AUSTIN, Texas — On the outskirts of Austin, nestled away at the end of a winding road, is the Circuit of the Americas.
Most Austinites only venture out that way to attend concerts at the track's attached ampitheater, but for the sake of understanding, here's why what happens there beyond that is *kind of* a big deal.
This weekend's Grand Prix of the Americas
Spain's Marc Marquez earned his sixth consecutive victory at the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday, launching the four-time champion back near the top of the season standings.
The 25-year-old had been the fastest through qualifying, but was forced to start fourth after a penalty for interfering with Maverick Vinales on Saturday. A great start saw Marquez jump toward the front through the first turn and he had the lead halfway through the first lap.
"It was my strategy to start and just push," Marquez said in the closing press conference. "I didn't have confidence to battle. I just push and open a gap and hopefully I go away."
Marquez has been unbeatable at the Circuit of the Americas. He's won every race on the track since it first hosted MotoGP in 2013. His latest win pushed him to second in the season standings behind Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso.
Movistar Yamaha's Vinales finished second and Suzuki's Andrea Iannone was third.
Britain's Cal Crutchlow came into the race as the season points leader. He had a crash and finished 19th.
Controversial COTA track
After complaints from the motorcyclists about the surface being too bumpy last year, COTA attempted to smooth out the circuit using diamond-grinder equipment.
"It’s a disaster," Valentino Rossi told F1i.com. "For me it’s the worst situation during all the season. You have three or four bumps that are very big."
Australia's Jack Miller told F1i that his windscreen was broken by the rocks that were scattered on the track on Friday.
"Last year we asked to do some improvements. They did something, but unfortunately it didn’t work," Rossi added.
Apparently the condition of the track is just the right recipe for Marquez though.
Would a non-motorcycle enthusiast enjoy this?
Depends! If you like cold beer, local food trucks, sunshine (don't forget the sunscreen), tons of Central Texas scenery coupled with out-of-towners' fascination with Texas cliches (i.e. cowboy hats, boots, and 'funny' accents'), you'll get a kick out of the ceremonial dog-and-pony show.
It's hard to resist the thrill of a race. Speed junkies, think NASCAR, but with a few more tricks. You'll witness riders with feet down, shoes smoking at 200 mph, bikes at full-tilt, knees on the pavement in sharp turns. Oh, and it's loud. Very loud. Like, you need earplugs loud.
It's also a great place to learn more about the art of motorcycling if you have an interest in it. Test out bikes, talk with experts, get a feel for if it's something you're considering giving a whirl.
Lack of American representation
People from all over the world travel to Austin to catch a glimpse of their country's rider, their auto/sport bike maker's representation (Honda, Ducati, Suzuki, Yamaha, to name a few).
Unfortunately though, the last time an American represented at the Grand Prix Americas was in 2006. Nicknamed "The Kentucky Kid," Nicky Haden won MotoGP World Championship. On May 17, 2017, Hayden was struck and killed by a car while riding his bicycle in Italy.
Kevin Schwantz, a former world champion and co-designer of the COTA track, explains why he believes Americans struggle to represent in MotoGP:
"It's very difficult for American kids to get into the world championship loop," Schwantz told CNN. "I mean, Italy, Germany, Spain, everybody's got their pre-Moto3 championships, young kids can get there and start riding when they're 13 or 14."
He points to one emerging American star who could break through, although he has had to travel to Europe to do it.
"We've got this kid, Damian Jigalov, in Italy racing and he's 12 years old, riding at 300 km/h, and he's better than anyone else on the track," added Schwantz.
"I think our problem here is that most of us don't think our kids can do anything until they're 16, when they can come race in MotoAmerica and be a professional," he explained.
By 16, Schwantz said, American riders are already behind the curve compared to fellow European riders.
Okay, I'm in. What's next?
The bad news: The track in Austin is literally the only location in the U.S. where races are hosted. The good news: The season's just begun, and the Lost Well and COTA host watch parties regularly. The next race happens Sunday, May 6, at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.