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

Goodbye and thank you RoadRacerX...

I had seven cover images with RoadRacerX magazine during the last five years.

Normally the end of the year is filled with anticipation. Yes, things change and a new year ushers in a feeling of rebirth. On Friday, New Years Eve a magazine with which I have worked with since I started shooting motorcycle racing closed it's doors. My photographs appeared many times in this magazine (and online)so much so that I am grateful that through RoadRacerX I was able to secure additional work and visibility I possibly wouldn't have attained anywhere else. Working alongside Chris Jonnum and Laurel Allen ("CJ and "LCA" respectively) I covered many of the world major racing series as a "retained" freelancer.

This image of Eric Bostrom was one of my favourites and was the first image used in what would become an annual tradition from thereon out. RoadRacerX's Pictures Of The Year feature which would highlight photos from such greats as Andrew Northcott and Mirco Lazzari to name a few...I would go on to have numerous opening spreads featured in this magazine along with many many others, along with assignments and opportunities as a result. I wrote two features for the magazine. One of Ben Spies when he burst onto the world stage in the World Superbike series in 2009 where I interviewed him at Phillip Island in Australia. Earlier this year, 2010, I would again visit Phillip Island where I would interview Roger Hayden (brother of Nicky Hayden) and Jason DiSalvo on their championship attempts at World Superbike. Again I would supply the text and the images for the feature. Yes I can write too!!

My proudest moment though came with the my first ever cover on a magazine in the USA, my adopted home. It was a picture of fellow countryman Neil Hodgson, aboard the Parts Unlimited Ducati Superbike. I still get a chill when I look at the cover, knowing how I felt at the time. With that I will simply say. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of one of the best road racing magazines on the planet. With some fo the best people working inside it's covers. Thank you.

Time Travel, Lorenzo wins MotoGP, Rossi moves to Ducati. I launch a calender...

Facebook and Twitter have become my realtime place for updates, and so I am simply going to announce my Calendar, and that my 2010 AutoMotoPhoto Review is almost complete. I will review my year in MotoGP next week during the Christmas period and I'll also put together a slideshow of images I have a partial liking to for you viewing please...

In the meantime, if you wish to order a calendar, and it can be a single rider specific calender, please feel free to request as such when you purchase. Once you go through the checkout procedure there is an area whereby you can send comments to the seller (that's me). If you need a country specific calendar with your public holidays, please also specify, otherwise it will arrive without any dates aside fromt he dates of the month!

To order the calendar simply click on this link and you'll be whisked away to a new page...

My website, AutoMotoPhoto is now update with all races covered through 2010.

That's all for now...more to come in the next week with published examples, pdf's you name it!.

I'd also like to thank everyone who took the time to look at my work, comment on my work, but more importantly, make an effort to come and say HI to me at races weekends. You'll never know how much that means to me. Also a big thank you to the publishers around the globe who chose to use my work.  Thank you.  IT really helps my bottom line as well!

So feel free to follow me on Twitter or become a fan and interact with like minded people, and yours truly here on my Facebook Fan page.

Have a great Christmas everyone.  Hug someone you love and smile at everyone you see.

Back to the UK, for the fifth time, (in twenty years). Oh and GO BEN (Spies)

It didn't rain.

Going to the UK just doesn't have the same "pull" as gong to Spain for me.  I grew up there.  It does mean I can stop in and see my Mum, and I had a super time seeing her, even taking time out to take her out to dinner to the George at Bathampton.  Oddly enough, it was this same country pub that I took my Dad to the day before I left the UK for good on September 4, 1990. It was really nice seeing her looks so well.  She has a new house in Larkhall, and for the first time in years seems to have a good positive outlook on life.  Which thrills me no end.  It was with some sadness I left her on Tuesday morning to drive to Woking for the first overnight stay en route to Silverstone, where I'd be staying with good friend Bonnie Lane.

On Wednesday, we'd go to Brooklands Museum near Weybridge and spend a good four hours walking around the museum (and graveyard) of British racing and aviation.  It's a really cool place to visit, with some of the old banked race track still in existence. It doesn't take too much of a stretch to imagine the nerves of steel these racers had during those early days of racing, on two and four wheels.  When one thinks of the levels of safety that are built into todays motorsport, the driver aids, run off, Dainese instant inflatable leather race suits for example, the lack of so many of these safety features back then only adds to the cojones these racers must've had..(or lack thereof) because women raced as much as they do these days.

