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.

20 Years Ago Today...

...I met my future wife to be Emily. It was quite by chance really. I was coerced into going to a small nightclub in Bath called Moles by a couple of friends, Nick and Soraya. I really didn't want to go and just wanted to go home, so I thought I'd humour them and go for a little bit then walk home after about 30 minutes or so. Well, I ended up chatting with "Emily" at the bar (she thought I looked like a criminal) and I gave her my home phone number on a small piece of paper and that was it. Emily, who was over in the UK on an educational trip from San Jose State University for a semester and was dared by a school chum to call me when this piece of paper inadvertently fell out of her wallet.

She called, and quite by chance I walked into my home and at that moment picked up the phone. At that time I couldn't for the life of me remember who was "Emily" because I think I had been enjoying the evening way to much when I handed out my phone number. Anyways, we arranged to meet at the Hatchetts (a small pub in the centre of town). Side note: Emily will tell you I was 45 minutes late for our date...(oops).To cut a long story short, 6 weeks later we flew to Paris, where I asked her to marry me.

We flew back and forth between the UK and USA for two years, wrote letters everyday (there wasn't any email or anything "E" at that time) and would phone once a week on Sundays (as it was cheap to call on Sundays). We ended up getting married on April 3rd at the Love Chapel in Lake Tahoe (no longer there) and we have been married for 18 years this coming April. I love you buddy!

Cover Shot - Roger Hayden - RoadRacerX March/April 2008

Readers! A double post today, first, I just wanted to do a "self-toot" to let folks know that this year is starting off with a bang for me as another one of my images graces the cover of another magazine. This time on the cover of March and April's 2008 RoadRacerX. The picture is of Roger Hayden taken at Daytona during the tyre tests in late November, early December...I really do like the green wheels....At least a #1 is still retained in the Hayden family camp for 2008, with Nicky losing the #1 to Casey Stoner in MotoGP.

Fontana - From Orange Cones to White Snow Capped Mountains

It's rare, but when you see it, or "them", to some degree they offsets the relative "industrial" feel of Fontana. The Speedway is built on the land once occupied by the Kaiser Steel Works. Thus, it is flat, surrounded by heavy industry and truck stops. Fontana is not Yosemite. It doesn't have the organic and natural ambiance of a racetrack such as Barber Motorsports Park near Birmingham in Alabama. But, when the wind has some force behind it (which it did on Tuesday) and it's cold, and following the recent storms and the cool weather that caused snow to drop sometimes below 1500 feet, the San Gabriel Mountains that overshadow the entire valley can add a little moment of beauty. But hold onto that mental snapshot, because in a few months, the smog will make sure they hide for the rest of the year. Here's a shot of our man Neil Hodgson, surrounded by billboards, wire fencing, oranage cones and over shadowed by the snow capped mountains reminding us that nature is still here....More to come..must edit and do some puppy training...

And Now For Something Completely Different..

Finally! I can say something!

This really thrilled me. My personal goal with my job as a photographer has been to try and get the word to folks outside of the motorcycle racing world to maybe come to a race. Watch some good solid entertainment, meet the race fans that attend and see how friendly (sometimes not quietly so) they are, and how much pleasure can be had for such a small outlay. I've been trying to get that message across to those who haven't been "converted". Imagine my thrill when I was contacted by PhotoShop User Magazine and was asked to be their featured photographer in their magazine! What a thrill, a non motorcycle industry magazine wants to showcase my work, which in turn puts those images in front of many many people, many of whom might not have even seen a race bike. Imagine my (even bigger) thrill, when I was told they wanted to use one of my images for the cover!

So here it is. One of my all time favourites, a shot taken at the California Speedway, of Eric Bostrom back in 2005 when he rode with Ducati. For me I have always thought that it had a science fiction quality to it, but with it rich colours, the placement of the hands, and the blown out spectator in the uncropped version (inside the magazine) it has a "Man Who Fell To Earth" quality to it IMO.What a way to start the year!

AutoMotoPhoto Review Update

It's raining. No, it's really raining and it's windy. I was scheduled to shoot a historic bike tomorrow but the weather has decided to put the mockers on that. So it'll happen on Monday. Not much to report from AutoMotoPhoto central. I have updated my site with my 2008 schedule, booked flights and hotels for the year and I am just getting myself set up for whatever the year holds. One thing I have learned is to enjoy these moments when one isn't travelling, so as much as I miss covering the races, and especially the people and racers with whom I travel and work with, it's also important to make sure one takes the time to regenerate, and to give the mind a rest. Working with our new dog Thor is a challenge at times, but it's nice to be working with our new puppy. Plus, it doesn't have buttons, batteries, whatever. It's simply one of life's little pleasures.

