AutoMotoPhoto - Website is now updated...

Casey Stoners RCV212 in parc ferme, Motorland Aragon

A quick mention to let you know that my main website, AutoMotoPhoto has been refreshed with images from every race I have covered in 2011...and in total there is nearly six years worth of racing images that could kill some time over a wintery weekend..


Join me and others at the Phillip Island MotoGP Photography Seminar

Short but sweet. Back to the track. Back to the drama. Valentino Rossi. Did he or didn't he?

Sunflowers say summer to me.

Three weeks home is a sufficiently long enough break from travelling to ruin my ability to avoid getting jet lag. Since February I have been travelling and covering motorcycle racing. No jet lag, just maybe a bit weary of travelling through airports, but in general, it has been good. You find a rhythm, a week or ten days at home (USA), then it's off to some other destination again. But I find that I have avoided jet leg and have done quiet well.

Being home allows all the fibres of your mind and body relax, settle into the time zone with which you are familiar and you suddenly feel stress free. No counting down days until you fly again, leave home and every comfort within. So tomorrow (August 8), I leave for Prague and the last half of the MotoGP season begins in earnest next weekend from Brno.

The Laguna Seca weekend was a blast. Even more so because that rather talented lanky Italian motorcycle racer was back on track and we had four Americans in the line up, someone to cheer for. Nicky Hayden, Ben Spies, Colin Edwards and that wild card guy Roger Hayden who was standing in for an injured Randy De Puniet. The carnival atmosphere had returned. Much to the delight of everyone. Lorenzo would win the race, with some entertainment being provided by the Italian National Anthem being played for the winner, instead of the Spanish Anthem or Lorenzo's country , whether planned or in error it was taken in good humour by everyone.

For me, the highlight of the weekend at Laguna was taking some time to actually catch up and meet people in the AMA I hadn't seen all year. Mechanics, riders, friends, my entire family! People with whom I spent so many years and who always have time for fans, people, photographers you name it. It was brilliant. I'm pleased the racing has started to climb back from the darkness of 2009, and hope that fans come out and support the racing. Else it'll go away, and we can't have that in America.

With that in mind, I have to finish packing and do some odds and ends. Thanks to Mo and Randy for you know what...!

My main website, AutoMotoPhoto is now up to date. As time allows I am also updating my Facebook Fan page with archives of race images I have taken over the last five years so please invite others to join and have some fun with others! Last but not least, if you really have nothing better to do and want to read more verbiage, I'm also on Twitter, so why not follow me for some rapid fire wit!

Thanks to everyone at Yamaha for the support and continued interest in using my work for advertising too. More updates, food and pictures from the Czech Republic next week!

Adios Amigos!

Five days at home! Off to Australia..Spies? Haga? Rossi? Stoner? WHO!!?

Even though this has become a common view this year, it's always nice to come home. Back home to Emily my wife, Thor the dog, Bean and Widget our little cats and my own bed. There is nothing nicer....Two weeks away from home in a single trip it starts to push the envelope of tolerance. Knowing that Emily is home having to take care of the pets, and everything else, whilst I'm away. I feel somewhat guilty, but then again, this is my job and I try my best to promise Emily that she'll get pictures each day. Fortunately this was only my second back to back race this year and the last. The next time I'll be away from home for more than a week will be the trip to Portugal and Spain for World Superbike and MotoGP and Emily will be with me (or was with me...!)In the meantime it is home for five days then off to Australia for the second time this year. The first was for World Superbike at the beginning of the year. This is for MotoGP. A different beast! As is the case the five days at home whizzes by. Washing is all done, suitcases repacked with all clean clothes (you really do not empty your suitcases at all...) and before you know it we're back in the car, heading up Highway 280 to SFO. Upon checkin, the Customer Service Manager (I've mislaid his business card so I can't add his name here) at the Qantas desk recognizes me (from past flights) and upgrades my seat to Premium Economy. SCORE! I get to sleep properly on the way day. I am so thrilled. Emily and I spend an hour or two having a bite to eat before she has to head back down home. It never get's any easier, and I do really not enjoy saying cheerio to her. I wish she could come with me all the time.The plane leaves on time and we settle in for the trip down....a few beers, champagnes and whiskies later sleep happens. We're woken and we're not too far from touchdown at Melbourne. I'm always amazed how long the flight looks numerically, but in reality seems to fly by. I really wanted to enjoy my comfy seating! Oh well. I have a few hours to kill in Sydney before my connecting flight to Melbourne and I meet Maurice Murray. Good friend and the man in charge with Yamaha US Parts and Accessories Division. Hilarious who you meet in places you'd least expect it. Time to go catch the flight down to Melbourne.The weather isn't looking very good, it's cold (and yes it is Spring down here but it has been warmer...). I load my stuff into the rental, fire up "Gladys" (my trusty TomTom 300) and head on down to Phillip Island. Stopping, as I have always done, at the McDonald's in Cranbourne for some funky curry flavoured snack wrap and a coffee...a couple of hours later I'm at the house on Phillip Island. Making sure I do not speed. Speeding tickets seem to be a hazard with this job. But as I write this many weeks later it does appear that I have been well behaved and so far, nothing from the State of Victoria has landed in our mailbox...yet). One super treat is that John Hanson, good friend from back home (the US) will be joining me (along with GP regular Martin Heath) at the house along with his Australian girlfriend. John is a super nice fellow and extremely talented photographer with who I had had the pleasure of working with since we met at Road America in 2005. He also does work with RoadRacerX and also has a unique style of photography that I like. So that was something to look forward to as well. Sadly there wasn't any trips to the penguins, nor the koala reserve, the weather was far too stormy and I think I was just tired from travelling and pretty much ended up waiting for the race weekend to roll around...But then again, when the sun comes out, it is super blue skies although it looks comfortable, it does get chilly pretty damn quick...One thing that I notices covering races all over the place. Is the spectators clothing. It's rather entertaining in some ways, becuase, for example, in somewhere warm, like Spain or Italy, people wear bright colours, even in the rain the colours are bright and the nice thing about this is that as a photographer you can use this to your advantage, especially in slow motion shots. By lowering the shutter speed you can create a high bright and colourful background. However, at Phillip Island most folks where dark sombre colours and so a motion blur shot is usually only speckled with an odd flash of yellow or red.The race weekend was pretty predictable, baring some sort of stupid mistake from either Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo or Dani Pedrosa, and it's been known to happen mind you, the race would be won by one of these four. As it turned out one does have to feel a little sorry for poor old Nicky Hayden after yet again, having his race ruined before even a single lap under his belt by a little over exuberance by Jorge. That said it would be Casey Stoners weekend, and a a home win is well, which must feel good.Monday am it would be up bright and early, a steady drive to Melbourne (no speeding) then a commuter flight to Sydney then home. But I wouldn't be home for long. After getting home Monday afternoon, within 48 hours I would be on a plane heading to Lisbon in Portugal. This time would be different as Emily would be with me..FOR THREE WEEKS! Next installment coming up. It is about the racing right?