With the British MotoGP being previously held at Donington, it is simply shifts all the events that were held at that track over to the new digs at Silverstone.  I had heard one funny story about one of the race teams truck drivers made a huge deja vu moment and drove almost to Donington, realising when he had got to Birmngham that he was meant to be going to Silverstone. Therefore, as it's Thursday it must be the Day of Champions at Silverstone.  This is always a great event with a great cause, to raise money for the Riders for Health cause.  As before, riders and many others donate memorabilia, items of clothing, art and so forth to be auctioned off to raise much needed funds to allow Rider For Health to continue their efforts to bring health care to those in places who cannot or may not have access to it.

Having been granted in Mugello a 2010 season scooter pass.  I now have access to scooter.  Does this mean I have arrived in MotoGP? Who knows.  After your camera equipment, access to a scooter is the next most valuable tool in a photographers arsenal.  With scooter beneath me, I head off to do a reconnoiter of the track.  It ends up being nearly two and half hours of going round, looking for photo possibilities to shoot.  As with all the photographers and the riders, this is a new track to all.   I end up meeting Jorge Lorenzo and Hector on track as they're discussing the lines that he'll need to take around the track.

As many of the photographers would discover, it wouldn't just be where to take photos that would be the problem.  As the weekend progressed it would be a question of dealing with the security, and those who appeared to enjoy their jobs a little too much and wanted to make life difficult, that would be the greatest obstacle to overcome.  The lack of a decent service road, or road that circumnavigates the track away from spectators would also create more problems with people who took great pleasure in telling everyone to "slow down".

Race day was cold.  I mean it was very cold but would throughout the day improve and warm up.  The only problem with such a huge facility is that it will never look full.  It's no different than Indianapolis when the GP is being held there.  It is such a huge site, with so many seats that cannot be filled that it will never look well attended, when in reality it is.  The support for the the British riders Scott Redding in Moto2, and for Bradley Smith and Danny Webb in the 125cc class was loud and very obvious.  There was also the huge support for the non existent Valentino Rossi, obvious with the number of coloured wigs, yellow number 46 flags and of course, the obligatory get well signs everywhere.  Something I have only witnessed in the Spanish rounds, was the fans clapping as the riders came round during the race.  I like this and think it's a nice touch.

But again, the difficulty with getting around the track, combined with the lack of communication and understanding (of security) of who has access to where only made what could've been a good weekend, a very long and trying weekend instead.  Hopefully, somethings might've been learned, and changes may be put in place for those covering the World Superbike round at Silverstone in a few weeks.

I decided to skip Assen to have a week at home being that I haven't had a full weekend at home for almost two months, and I still leave on Sunday for Barcelona.  Annoyingly, I broke my own rule and had a beef sandwich at the airport in Detroit.  Just a word of warning about travelling via DTW.  I have never ever witnessed such appallingly slow passport control.  After arriving on time, and arriving in the controlled area at 12.50pm, it took until 2.10pm to clear customs and baggage transfer and to go onto my gate.  If i didn't have the almost three hour window I had between flights, I'd have missed my connection.  Appalling slow, cumbersome TSA and I really didn't appreciate being X-rayed using their Joe90tron machine with other people looking on.  I thought this process had to have some dignity?

/Rant over.   OH!  Go Ben...

Last but not least, thank you to Bonnie Lane and her husband Chris as well as George Martin for being such wonderful hosts during my trip back to the UK.  Miss you Mum! Next. Off to Barcelona for MotoGP.  Actually, I just updated this blog whilst flying over Nebraska at 35000ft...haha!  Hilarious.

Interlude | Interview with Andrew Wheeler (me) | Updates coming this week

Just back from the US GP at Laguna and have a few things to catch up on. I'll be updating my website, and this blog, all this week playing catch up. In the meantime please check out this wonderful vignette made by Chris Matye and his wonderful colleagues at OTT - On The Throttle.



It can be run full screen by clicking on the little "icon" to the left of the volume adjustment on the status bar. Updates coming!

AMA Superbikes and MotoGP - A Year In Photos

That pretty much sums it up..

For your viewing pleasure a selection of images from my coverage of the AMA Superbike Series and a selected number of MotoGP races in the USA, Australia and Spain.On a personal note, I'd like to thank the nice folks at RoadracerX, Cycleworld, Motorcycle Racer Magazine, Bike and Performance Bike magazines and other media outlets for their support and interest in using my work through 2008.

