Watch a Bunch of Vespas Racing on a Rain-Soaked Circuit
What could be more fun than belting a hopped-up scooter around a tight circuit in the rain?
If you've never seen Vespas doing fierce battle on a wet track in the rain, it's time to right that wrong. This video comes to us from SIP Scootershop, and was posted in the last months of 2020.
The footage covers the third and final race of the 2020 European Scooter Championship (yes, that's a thing). The season was abridged that year, as the world grappled with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The action took place at the Motorsportanlage Harz-Ring in Falkenstein, Germany. Conditions on the day were a cool 59 degrees Fahrenheit, with on-track combat taking place in the pouring rain.
As per the race report, the championship finale had a smaller-than-usual grid, due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. However, this came with the benefit that there was more space out on track for riders, giving the rookies a better chance to familiarize themselves with their machines on the Friday before the big race.
With the skies opening up on race day, good rain tires were the key to performance. According to SIP Scootershop, a solid set of wet-weather rubber was good enough to let competitors get their knees down in the bends, even given the conditions.
The video also introduces us to several personalities on the track. We get to meet Robert Leibfahrt racing in Class 4. Also known as the Parmakit Uniform Class, this features scooters from the Italian manufacturer with around 26 to 27 horsepower, which gets them hustling plenty fast around the track. There's also Sarah and Inga who ride in the lower K5 and K6 classes. The ESC runs a number of classes, some of which are more serious, while others are more friendly to beginners.
Three races took place per class, with Leibfahrt romping home with two wins and a second place. That was enough to secure him the 2020 Class 4 championship. K5 honors were claimed by Valentino Randazzo, in the class with the most competitors. Class 4 competitor Albert Heigold took the fastest lap of the day with a solid 1:06. For context, the fastest motorcycle lap recorded online for the compact circuit is 54.83 seconds.
It's easy to see the appeal of scooter racing. The machines are cheaper than full-sized motorcycles, and much easier to haul to the track. They make racing more accessible, and it's clear that everyone involved is having a good time. Safe to say, it's worth contemplating what antics you could get up to with a few mopeds down at your own local kart track.
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