Alpinestars hosted a unique event on October 16 at Willow Springs in California, with their first-ever Alpinestars Friends and Family Ride Day.
It was a chance for the company to show its appreciation to the athletes and personalities that make the brand what it is today, and there were some heavy hitters present—most notably in the form of two-time MotoGP World Champion, Casey Stoner, former WorldSBK Champion, Ben Spies, and American World Rally Championship contender, Ricky Brabec.
“I’ve never ridden a crouch rocket-style bike, and I’ve never been on a closed asphalt course, but it’s been a lot of fun,” said Brabec. “We’ve got so many athletes out here from different disciplines, and it’s great we get to come out and do this. Looking at the sport (road racing) from TV, it looks almost easy, but it’s really difficult. Body positioning, braking, the bikes are way faster—I had a lot of fun. It’s definitely not my new career path but it was a blast.”
Current X Games FMX gold medalist Jarryd McNeil was equally pumped on the experience of riding on a road racing course for the first time.
“It’s such a great event for Alpinestars to put on, especially if you’re not used to this kind of riding,” he said. “It’s been great to get on an R1, first time I’ve ever ridden one, but it’s been such a good day.”
Check out the video above for the highlights of this exceptional day in the High Desert.
