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!

I'm all Packed For Road Atlanta - VIR Update!

Romans!

A short missive here. But I felt that I should say something about how generous I find these folks I spend pretty much my entire life with these days.

One such person, who has shown kindness and generosity to myself ever since I started down this career path is Josh Hayes, currently the Erion Honda Formula Extreme Champion. Ever since my first outing with my camera and gear during a test at laguna Seca, where I captured the moment where his front brake failed aboard the Attack Kawasaki ZX10R superbike. He was the first person I ever sold a print to, in fact it was a 12 image single print of this very incident.

One such event happened the other weekend following Josh Hayes' Formula Extreme win over Larry Pegram and Marty Craggill. After receiving the trophy from Bruce of Arai Helmets, and the traditional spraying of champagne, he simply walked over to Bruce, and gave the first place trophy back to him and said this is for you. Bruce was overwhelmed, and SO overwhelmed things were getting emotional! Melissa, Joshs' fiancé, was getting all bleary eyed, and then I too, started getting bleary eyed, being the soppy fart I am!

With that in mind, here's a shot of Bruce just after receiving his gift...Amazing. It's why I love this sport.

Oh, and one last picture. I do try to not replicate exactly what I did the year before, however, there is one spot on the track at VIR that if the light is right, creates an image I personally love and so I like to try and get another rider in that magical place each time. This time it is Ben Spies (it was Mat Mladin before..) and for me it sums up VIR (aside from the pulled pork that is...)With that in mind, I'll bid you adieu, finish packing my gear and start getting dinner. Gumbo tonight!

TTFN - Andrew

AMA Superbikes in Ohio - (Almost) Night Racing

Good afternoon...

I got caught out by being busy and so I apolgise for not updating this before I left for Virginia. TIme seems to be at a premium the week before I head off to my next destination. Anyways, Mid Ohio was certainly entertaining. As is always the case, rain made an appearance, plus I got trapped in the elevator for 20 minutes. All good fun. However, the highlight of the weekend was the start of Sunday's Superbike race. After much track drying, an almost street party like atmosphere on the pit lane (it's very unusual to see all the teams and riders in one place at one time). Most were just sitting on the armco, some were watching the track drying efforts, and in general the atmosphere felt pretty good. Then it was time to go racing. 6.30pm rolled around and the big boy's hit the track for their warm up. 15 minutes later the warm up was over, then a 10 minute break, and we're racing. No grid girls, no pomp and circumstance and a hurried National Anthem was sung and it was green for go....

That race in the bag and now it was 7.35pm and the Supersport boys are heading out for their warm up. Now the light is seriously fading. Even my flash is beginning to actually light up the night...The warm up session over, Morgan (Broadhead - AMA Race Director) is going to each rider asking them their opinion on racing. Chaz Davies (Celtic Racing #157 - who was on pole) is asked how he feels about the light, and even with a dark tinted visor he's ready to go racing. However, a large group of riders is forming and much to the disappointment of Chaz Davies it is decided to call it day (or night)..

Oddly enough, as that decision is made, the generators kick in and track and paddock lights burst into life. Time for bed said Zebedee...

Next post - VIR (Virginia International Raceway)

Impressed, humbled and why wasn't there track days when I was 16?

Odd.

Here I am, just turned 45 (and no, my age doesn't bother me) and I have one of the coolest jobs on the planet, and meet some of the most down to earth, real people in the world. Every weekend I go to a race track to document the skills and antics of these ever-so talented men and women (yeah I know there are more men THAN women in the AMA but it will change) and every time I get on the plane to come home I feel energized and infused and rejuvenated. Take the last round of the AMA Superbike Series at Road America, nr Lake Elkhart in Wisconsin.

As we all know, the weather can play a factor in the events here. The track is one of the longest in the US and for me, feels like an American version of Spa Francorchamps (it's about the same length). The track has long straights, sweeping corners and corners that tighten up. It also has the ability to have two or three different "weathers" going on across it's entire length.

It's a challenge.

However, this weekend I was reminded of how lucky I am, and how any people that I capture affect my own day to day life. Take Aaron Yates. Gritty racer, skillful, explosive personality with charm and eloquence. Watching Aaron work his race craft thrills me. His bike management skills are impressive, and his willingness to push the envelope remind me of how I'd be a mad arse on the road back in the UK. In fact how stupid that was might be a better reflection. But watching his riding style in the rain, on the start finish straight at Road America reminded me of how one would ride a horse. Off the pegs, perched forward over the withers...and for me, stupid as I was on the top of the control tower in a lightning storm, I was pleased I was able to capture it...

One other rider who embodies how I felt when I was his age is Danny Eslick. Talented, entertaining, charming and an all round good kid, I watch him ride and see how I rode a bike when I was his age. Danny is a talented young man, charming, and very determined. I hope that in grand scale of things he does well. He has talent. I always look forward to meeting up with Danny, as does my wife.
I love what I do. I hate being away from my wife. So when the weekend goes well, the racing is good and the riders look like they're enjoying themselves. It all works.

Andrew