Top 10 Racing Personalities To Follow On Twitter

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Get inside the sport with the touch of your phone

There’s more to the world of motorcycle racing than what happens on the track. Behind the scenes, rumors are flying and motorcycles are ever-changing. But we sometimes forget that the riders, too, have lives just like the rest of us. Now, thanks to social media, and Twitter specifically, we have more access to the racing world, and the people in it, than ever before. We can get the latest news, gossip and rumors straight from the most knowledgeable sources in the sport. What’s more, many athletes are active on Twitter as well, allowing us the inside line into their everyday lives outside the racetrack.

The question now is, “Who should I follow?” For this Top 10 list, we’ve taken out the guesswork. These 10 people in the racing community always have something to say, and when they talk, we listen. We’ve split the list into racers and personalities within the paddock to give two different perspectives. Certainly there are many more people in the racing community we wish we could include, but we feel these 10 will keep you entertained and in the know throughout the season, and beyond!

Here, in no particular order, our Top 10 racing personalities you should follow on Twitter.

10. Greg White ( @gregwhite)

Popular for his sideline reporting during AMA and MotoGP races, Greg White eats, sleeps and breathes everything two wheels. Longtime viewers will remember him from “Two Wheel Tuesdays” during the Speedvision days, and he’s been an AMA Superbike pit reporter for years. White has plenty of inside connections and juicy gossip from the world of motorcycle racing. His tweets take you inside his world, whether he’s at the track, filming his next segment or simply lounging around the house. He tweets constantly and loves interacting with fans. Follow him and stay in the know.

9. Jorge Lorenzo ( @lorenzo99)

How often do you get to hang out with the current MotoGP champ? Now you can, albeit virtually. Lorenzo is fairly active on Twitter, tweeting about his daily activities and what interests him during the week, and talking about his racing on the weekends. He’s good about interacting with fans, too, with replies and retweets. Be warned, though: half his tweets are in Spanish.

8. Mat Oxley ( @matoxley)

Former racer turned bike journo, Oxley is an award-winning motojournalist who’s covered MotoGP since ’88, and his insight into the world of MotoGP is nothing if not thought-provoking. He’s active on Twitter — replying, retweeting and usually posting something worth reading.

7. Colin Edwards ( @texastornado5)

The ever-unpredictable Colin Edwards was a no-brainer for this list. A fan favorite because he doesn’t hold anything back, the Texas Tornado’s comments on Twitter are equal parts funny and honest. He loves his fans and interacts with them often. Plus, he loves showing off his exploits outside the racetrack, like firing off his .50 cal gun at his Texas Tornado Boot Camp riding school. Follow Colin and he’ll be good for a laugh or two on a daily basis.

6. Toby Moody ( @tobymoody)

Toby Moody isn’t your ordinary MotoGP commentator. He lives this sport, experiencing the highs and the lows of the racers from the confines of the commentary booth, as you can see in the photo above. He’s passionate and extremely well connected, and he shares his insight regularly on Twitter. He’s not known for superfluous fluff, so when he posts interesting news on his account, rest assured they come from a good source. Needless to say, he’s an active participant on Twitter, with witty comments and generous retweets.

5. Nicky Hayden ( @nickyhayden)

It’s hard not to be a fan of the Kentucky Kid. The lovable former champ has had a rough few years at Ducati, but through it all he is admired for his professionalism and steadfast work ethic. With his 2014 racing plans up in the air at the moment, Twitter has been the place to get the latest news on Hayden’s future. While he’s dropped subtle hints here and there, he’s generally kept his future plans close to heart and instead posts cool pics of him on the bike. Beyond the paddock Nicky interacts with fans and posts pics from his travels.

4. Julian Ryder ( @motogpjules)

Toby Moody’s partner in crime. Ryder has been covering the racing scene, both as a commentator and journalist, for a long time. What he doesn’t know about racing probably isn’t worth knowing. The author of many coffee table books about the subject, Moody has a loyal following on Twitter, where his analysis of the riders, tracks and personalities makes him a fan favorite worldwide.

3. Jason Pridmore ( @jp43)

Former AMA and World Endurance champion Jason Pridmore is well-respected in racing circles for his time in this sport. He’s also the owner of the STAR School, which has been helping riders of all levels improve their skills. When he’s not teaching or racing in endurance events around the globe, he’s an active tweeter, commenting on everything from racing to golfing, one of his many hobbies. Pridmore is a wealth of knowledge and is definitely one worth following.

2. Neil Hodgson ( @NeilHodgson100)

Get inside the mind of a former WSBK champion. Neil Hodgson had to end his career earlier than he planned due to injury, but Twitter has allowed the likeable Brit to speak his mind about the racing scene. Plus, when he’s not tweeting about races, he’s usually good for a laugh or two! Hodgson appreciates his fans and still participates in trackdays, so keep up with him on Twitter and you might find yourself riding alongside a world champ someday.

1. Valentino Rossi ( @Valeyellow46)

Sure, we said this list was in no particular order, but who else would be at the top spot? The Doctor adopted social media only recently but has been fairly active ever since. Known for being a master on the track, Vale has also managed to keep his private life just that. Through Twitter, his fans now have closer access to his life outside the track than ever before. Granted, he doesn’t interact with his fans nearly as much as some of the other names on this list, but Rossi will always be a fan favorite. As such, any chance he gives to peek inside his life and get to know Valentino, the man, is a welcome one. There’s just one caveat: he tweets mostly in Italian.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

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  • Mahatma Mahatma on Jan 30, 2015

    This is a trick list:There are no racing persona which have a personality worth following;)

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