You may recognise sèveral motorcycling faces on my video, taken a few years ago. Seems they like to warm up for the beginnIng of the world motorcycling year at Castle Donington in England. This is a special day, as riders and machines are tested ànd prepared for the high-powered, high-speed year ahead. But who is the white haired older woman moving comfortably among them, getting celebrity treatment in the racers’ VIP area?
Watching motorcycle racing has been Betty’s passion since her teenage years, and now her family is grown and living their own lives, Betty buys her season tickets, packs her camping gear and heads for the next meet, leaving husband of many decades, Terry Hudson, to his own devices.
This works well, since Terry has very successfully taken up photography, and since joining a photography club is free to roam taking fantastic pictures like the one here, with no one at home to complain!!
Once at the race track Betty heads for Pit Lane where even the younger riders seem to know her.
She allowed to tell them what they did wrong in that last race (well she will anyway!) But she is an expert. After 60 years of following the sport, she is a welcome Guest in Pit Lane; entry is now guaranteed by a special VIP Pass on her lanyard.
Betty took me along. It is a noisy and exciting place to be in Pit Lane.
In each team area gleaming machines were being revved, tuned, run again, before the leather-clad rider swung his leg over, got the feel of the machine, and roared out into the sunlight and off around athe tracķ. See the short video below.
Betty keeps right up to date but can tell any current World Champion all about his first race! She doesnt need to ask them to sign her white nylon jacket, they come up and reach for the pen, pleased to join the elite names autographed there.
Mee Memoirs -and other stuff 