In the south, we have the saying “Et up with it” (short, presumably, for “eaten up with it” which is itself a long way of saying obsessed).

For the past few weeks, I’ve been reading the biographies of some of the greats of Grand Prix including Barry Sheene, Mick Doohan and Wayne Rainey.

While Sheene certainly was a playboy and a media hound, he was also so obsessed with motorcycle racing that he was willing to come back from two different horrible accidents to race and win. His accidents at Daytona in ‘75 and Silverstone in ‘82 were worse that most racers will ever experience, yet neither prevented him from getting back on the fastest bikes in the world and winning races at the highest levels of competition including the ‘76 and ‘77 Grand Prix world championships. Sheene probably carried more metal in his body than any other racer in history.

Wayne Rainey is perhaps the poster child for being ‘Et up with it. Primarily because of his complete dedication to the task of beating rival Kevin Schwantz but also for obliterating all the other competition in route to his three Grand Prix world championships before his tragic accident and resulting paralysis in ‘93. Any photo of Rainey from that time period shows the complete and intense focus with which he approached racing. The bike he rode in ‘93 should, by all rights, have run mid-pack because of its handling woes but Wayne through the force of his own will made the bike challenge for wins. It eventually cost him the ability to walk.

Finally, Mick Doohan’s gruesome accidents before becoming one of the most dominant riders in the sport provide the most contemporary example of being Et up with it. Mick lost part of a finger, badly broke his arm and broke his wrist in different accidents before “the accident” at Assen in ‘92 which nearly lost him his leg. Despite this physical punishment, Doohan’s drive to compete and win brought him back again and eventually launched his spectacular string of five straight world titles. The famous photo of the fragile looking Doohan in an Italian hospital with his legs sewn together shows the depths of his obsession better than any story possibly could.

There are other stories, thankfully less dramatic but that equally illustrate the dedication required to win at this level of racing. Freddie Spencer’s meteoric rise and rapid fall from GP glory. Schwantz’s battered wrists which, despite over a decade of healing, still cause him problems. Even Criville suffered serious health problems after his ‘99. It seems that most of the riders, perhaps Lawson and Roberts being the exceptions, left MotoGP after paying a physical toll much more severe than most racers would ever consider paying.

So what does this history stay of the current MotoGP stars? First, it would indicate just how focused Rossi has probably become after his switch to Yamaha. In interview after interview, Rossi says he has completely changed his approach to racing in order to get the Yamaha to the level where it can win races. Perhaps this history also explains why riders like Biaggi, Barros and Capirossi have always seemed to lack just that little bit extra necessary to run with Rossi. The risks they may have to take bring dire consequences and the recent history of the sport offers ample warning. Biaggi, Barros and Capirossi were all racing during the time when Rainey crashed at Misano, Doohan crashed at Assen and Doohan’s final crash at Jerez. Rossi was just getting started in that era…

I also wonder about the current crop of young riders, particularly Nicky Hayden. Does he have the focus and dedication to win at this level? Will he reject the temptations of Europe, where MotoGP riders are treated like superstars, and become ‘Et up with being a world champion? Given the stories of these other stars, should he? Maybe Rossi has forged a new path to stardom which won’t exact the price that the champions of the 70s, 80s and 90s had to pay.

[image from Mick Doohan web site