Oh, and before I go, I thought I should just mention that I have updated the information pages on my book with a look at one of the spreads inside, along with a photo of the cover and inside.Click the book link above to see more, this image is just for the blog...I hope you like it. Ben Spies, IMO, deserved to be on the cover.

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.

Don't Lose Your Head - A New Helmet From Bell

Happy New Year everyone!

Here's something a little different. I was fortunate enough to have been hired by Bell Helmets, located in nearby Santa Cruz, to cover the launch of their new line of Star helmets.On the Monday I did some preliminary factory shots. On Tuesday I covered the official press launch and presentation. A large number of journalists from many of the top motorcycle magazines in the US were invited to the factory to be shown the new helmet and all it's (very cool) features. They were also given a factory tour following the presentation, finishing up with a helmet fitting and the plan was to have a bike ride to try the helmet out. Sadly the rains didn't respect the launch and the ride was cancelled for the afternoon. However, from my own perspective, not withstanding the fact that I was covering the launch, I found the whole process of how a helmet is designed, engineered, tested and constructed incredibly interesting.Speaking from experience (I've trashed a few in my time), a helmet is one of the most important safety items you can wear when riding a motorcycle or bicycle, and seeing the level of engineering that has gone into this helmet impressed me.Make sure you wear one!

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!)

Indulge Me....

I'll post an update from the recent Daytona Tyre Test in just a moment....
I have to introduce my readers to the new addition in our family...
Ladies and Gentlemen...meet THOR! His ears are almost up and since this shot was taken (about a week ago) he has grown to nearly 20lbs (at 11 weeks...) He's a German Shepherd and absobloodylutely gorgeous! Onto the tyre test....

Go rescue a puppy or a dog....make a difference.

One More Thing! AutoMotoPhoto 2007 Review

I knew there was one more thing to share....

My 2007 AutoMotoPhoto Review is now available!After having 2005 MotoGP Champion Valentino Rossi on my 2005 cover, and 2006 MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden on the cover of my 2006 book I felt that it was only right to have the two time AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies on the cover of my 2007 edition, especially as my primary job is to cover the AMA Superbike Championship here in the USA.

I'll post some product shots and an inside teaser page for your review in due course. Feel free to contact me for more information in the meantime.

It's almost puppy time!

I Almost Forgot - Another Cover with Josh Hayes!

Seasons Greetings to all AutoMotoPhotoFans!

Well, I'm back from the Daytona Tyre Test that was three days with the Dunlop folks plus a morning with the Pirelli people. Expect an update in the next few days with some pictures on here and on my site (and some words) on Cycleworld.

I really haven't stopped since I returned from Daytona, however, I meant to add that I was fortunate enough to have another cover on the current November/December issue of RoadRacerX of Formula Extreme Champion and good friend Josh Hayes.
More to come...

You Spin Me Right Round Baby...A QTVR of Valencia

Panoramic images are fun!

When I get home and can compress this file using Sorenson then I'll embed it, until then please enjoy this view of the Circuito Ricardo Tormo. Use the +/- switches to zoom in and out .

Valencia Circuit QTVR

I was waiting for the 125 race to start and it dawned on me that many folks might have no idea how many people cram into this "stadium of a racetrack". As it turned out there was nearly 130,000 people here on Sunday. Each and everyone enjoying themselves with horns, flags, signs you name it it was here.

One observation that I found truly inspiring, was the clapping. Each time a Spanish rider came around, people stood and clapped.

I'll share some more later this week. I have caught another cold so things are trudging.

Although here's one of my favourites...fans being shadowed by the HUGE cloud of smoke created by fireworks.More to come.

BCN is an interesting place.

Pies! The Australian GP and Wheeler in the Bush!

MMM, steak and kidney...Well, it's taken me a few days more than usual to overcome jet lag. Typically it's just a day back home, some sleep re-adjustment and life is back to normal. I think it's more to do with having a few days to acclimate "down under" then all is normal. However, on this trip, I didn't get my couple of days R&R "on the Island". I was fortunate enough to be contacted by Kawasaki US/AUS and was offered the chance to do a shoot in the Australian Bush.

There would be 8 riders, including Attack Kawasaki rider Steve Rapp, the ever wonderful Greg White, Matthew Miles from Cycyleworld, Dirt Action magazine editor Shannon Warner and journalist Sam Maclachlan, oh and stuntman Tom "I only know how to ride on the back wheel" McComas. From Kawasaki off road racing team Australia, there would be race team manager Brett Whale and off road race team crew chief and my chase car driver Charlie Costanzo, all of us being expertly guided by Matthew Phillpott and bringing up the rear and making sure no one got lost or left behind, the sweep rider Mark Ryan. Needless to say, the almost two days we spent following their exploits through dusty roads in the bush were filled with fun, some danger (Matthew vs tree) and some minor technical issues (Bretts' KLX450R losing oil) it was a good adventure with some good sights to be seen along the way.