Also I'd like to take a little moment to thank all the people I have met on my travels who have come up to me and offered support and have enjoyed meeting me and have taken joy at looking my pictures. I look at what I do as giving people a view into a world that is for me truly inspiring and having an opportunity to be able to be "their eyes" allows me to share what I see with others all around the globe.

Here's wishing everyone a safe New Years and let us hope that 2009 really picks up.

Lights! Cameras! Action! - Daytona Tire Test

Tire testing into the night and under the lights. A couple of firsts.I arrive Friday morning at the Daytona International Speedway knowing only a handful of teams would be testing. Due to a multitude of reasons Yoshimura Suzuki and Kawasaki would not be in attendance. Yamaha would be there along with American Honda as would Buell. For the first time this test is being run by AMA Pro Racing, not Dunlop and what amounts to be a really big surprise, there's a pit lane speed! All new.9am until noon, and evenings from 6pm until 9pm are scheduled for for the newly created "Daytona Sportbike" class. They will use a newly configured track running from the infield onto NASCAR turns 1 and 2, then down the back straight of the Speedway, through the infield chicane and back onto NASCAR turns 3 and 4. From 1-5pm the track was reconfigured and the "American Superbikes" would run the infield pretty much as they have done in recent years, and then take their turn after the last chicane onto NASCAR turns 3 and 4.With a sunset on the horizon, and darkness approaching, the lights are turned on.Massive MUSCO light trucks are scattered around the infield like mechanical giraffes and the main track lights are all on. The lights are so bright the Speedway had to drape light shielding tarps to avoid over lighting the neighboring airport! You cannot see the ugly backgrounds that surround the track and oddly enough it creates a rather intimate and somewhat cosy feeling. Watching the bodywork of the bikes glint and shine under the lamps as they pass is rather interesting, then as they leave you there's the glow of a small red LED tail light that streaks into the night.This should be visually interesting in March. Josh Herrin actually mentioned that he had gotten a headache first time out due to an increased level of concentration. As a photographer you have to pick and choose and use your judgement as to what you're going to capture as you have to adapt your methodology due to the darkness and lack of ambient light. Nonetheless, I can honestly say I really did enjoy the evening sessions which is saying something. Why the AMA is running the race in the evening I have no idea. As we know, the first Formula 1 race at night from Singapore and the MotoGP race from Qatar were both run in the evening for TV, allowing viewers in Europe to watch these races at a more normal time.The other first? Saturday afternoon I was down at the far end of the track, when I heard a squawking sound that I didn't recognize, I look up and see two bald eagles "dancing" with each other. How cool! I have never seen bald eagles outside before, let alone two of them flying together.The Daytona 200 takes place on Friday evening March 6. As this is the last Friday of "Bike Week" everyone is on Main Street in Downtown Daytona, so we'll have to see how many are going to want to watch racing, or leather clad biker babes. Both of which will be "under the lights".....

Have a Cool Yule everyone.

AMA Meet WSBK - Keeping It Below 4% ABV

Can you believe Thursday started out with clouds, rain and drama?

What a weekend. This year I decided to rent an apartment a little over 35 miles away from the track in Salt Lake City. What a blessing that was. Quiet, relaxing and allowed me to cook my own food in the evenings. Miller Motorsports Park is one of my favourite locations on the calender, doubled in fun this time with the addition of the World Superbike and it's stable of talented riders. Even though Thursday started out with clouds, the rest of the weekend would be perfect as far as the weather went. The racing was fun and there was enough pizzazz that is intermingled with the World Superbike Series to make it feel like something truly special. For me, the racing is good, the marketing of the series is good (with preformed collapsible pit boxes being used to hide ugly garages you have the availability to have a nice backdrop/background when shooting ) and the access is wonderful being that within reason you can get into the garage, get your shot and move around with relative ease.

The scenery at Miller Motorsports Park is also very dramatic. I was hoping that with the slightly cooler temperatures than usual we'd be treated to snow capped mountains, and low and behold, my wishes were answered. Miller Motorsports Park is one of those locations where big wide landscape Ansel Adam style images can be created whilst including racing into the picture. AutoMotoPhoto has been updated with a whole slew of images so grab a coffee and have a gander. Oh the 4% ABV? Well, most of the beer you can buy in supermarket cannot be brewed above 4%ABV, that said, there are state run liquor stores where you can buy slightly stronger brews!

Next up, Road America, the rainfest!

