KTM adds an intoxicating dash of orange to Vienna’s Ringstrasse Road Racing fans in downtown Vienna had an exciting glimpse of the excitement to come at this weekend’s Grand Prix in Brno, Czech Republic when riders from the Red Bull KTM GP Team joined other racing colleagues for a special MotoGP promotion. The dedicated MotoGP fans were there. So were the tourists, the curious and even the mildly bemused. Some 10,000 people lined a section of Vienna’s regal Ringstrasse and also transformed the steps of the elegant Parliament House into an impromptu grandstand. On Wednesday, MotoGP came to Vienna, bringing with it the intoxicating smell of gasoline, the roar of high-tech engines and a true shot of adrenalin to this city that thrives on a more sedate image expressed in its history, music and culture. For Red Bull KTM’s factory riders Mika Kallio (250ccm) and Randy Krummenacher (125ccm) it was also a special occasion. “It was a great atmosphere and a nice experience,” young Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher told the crowd later. His Finnish KTM team-mate agreed. “We have done this kind of promotion before in Estoril a couple of years ago, but here there were a lot more people,” Kallio said. “I think we could do this more often.” Kallio, Krummenacher and the other participating MotoGP riders showed off their bikes and their skills against the stunning backdrop of some of Vienna’s most grandiose public buildings – the Gothic-style City Hall, Parliament House and the National Theater. After the ride the boys in orange tireless signed autographs for the hundreds of fans who wanted to document the moment and take home a souvenir. On Sunday the KTM factory team returns to the business of serious racing – championship points and the fight for podium places at the Czech Grand Prix. Brno, a racing circuit that has hosted top class motor sports since the 1930s, is a popular venue for Austrian fans and many of those who lined the Ringstrasse will travel north to enjoy Sunday’s MotoGP. With appetites now whetted, they will be in Brno to see their KTM idols open the throttle, lean into the corners at angles that defy the laws of gravity and charge the straight to the checkered flag. Kallio, Krummenacher and their teammates are determined to make it an occasion to remember in what is, in effect, the Red Bull KTM GP team’s “home” Grand Prix.