From Here, Laguna - To Eternity, Phillip Island

Well, when you think the next piece of land is Tasmania then the South Pole.......I must apologise to those who wait with baited breath for words from me. (Yep, I hear 'em all lining up right now...) Life has been busy, then throw in a knee injury, visits to various people who want to twist your legs and say, "does this hurt?" seems to dissolve what time you "think" you have.

Anyways, here we go. The last round (maybe ever) of the 2008 AMA Superbike Series took place at Laguna during the last weekend in September. It felt like a wake, and many folks compared it to the last day at high school. What I think was most prevalent, was the fact that many of the people I spend half my life around are in essence in limbo. Because nothing is set in stone for 2009 people are simply taking the bull by the horns and making decisions based on what work they'll be able to get. Riders with some cache and a good resume are looking to Europe and the World Superbike Series for opportunities.. (GO JOSH HAYES!!). For me, I just felt some level of sadness. Every other weekend I leave my wife Emily, whom I love dearly, and join up with these folks who race, and those who officiate. These people are my family. (I'm not a fan of the word family as it's been over used but for me in this case, it's applicable). No-one has any idea of what is happening in 2009. I fear that people are just going to go where best they might make a living. To each person I know I wish you all the best of luck and love. Thank you all for being part of my world. Thank you Tim, Bree and the all Corona folks for all your help this year, having access to a scooter made all the difference.

With the last race (maybe ever) of the AMA Superbike Series in the bag, I then hop on a plane to Phillip Island for the Australian Grand Prix. One of my most favourite places in the world, and one of my favourite racetracks. If you've never been to Phillip Island then you should at least try to get there once in your life. I grew up in the UK during the 60's and 70's. A trip to the cornershop, Bassetts Sherbet dabs, Jelly Babies, Black Jacks and Flakes being part of anyone childhood are still part of life down here. People are polite, say good morning, hello and please and thank you. For a week I'm transported back into a world where common courtesy is more important than getting to the front of the line. Even if Coles the supermarket in Cowes looks like half the cast of Mad Max 1 have just rolled of the set, courtesy is still in existence. Nice. Plus Rossi rocked the crowds as he does...With that in mind. I'm off to Valencia tomorrow for the last round of MotoGP. I'm a little sad because Emily cannot join me.

I'd also like to add a that regardless of what you do, it's important to keep in touch.

Travelling so far, and not so far away, one is reminded of how one misses those who cannot chat online, like ones pets. Jack, my dog, died whilst I was at Mid Ohio covering the AMA races a couple of years ago. At Phillip Island Valentino Rossi, when asked during his post race press conference if he was planning on staying in Australia or going onto to Malaysia, replied, rather quickly, that no, he was going to go 'ome, to sleep in his bed, and play with his (my) dog Guido.

I hope he managed to get home in time, as Guido died over the weekend of 10/11, reminding us that there is a price for all of this and how important it is to keep in touch. Make sure to hug the ones you loves. Here's Thor on his first birthday last week (10/8)...With that, I'll bid you all goodnight and thank you for listening. Next up, Valencia and the final round of the 2008 MotoGP season. Wheeler is going global...and Emily, I love you dearly.