By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. By winning his sixth MotoGP world title - and his fourth in a row - this season, Marc Marquez has established himself as one of the all-time greats of the sport, if not the greatest rider the sport has ever seen. Solidifying what has already been an incredible 2019 MotoGP campaign, Marquez won the Japanese Grand Prix last Sunday for his tenth race victory of the season. The twenty-six-year-old Marquez, who clinched his sixth world title in Thailand a couple of weeks ago, recorded his 54th premier class win, equaling Mick Doohan's total. His win also secured the constructor's title for Honda.
It's no secret that I have become a huge enthusiast of MotoGP racing over the last decade, as the unbridled talent and sheer skill of these top-level MotoGP riders is simply jaw-dropping to watch every time they hit the track. The incredible balance, the physical exertion to throw those bikes around at lurid angles and the pure racing passion on display is something to see. But Marquez is indeed a special talent with ability that transcends the eras, and he's that much better than the rest, which is apparent to everyone both inside and outside the sport of MotoGP.
That Marquez has won six MotoGP championships at the age of 26 is a testament to his prodigious talent, his consummate dedication to his craft and, of course, his sheer will to win. Enthusiasts of motor sport often look back at previous eras and remember them fondly, but I would like to point tout that with Marquez we're witnessing true greatness at an exceptional level right now. So savor his brilliance in real time, because a talent like his only comes along once in a great while.
And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
(Photo by special AE contributor Whit Bazemore)
(Photo by special AE contributor Whit Bazemore)
(Photo by special AE contributor Whit Bazemore)
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, September 1967. Mario Andretti in the No. 17 Holman & Moody Honker II Ford during practice for the Can-Am at Road America. Mario has often commented over the years that it was the "worst car I've ever driven," and it was so bad that weekend that the car was withdrawn before the race due to the fact that it was blatantly noncompetitive.