Beer, Wine, Racing and Good Company

Sorry for the delay in the updating. I guess the price of fame has it's downside (there goes that British self deprecating humour again...) and I think it's my mind. There's nothing worse than getting to your hotel after an awkward 120 mile from the Central Coast, only to find that early onset of senility has set in and in fact you booked your hotel for the same weekend that you were at Fontana. "No really" I said to Sarah on the front desk, I have the confirmation here (after running out to the parking lot to get my laptop), only to be shot down in flames when my wife pointed out that indeed Mr Organised here had booked this hotel for the same weekend as Fontana. Oh well.

Anyways, this weekend was a lot of fun, in part because my wife comes with me on this trip and this time I even gave her a camera (a 1DMK2N and 70-200f2.8) and after some brief instruction just said take some pictures of what you see, have fun. She did and this was one of her shots. I think it's pretty impressive for a first time out, even with the hay bales!Infineon is always a good weekend. The vibe within the media centre is good. John Cardinale, Diana and Chuckie the Chief Track Photographer work hard to make sure everyone can do their job, so thank you. What no one was prepared for was the heat on Friday. Oh my, the week before all of us were being mildly roasted and blow dried in Fontana. Friday, in Sonoma, we were being broiled. On Saturday, following the Superbike race, Mat Mladin actually said what many folks had been thinking about the possible outcome of next year, to which many folks clapped and whooped, but so much has been said elsewhere I don't need to re-iterate. Sunday arrives, and everything, and everyone is a lot cooler (including Mat...).One thing I would like to say is a big congratulations to Danny Eslick,who came in third during Sunday's Supersport race. Nice work mate. We'll see everyone in Utah. World Superbike and the AMA Superbike series are coming together. It's going to be a very busy weekend.

Cold Hands and Woolly Jumpers - Testing Sheep

Onto testing...
Sonoma is one of those areas that is into the alternative resource lifestyle, be it organic produce, meats, dairy and of course beer and wine. It is also close to the home where Yamaha riders Eric and Ben Bostrom grew up.With that in mind, how cool is it when a racetrack allows animals to clear grasses that grow abundantly around the racetrack. That's what they do at Infineon Raceway near Sonoma. Yes they use sheep! How truly wonderful. It also makes for a pleasant lunch break, simply unwrap your packed lunch, sit up on the hills and let the bleating surround you. Wonderful. At Laguna Seca (above), Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki were in attendance. At Infineon, all the factory teams bar Erion Honda were there. As is the case the weather at Laguna was wonderful, albeit very windy and cold. At Infineon, it was a bit muddy weather wise. Fortunately dry but the sun couldn't make up it's mind.Sometimes I do forget how far Infineon Raceway is from my home in Capitola. However, I never ever get tired of driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. You would never think that, especially as I have lived here in California for 18 years this coming September. But each time I drive the bridge I'm reminded of the opening sequence of the "Streets of San Francisco", the TV show with Michael Douglas and Karl Malden.  With similar nostalgia, I'm also reminded of how my grandmother could never cook fish fingers properly, as we would always watch "The Streets of San Francisco" at her house at tea time on Saturday afternoons when I was a little boy growing up in the UK.  They'd be still frozen in the middle.  Sort of like a modern day fish popsicle.  I'd still eat them though, not wanting to be ungrateful.

Oh...and for something different, here's some video shot with a Canon G9 from the Laguna Seca test.


That's all from me for now. AutoMotoPhoto® is updated with some images from testing. Next week I'm off to Barber Motorsports Park near Leeds in Alabama. Looks like there's going to be a race a happenen'

Daytona - Sleep, Rain Dances And Chaz Davies

Well, it was with some trepidation that I headed off to Daytona for the first round of the AMA Superbike Series and the Daytona 200. In years past sleeping in the evening just hasn't happened with some folks who are less than thoughtful thinking that it is good fun to ride back to the hotel at 3am with straight through exhausts, The lack of consideration given to folks who might just be sleeping during those early morning hours has made this annual working trip to Daytona somewhat less enjoyable than it should be. NOT THIS YEAR!

