I Compete, Therefore I Am

So I was recently nominated for the SHAPE Best Blogger Awards: The Top 20 Blogs for Sports Nuts. Click on the button below, then ‘Vote for this blog,’ if you support chicks who pass dudes on the racetrack!

At press time, I’m currently in third place, close behind Ali on the Run, a pleasant looking girl from New York who enjoys running. How sweet. In number one is Chelsea Becker, of Cosmos and Cleats. Chelsea’s straight kicking our butts.

I’m a highly competitive person. I’m also very friendly. Some of my most vicious racetrack enemies are my best friends once the checkered flag flies. I’m sure I would have a good time drinking a beer with Ms. Becker, but as of right now, she is my sworn enemy.

So I checked out her blog. It purports to add value by helping women understand the sports they watch, presumably with their boyfriends. She doesn’t write about the sports she plays, nor does she encourage other women to play sports. Really, it’s all about how not to sound like such a ditz on Superbowl Sunday. Never once is there the suggestion that, hey, if you don’t like sports – don’t pretend to care, maybe go pick up a tennis racket, or take an MSF class, instead.

Interlaced with her helpful tips are lots of photos of man candy. And I thought, you know, that’s one big thing that my blog is seriously lacking. Man candy. I haven’t even mentioned it because I’m not racing just so I can hang out with cute boys all day long, I’m racing to beat people and go faster. But clearly this is what the people want, so ladies, here are a few good reasons why YOU should give a cosmo (or a cleat) about motorcycle racing:

Ben Spies

Ben is from Texas and raced MotoGP this year, pretty much the Formula 1, the fastest of the fast, the raddest of the rad, in international motorcycle racing. He can walk down the street in Italy and be mobbed by fans, but walks around in the U.S. just like a normal dude. Help make motorcycle racing more popular by becoming his fan. Why wouldn’t you want to be? I can’t even say anything eloquent other than, omg, so hot.

Oh, and here he is with me and Jenn Lauritzen at Laguna. He was so stoked to meet me, I think this became his new Twitter pic for a while.

Nicky Hayden

Nicky is another sexy American boy racing MotoGP. I first met him at a Freddie Spencer motorcycle racing school in Las Vegas four years ago. His southern accent, charm and manners make girls melt. And he’s, guess what, really smokin’ fast.

Joey Pascarella

Joey’s only 19, but this local California boy is making waves racing in Italy and occasionally stops by our local races to collect boatloads of trophies. He has more girls after him than I can even comprehend. He’s got that whole emo thing going on, you know, the skinny jeans, tats, always talking about the indy shows he’s going to. He occasionally likes hitting on old lady racers like me and Jenn, too, it’s really cute and kind of hilarious.

Hawk Mazzotta

Okay, Hawk doesn’t race anymore, and it’s a damn shame because he is just stupidly hot. I used to instruct with him at the now defunct Skip Barber Superbike School. He’s not my type, but he’s very sweet, and damn, the ladies love him. Here he is with my friend, a kick ass mechanic by the name of Kellie “Pig Tails” Auld:

There’s a lot of man candy in the paddock. I won’t name any names on my honorable mention list, well, because one isn’t even eighteen yet (oh, snap), one’s an ex-fiance, one is a competitor’s ex-boyfriend, and one’s married.

But there’s nothing wrong with looking, so come on out to the motorcycle races next year, cheer on the hot boys and rad girls, and nurture your own need for speed!