See God....Then Back Off!

The writer Hunter S. Thompson once said "The edge, there is no way to explain it because the only people who really know were it is are the ones who have gone over".
But, if there ever was a guy who was always riding on the edge, it might be late 1980's and early 1990's MotoGP rider Kevin Schwantz, adored by fans for pushing the limits in all his races. Though generally on less superior bikes than his rivals, Schwantz still managed to produce many wins with his "do or die" attitude, though not without quite a few crashes. He had an intense friendship and rivalry with fellow rider Wayne Rainey and the two battled it out on the track many, many times, even when they were on the same racing team! If you want to see a moment, check out the video of Schwantz (#34) and Rainey (#1) neck and neck at the end of the Hockenheim, with #34 fishtailing and on the verge of losing control to get the win!
When asked about his braking technique, Schwantz said "see God, then back off".
Schwantz had many injuries from his crashes and retired from racing not long after Rainey crashed his own bike in the '93 Italian Grand Prix and was paralyzed from the waist down.
He is a partial subject in the 2003 documentary "Faster", an inside look at the world of MotoGP.

Drag a peg

Feet up in the gravel

#34

Crashing at 200 mph is never a good thing