a top 10 overall. The outcome? Yes, we achieved that. But we also qualified on pole, finished 3rd in race 1, 4th in race 2, winning the award for the fastest lap of the weekend, and 3rd overall! Emanuele rode exceptionally under what turned out to be a high-pressure situation, and Works Racing bikes proved that all the development work pays off. Making a fast and approachable racing motorcycle.
Enjoying the moment
