Over the past several months I’ve quietly alluded several times to a somewhat mythical Ducati project that we’ve been working on, but until now haven’t been at liberty to discuss it in much detail. All of that changed earlier this morning when “Ducati : A Story of Passion” officially dropped and became immediately available on DVD exclusively at Pro Italia.

Shot over the past several years, “A Story of Passion” offers viewers an inside look at the Ducati marque that is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. We set out to take the audience to the core of the brand’s myth and behind its magic. Along the way we spent time at both the factory and with the very folks who are directly responsible for creating and building today’s incredible motorcycles. Whether you’re a die-hard Ducatisti or merely someone who is interested in learning more about the brand, my hope is that you’ll enjoy it the same

Some of the exclusive interviewees on the disc include:

• Troy Bayliss - 2001 & 2006 WSBK Champion
• Claudio Domenicali - Ducati Corse & Head of Development
• Dan Van Epps - Ducati Product Development
• Michael Lock - CEO, Ducati North America
• Livio Lodi - Ducati Museum Director
• Federico Minoli - former CEO, Ducati Motor Holding
• Pierre Terreblanche - Ducati Motorcycle Designer
• David Gross - Creative Director Ducati Motor Holding
• Filippo Preziosi - Ducati Corse Technical Director

Over the course of my career in television (and its modern visual derivations) I’ve had the pleasure to work on a host of different types of programs that were interesting, but this particular one has been a truly unique experience to say the least because as you can imagine it has been an incredibly personal passion-project. Clearly Ducati is a brand that has deeply affected my life on a very emotional level and hopefully, “A Story of Passion” capably reflects the admiration that I have for both the marque itself and the folks who continue to move it forward.

After having taken several trips to the factory for other various TV and video projects, my hope with this particular project was to capture at least a small fraction of the magic that exists inside the factory walls. Because Ducati is different and it is truly a unique brand - more so then I believe most folks realize. From its rich history to the sexually appealing motorcycles and the incredibly mind blowing engineering, there is a romance and an allure behind this brand that is completely tangible. The second you walk inside the doors you can taste it and you can feel it. It’s an emotionally stirring experience.

Not surprisingly the genesis for “A Story of Passion” started while on a ride. We had just wrapped up “Speed On Two Wheels” and I was charging through The Santa Monica Mountains atop the 999, alongside Bill Nation and Lowell Goss from Pro Italia, when we stopped at The Rock Store. A few minutes later over coffee we started chatting about our collective passion for Ducati and out of that conversation came an idea. To be honest the project started out as something much smaller and more intimate, but thanks to the amazing cooperation from the folks at the factory and their willingness to share both their time and the brand itself, it turned into the kind of long form program that in my mind ought to be more readily available on TV but because of the nature of the today’s television landscape can’t easily find a home.

So tonight I have to give a serious shout out to the folks from Pro Italia. They did something that I think is pretty incredible for a motorcycle dealership - they got behind an idea to create a one of a kind content rich program and took the step to put it out on DVD for fans of the Ducati brand around the world. That’s a remarkable feat and one which deserves to be recognized. The resulting creative collaboration with Bill, Lowell, Glenn Morgan and Eric Lewald continues to be one of the most fulfilling experiences of my professional life and hopefully everyone who watches the DVD will be able to not only see that, but enjoy it as well.

So if you’re interested, you can check out “Ducati : A Story of Passion” on Pro Italia’s website… And just to keep the mystery alive, more surprises are to come