Dirt Action riders Shannon Warner and Sam Maclachlan doing their synchronised wheelie-ing..Thursday night, I was fortunate enough to miss the bad weather, catch an earlier flight to Melbourne where I was met by good friend Ken Lyons. A nice steady 2 hour drive to our house on Phillip Island and it was off to bed. Where, in a few hours I'd be working the track covering Casey Stoner's homecoming in the GMC Australian Grand Prix.Three wet, windy, wet windy, wet windy, sunny days later, Casey Stoner won the race. Then on Monday it was a little rest, a lightning tour of the Island, some dinner and then off to bed to be ready for the trip home the following morning. 20+ hours later we roll into our parking space in Capitola and I'm home.

Phew. I'll add a little more on the adventure as time allows and will let you all know when my site is updated. I'm off to Spain next weekend for the last round of the MotoGP World Championship so stay tuned!

Return to Laguna Seca - The Final Round!

I know, this was all done and dusted a couple of weeks ago, but I have finally found a little time to sit down and write about the weekend. Just before I head off to Australia to cover the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island.It was a good weekend. Only two days of racing vs your typical three because one of the AMA Superbike races was run during the USGP back in July. There were two Championship titles on the line, AMA Superbike (between Mat Mladin and Ben Spies) and AMA Supersport (which was down to three possible winners, Josh Hayes, Roger Hayden and Jamie Hacking).

Sadly for Josh Hayes, he had a bit of a rough weekend. Broke both of his feet and then to put the capper on his chances at the Supersport title, had another nasty off which left him concussed and out of the race. Fortunately he is okay and is recovering well back home in Gulfport, MI. Roger would eventually finish the Supersport race and would pick up the Supersport title. AMA Superbike was a little more gripping, insofar as it looked like Mat Mladin was going to run away with it. It wasn't to be. Ben Spies was either sandbagging or was simply biding his time, but he made a cool pass in the corkscrew and simply took the race to the finish and to his second AMA Championship. Once again, that's the AMA racing season done until Daytona in March 2008. That said, MotoGP still has two races to go, Phillip Island and Valencia. Both of which I will be covering. Stay tuned for updates!

One more thing. The 2007 AutoMotoPhoto Review is just about done. Want one? Send me an email.

Get well Morgan.

TTFN for now.

Road Atlanta thoughts - Sorry about the delay..

I know, I said I was going to update "shortly" but things got a bit crazy and the old blog took a hit in the updates department. This update may wander from past tense to current tense so apologies before hand. Let's just say it's a time machine update...

Needless to say I was so pleased for Josh Hayes (see below). The guy works hard and really really went out this year to prove that he could win the FX Championship two times in a row. So kudos to the man from Gulfport, LA!

I would also like to say how much I enjoyed working with Australian Superbike Champion and Yamaha rider Jamie Stauffer and his merry crew over the weekend. Not to mention his kind and super cool manager Stephanie Little. Jamie has been visiting the US and is taking part in the Superbike and SuperStock races here at Road Atlanta and at the last round of the AMA Superbike series at Laguna Seca (see above...)

Again, Yoshimura Suzuki rider Mat Mladin was something to watch on track. People can say what they like about Mat, but for me watching him ride is ethereal.

Oh, and a big thank you to the Comfort Suites Inn at Suwannee for being so helpful and changing my fridge out...!Laguna update coming shortly...

17 Years Today - Another Cover - Aaron Yates RRX

That's right readers.

17 years ago today I arrived at SFO in the USA with 5 suitcases (one half of one was used to bring me home from hospital after I was born), a collection of "Q" magazines, my favourite teddy bear and a few items that meant a lot to me as I grew up back in the UK before meeting Emily, getting married and moving here. All I can say is, I have never stopped realising what a blast my life is. I have as a mate, the coolest woman in the world, the coolest job in the world, and ultimately the coolest life in the world and someone to share it all with. It's not been without some hard work mind you, but so far it's only getting better.

Oh, and I thought I should let folks know that they need to rush out and buy the current edition of Road Racer X featuring Jordan Suzuki rider Aaron Yates on the cover taken by yours truly, Andrew Wheeler. I'll update my thoughts on Road Atlanta in a separate post, however, for now I'd also like to congratulate Erion Honda rider, and good friend Josh Hayes on his second Formula Extreme Championship win that he locked in at Road Atlanta. Fortunately I was in the the right place at the right time to capture this little gem.

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