Wallaby Hops Through MotoGP Practice, Ignoring 140 MPH Bikes

If you're going to race in certain parts of Australia, you're going to have to deal with a marsupial or two on track. At Bathurst, kangaroo incursions have become so common that one single 2020 endurance race had enough material for a four hour supercut of hopping hijinks. MotoGP is at Australia's Phillip Island this weekend, so marsupial crossings are expected.

The incident happened during practice for Sunday's Australian GP. The wallaby, apparently unfamiliar with the mid-corner speeds a MotoGP bike can reach, decided to cross the track immediately before a large group of bikes could come by. By just a few hops, he makes his way across the hot track in time and avoids oncoming traffic.

Aprilia rider and championship contender Aleix Espargaro, the first rider in the line going past, misses the wallaby by just a few feet. According to MotoGP's onboard telemetry, Espargargo was approaching 140 mph when he suddenly became familiar with the local wildlife. Fortunately, the wallaby's heads-up track-crossing approach meant that Espargaro narrowly avoided any need to quickly maneuver out of the way and risk a high-side crash at massive speeds.

The MotoGP Australian Grand Prix, the third-to-last race of the season, runs this Sunday. Hopefully, all pouch-bearing wildlife will find their way to their preferred side of the racing surface before the event actually begins.

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