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When Red Bull KTM Tech 3 rider Miguel Oliveira made a cool and calculated move on the last corner to win the Styrian Grand Prix a week ago, he definitely took Jack Miller and Pol Espargaró by surprise. (If you missed it — or if you just want to enjoy it again — here's the video clip of the last lap.)
The win by Oliveira was also probably unexpected by quite a few MotoGP fans, many of whom likely don't know that much about the only Portuguese rider in the top class. MotoGP.com has a great cure for that.
In what has turned out to be excellent timing, MotoGP early this year launched a series of videos called "Off the Racing Line" that looks at the real people under the helmets, and their first subject was Oliveira. In the video, you get to see the joy on his face as a small boy when he got his first motorcycle. You'll probably also learn about some things you don't know, like the Oliveira Cup racing series he and his father funded and created in Portugal to give young riders a better start than he had, and some surprising things, like his interest in dentistry.
Oliveira's win was popular in the paddock in large part because it was a breakthrough victory for the Tech 3 team after many years of trying. But it was also popular because Oliveira is a likeable person. That comes through in the video.
The second video in the series, which features Jack Miller, is also out. And his is another great story, one of a family making sacrifices to help a child pursue a dream — even more than Oliveira's father did.
If you're interested in getting to know the people MotoGP racers really are underneath the helmet and leathers, the "Off the Racing Line" series is one you'll want to follow.
