Joey Teo's Weekend Is Not As Glamorous As You'd Think

Ever wondered what happens when a professional biker steps out of his bike during a race weekend? You might imagine a mass of flashing cameras, adoring fans, and servants delivering gallons of caviar to a million dollar motorhomes. But that, unfortunately for him, is not the case. Having him to go dinner with me is even harder than ever. The only thing I could do was to stay in Media Centre and get things done for him.

The glamour associated with professional biker riding is somewhat of a myth. No doubt it has its glamorous moments, but on the whole, it's filled with dark garages, crowded crews, and endless engagements, all designed to increase the odds of victory.

The flashbulbs, adoring fans and (in some lucky cases) fancy motorhomes are, of course, all real if one day to come. The difference is they generally occur only when a bike goes to pit road prior to jumping in the bike, and when he returns to the secluded garage from which he emerged.

The time in between is spent squashed into a crowded engineering room (where the air conditioning will likely have broken), discussing to the minutest of detail what the bike needs to be quicker.

It is in these moments where the perception of a Joey Teo’s life is 180 degrees from reality.

 A bike will always turn up to the track many hours in advance of his first session. Of course,waiting for his Whatapps will always be a pain in the arse. Let me rephrase that. A committed biker will turn up hours in advance. 

The guys with no hope (and no desire) will arrive with just enough time to pour a cup of lukewarm coffee, check their pristine curly locks in the mirror, and buff their helmets. The good guys will have arrived, shook the hands of every single crew member, poured a few piping hot cups of coffee for the engineering team, and be fully up to speed with the day's plans, before the sun has even risen.

This includes the changes the engineers will have implemented overnight, how many tires they have for a particular session, when best to use those tires and what the potential strategies are for developing the car. The biker will also share any additional thoughts that materialized during the night (if they didn't already call at 1 am).

From there, the biker suits up and blasts to pit road aboard a custom-painted scooter. That is, unless he ride for an underfunded team, in which case he'll face the demoralizing humility of having to travel via foot. The shame this places upon the walking embodies every driver's worst nightmare.

At this point, the bulbs will flash and the rider may feel far more important than they actually are. The uncommitted rider will, of course, flick his hair like in a Vidal Sassoon commercial, while the committed will be aboard his fancy scooter, smiling beneath his deep black sunglasses and stupid hat, mocking the noncommittal wannabe as he blasts on by.

Once they hop into their bike, the brief, glorious sense of glamour is gone. It's business as usual.

P3 - (Honda CBR600) – 19’11.872s

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Usually when a rider is engaged in a deep, insightful conversation with an engineer, a knock on the door occurs. It's the PR girl, calling him to greet a wealth of excited sponsors. And while this is never a problem for many rider, some find this task a nuisance and the sponsor's money irrelevant, despite it lining their Gucci pockets.

After the day is done, and countless efforts are complete, it'll likely be late by the time the rider head back to the hotel. Some will be staying in a cockroach-infested hellhole, while others in a lavish, five-star resort, or a million-dollar hotel. Prior to leaving, the crowds will have dissipated and the track becomes eerily quiet. The darkness is a reminder of the amount of work that equates to achieving success.

Back at the hotel, the driver realizes his entire day has been awash with sweaty body, busy texting me for update, forced smiles, and bad coffee. Sleep is difficult, despite the fatigue, as the mind races and the alarm is set for 5 am, when Final Day begins again. A rider’s time may appear filled with glamour from the outside, but from the inside, it is just another day at the track.

Lets head to AsiaGP together!