Two factors were at play this year that made this the most enjoyable and productive trip I have ever had to Daytona ever. First, one factor I could control was the accommodations. I found a lovely house to rent in New Smyrna Beach (thank you D&C). I slept like a KING!Plus it was far enough away from the madden(ing) crowds and in a residential district that it made the evenings simply perfect. The second factor that was out of my control was the weather. It rained in the evenings that pretty much kept many off the road and as a result assisted in making the evenings even quieter! Hopefully it's rain in the evenings next year. As long as it doesn't rain during the days when there is practice, qualifying and then race days I'm happy. I'm in Daytona for the road racing only. Speaking of road racing, Josh Hayes won the Daytona 200, only to have it taken away due to a technicality (it is under appeal so who knows), however, the race win was given to Chaz Davies who was originally second. I was happy for Josh and I'm also happy for Chaz, but it's a shame that these things happen bearing in mind that both Josh and Chaz are good friends of ours. In fact during the whole week, with Hodgson taking pole for the 200 vs Chaz and then Josh winning and losing to Chaz it was a mixed emotions week one way or another. The upside, it was good to be at the races again....I'd just like to share a shot from Thursday's SuperSport race. The weather was rolling in and it just got darker and darker....Oh, and maybe it's time to review and re-write my "who has the best media hospitality" guide. Not quite sure where I'd put Daytona...Next up, we have some testing and then it's off to Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham in Alabama.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

I was only 11 years old."What do you want to be when you grow up" I was asked by my career counsellor just prior to the transition from junior school to secondary school. This question was being asked to help the counsellor pick the right "O level" courses for you to take when you finally arrived at your designated secondary school."A racing driver" I replied. For some reason this caused the counsellor to laugh at me as if I had just told him that I could fly or walk on water. My mum and dad knew this was what I wanted to do, but opportunities for go-karting or Metrakit bikes just wasn't there when I was only 11.When you consider how much I am involved with the racing industry these days, it is a comment that hasn't really resurfaced (nor affects my day to day life) but lurks in the back of my mind and pops up from time to time. One of those times was this week when I attended the Red Bull Rookies Testing last Wednesday at Laguna Seca (thanks Jordan).Watching and listening to these excited young men with very boyish faces being talked to and coached by Kevin Schwantz, I felt for a brief moment the same enthusiasm and pure joy of what I would've felt if I had been able to have that same opportunity. It was a lovely day for me. Lot's of smiles.Daytona next...

Little Things - A Small Roundup

A little post to let you all know that I have added a few images from the recent test at Fontana to AutoMotoPhoto.Last month I had the pleasure of photographing Kenny Roberts Championship winning flat tracker Yamaha TZ750 at a location just south of San Francisco. It was quite the treat to see so much history all in one location. I asked if it could be started up....oh my....this 750cc two stroke flat tracker created so much noise my mind started to scramble...! Look for a feature in BIKE Magazine, a UK publication with editorial written by talented writer Mark Gardner (visit RidingMan.com).That's all from me for now...Have a nice weekend everyone.

100+17= Hodgson plus Duhamel

Just a short update. Did I mention that I am really looking forward to this season? Both Hodgson and Duhamel are  back.  Miguel Duhamel is fit and ready after his nasty accident during testing at Road Atlanta last year. Neil  Hodgson looks relaxed, focussed and ready to get underway.  Funnily enough, Duhamel looks just as he did when I last saw him (he obviously knows where the fountain of eternal life is located...)...That's all for now.

Rubber! Dunlop and Pirelli Tyre Test

It's really the last "event" of the season. The annual Daytona tyre test is where teams are invited by Dunlop (for three days) and Pirelli (for the following two days) to come and test and prepare for the 2008 season, moreover, it gives those teams that will be entering in the Daytona 200 (along with the Superbike teams, however, there is only one Superbike race during this event) the chance to tweak settings and so forth before the Christmas break. Normally the test is closer to Christmas, however, this year it happened during the last weekend in November, first weekend in December. As is the case, the weather on the first day was dodgy, and it rained. Thus not much happened until the last couple of hours in the day.However, during the subsequent days the weather was a lot better and all of the teams managed to get out on track and do their work....For me, I really do enjoy the trip to Florida for the tyre test. The teams are relaxed, there is a good friendly vibe as most of the riders are getting itchy feet (wanting the season to start again), and of course, there's the wonderful sounds and smells of bikes on track.....

Oh, and I am pleased to see Chaz (Davies) and Neil (Hodgson) back on this side of the pond for the 2008 season.. Yes, I am a little biased...

I hope all my readers had a safe Christmas, and I would like to wish all of you a safe New Years. So be good, dont' drink and drive and have a blast!

Andrew (and remember my my 2007 AutoMotoPhoto Review is now available!)