Hi everyone!
I’ve been back from Malaysia since a week already, and I meant to write this piece of story all week as I really want to share with you the amazing experience I had at the Malaysia Moto GP! First of all, when my agent told me I was going to play at the Moto GP event in Malaysia, I hadn’t understood how hot the thing was! Apparently they called me because they found out I drive a bike, and not just any bike, but I drive a Ducati myself. So they decided to call me to book me to play the party there, on the Saturday night before the race, but also to invite me to do the amazing Ducati 2-seater experience, created especially for entertaining VIPs from around the world before each Moto GP race. The experience is unique! Forget roller-coaster rides as they say… the thrill is 1000 times better than that (or more scary for some…)! When they told my agent about the ride, asking him if I wanted to do it, and then he told me so I could give my answer, I hadn’t understood quite well what was going to happen. I thought that after the race I’d just get on the winner’s bike for a small tour, not too fast. Whatever!!! What was I thinking! I didn’t think that super bikes have no place for a second person, and that if the winner was not from Ducati I could have not ridden behind him since the Marlboro-Ducati team was the one inviting me for the event. The truth is I wasn’t aware of this 2-seater program, but after spending a day there, having met the team and having seen the whole thing from inside, I’m fully addicted to the whole experience! I already liked riding my bike, but I now I have a very different perspective of this sport. It’s so amazing!
Let me explain how it all went. First of all let’s start by saying that to get to Malaysia I traveled for 25 hours. It was exhausting! When I arrived in the hot and humid 35 degrees Kuala Lumpur weather, the night before the gig, I thought I’d go to bed and sleep through until Saturday night. But I was so jet lagged that I stayed up all night. The next day I couldn’t sleep much, so on the night of the event I looked like someone who hadn’t slept in a month, with puffy eyes, so tired that I was shy to get out of my hotel. The gig went really well, I arrived there and was amazed by the fact that the event was on the actual race tracks, and that during the night, after the party and before the race, they had to un-build everything in order to leave everything all set and clean for the race. Impressive! The place was packed and people loved my music, so I was happy, but I felt so far away fro the crowd because the DJ booth was probably set at 7 or 8 meters above the crowd and it was difficult to connect with them, even with hands in the air I don’t think they could see me. But nevertheless the whole experience of playing on a race track was pretty fun! The next morning, after a very poor 2 hours of sleep, and still without a real night sleep since my long trip and my arrival there, I had to wake up to go do medical tests for the 2-seater ride. I was wondering why, since I wasn’t the one driving….. hehehehehe…. well, the answer is: because I was going to ride behind ex champion Randy Mamola, on a 2-setaer Ducati super bike, at about 270 Km/h, and they needed to make sure my heart and pressure was good enough to hold during the ride!!! That’s why! I was like…. WHAT????? I was SOOOOO scared! But I didn’t want to back off, I was there to do it and I did it. Doctor said heart and blood pressure was perfect. I was like, yey, I’m in good health, but woah, I have no more excuse to say no now. Afterwards they brought me in the Ducati equipment room and gave me the full protection kit to wear. Amazing suit, helmet, gloves, boots. I thought I looked good in that thing! Ok, time to go… We were 5 of us to do the ride. The Ducati team told us told us that only about 400 people around the world had the privilege to do this ride and they only invite VIPs. People who have done it already are movie and TV stars, only a few DJs like Goldie, and now myself, F1 pilots like Michael Schumacher, singers, etc. I felt very happy to hear I was one chosen among very few people around the world. It’s a very nice experience to live.
So, off to the race track. Randy Mamola gets the engine started to get ready for our 2 laps ride. I was second. I felt surprisingly relaxed after Mamola spoke to all of us and explained everything about the ride, telling us there was no danger whatsoever and that he had a lot of experience and that nothing ever happened before on the 2-seater and blablabla. But when the team told me to get ready and put my gloves and helmet on, my heart started beating so fast that I thought I was going to faint! I really thought I could not hold behind him and if I would have fainted he would have lost me behind, and then i would have died because I would have fallen off at that speed and never learned how to roll off a fast riding bike before and blaaaaaaaaa!!! Too much stress! All kinds of negative thoughts! The Ducati team was SO NICE that they really made sure everything was all set for us, and just a few seconds before jumping on the bike the very nice girl from the team talked to me and I don’t know how but somehow she managed to calm me down. Thank God! There he was, Mamola back from his first ride with the first passenger, he was still alive so I felt better! I got on the bike, he didn’t lose any time and we were gone! He started off on one wheel for I don’t know how many meters! I thought that’s it, I’m dying right here! Then he was back on two wheels and I thought ok not that bad, let’s try to have some fun here, this is a one time only life experience so come on Barbara! When the first turn arrived and he put the breaks on, I had to cope with so much G force against my body that I was going to fall over his head! I honestly didn’t think I’d have the necessary strength to hold on the bike for the rest of the ride and I thought it was the end for me. Then in the turns the bike was so close to the track that I could have touched the ground with my knee if I hadn’t been so scared and if I hadn’t kept my knees so tight around the bike! We were doing it! We were racing! That’s it! That’s what these guys do! Going fast and resisting all that G force on the breaking, on the acceleration, and on each curve, and on and on and on, for 21 laps! After my first lap my arms were hurting so much from trying to hold behind there that I honestly wondered how the racers do it all the time! And I have to say that on the next breaking I got reminded I was still on the bike and I still had one more lap to do, and I also wondered how could I ever hold tight enough to resist that last lap!
At the end of my ride I jumped off the bike as fast as I got on and in no time the third guy was on it and they were gone. I was in total shock, I couldn’t stand up very well, my head was spinning faster than i spin my records, and I don’t know if my face was as white as a ghost but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. During the afternoon I had a really nice time, hung out with the team as they showed me the racers bikes, the technicians at work and all kind of inside secret stuff that is fun to know and learn. I really appreciate the time they spent with me and their patience and kindness for showing me so much and to allow me to see and live all this and watch the race from so close and getting all the little gifts I went home with, all kind of Ducati racing merchandise that I know proudly wear when I go riding myself at home. I really got hooked! After thinking about it, I would do the 2-seater again, but as I said to Randy after the ride, first I’d have to go to the gym for at least one year, as my arms aren’t strong enough!!
I would like to thank all the people at the Marlboro-Ducati team who took care of me and also the ones whom I haven’t met but who decided to invite my there. I kept a really fond memory of this trip. In my 25 hours travel time back I admired all the photos and videos I took, which I unfortunately cannot share with you here because of the Marlboro branding logo which is illegal to post, but maybe if I find one photo without the Marlboro logo I will post it for you to see.
Hope you enjoyed my story as much as I’ve enjoyed my ride!! All the best and for the ones who still didn’t vote, don’t forget to do so if you want to show me some love!! Barbara x