A little bit of Italy comes to Owensboro.
As the seasons change here in central Indiana, the seasonal changes are occurring in the world of MotoGP starting with the first tests of next season’s teams yesterday at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.
Back on September 15th we all learned here at http://www.redbullindianapolisgp.com about our 
local MotoGP hero, Nicky Hayden, making a move to Ducati for the 2009 season. This photo of Nicky and Ducati’s, Casey Stoner from the 2007 MotoGP season turns out to be a very prophetic view. The 2009 MotoGP season will see the Australian and American, both world champions, aboard the iconic Italian red machines as teammates.
Nicky Hayden bid a fond farewell to his Honda team of seven years after Sunday’s final MotoGP event of the 2008 season in Valencia. He was greeted Monday morning in the Ducati MarboroTeam garages, ready for his first experience aboard the Ducati GP8 and GP9 motorcycles. Nicky’s first ride is chronicled here at http://www.redbullindianapolisgp.com. His move to the Ducati Marboro Team was commemorated with a small decal on the bike that simply stated “Chapter 2.”
Well you should all remember from my earlier blogs what a Nicky Hayden fan I have been for many years. You may also recall I have a couple very special Ducati sport bikes that seem to accumulate the most miles during the riding season. Are you starting to get the picture of a match made in heaven? Nicky Hayden on a Ducati represents what could be a spectacular alignment of stars.
I hope all the good folks in Owensboro, Ky., are ready for a bit of Italian flare to come to town. A Kentucky tradition since 1963, the Moonlite Bar-B-Q in Owensboro, voted the “Best Barbecue in Kentucky” by Kentucky Monthly and Kentucky Living readers, may need to add Italian sausages to the barbecue pit.
I’m sure the other fine Kentucky tradition in town, Earl’s Racing Team, will be adding some Ducati memorabilia to the family collection.
I know I’m anxious to start “Chapter 2” of my collection of Nicky Hayden memorabilia.
I’ll see you all in a couple weeks at www.redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg
Bring on the “leafers”
This time of year in central Indiana can be full of interesting surprises from Mother Nature. Those of you who experienced the inaugural running of the Red Bull Indianapolis GP back in September can certainly vouch for that! Fortunately, this past weekend was a glorious example of how great the combination of clear, warm, sunny days can be with the onset of the fall symphony of colors across the Hoosier state.
After two solid weeks of business travel with all the associated joys of airports, hotels and alien cities, I ended up with a long weekend that was blessed with unbelievable weather for this time of the year. One thing I have learned over all the years of travel is the humor you can find wherever you may be stuck. I hope this pilot figured out where he was going!
I decided to forgo all the fall chores around the homestead and ended up spending most of all three days exploring the twisty routes around central and southern Indiana. The onset of the traditional fall foliage has also brought out hordes of “leafers” out for leisurely drives to gawk at the colors of the fall season.
This past Sunday, Oct. 12 also marked the monthly meeting of the HSTA (Honda Sport Touring Association). Our meeting 
destination this month was the 58 Café in Kurtz, Ind. Being only four blocks long and three blocks wide, you would miss it if you blinked twice during a spirited blast across IN SR 58. Well, based on previous blogs about the HSTA group, you should remember that indulging in culinary delights is one of our main mission statements. The breaded tenderloins and homemade pies definitely put the town of Kurtz and the 58 Café high on the HSTA destination list.
We’ll have to ask fellow HSTA’er Mike Harrell if the coconut cream pie at the 58 Café even comes close to the brownie fudge caramel ice cream delight at the South Bend Chocolate Company on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.
Fortunately, the monthly meeting agenda items were handled expeditiously, giving all the attendees plenty of time to enjoy a hardy lunch prior to round two of one of our favorite fall pastimes; dodging the meandering stream of fall “leafers.”
My trip back up to Indy also included one of the ultimate surprises for a sport bike rider; a 14-mile long, curvy ribbon of freshly laid pavement across IN SR 45 between Unionville and Beanblossom, Ind. What better experience could one ask for to wrap up a glorious fall weekend in central Indiana.
I’ll see you all in a couple weeks at www.redbullindianapolisgp.com.
Greg