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.

Playing Catch Up #2 - The Jewel Of SoCal

This place never ceases to amaze me. It's ultimately the birthplace of the orange cone. Cones that are used in construction, in autocross, in dmv driving tests and ultimately to direct riders through mysterious corners on their individual quests to win motorcycle races.This race weekend was no different than any other when it comes to the weather though. It was hot, windy, yes, very windy, hot, hot and hot. This year, there was a marked improvement in the quality and helpfulness of the track security. In years gone by it hasn't been the friendliest of places to try and work, but it did appear to me that track security and the fire marshals were very amenable, as always the track workers are some of the friendliest you'll meet and the media hospitality is good. The only problem I have with Fontana is pounding on concrete all weekend. By Sunday, my feet are reduced to just throbbing, and the final boot removal in the media parking lot, prior to dropping off the rental car and heading up the coast by plane to home, is one of the most painful, pleasurable experiences that happens over the entire weekend. Fresh air between the toes. Bliss. My sandals feel like I'm having a foot massage. It was also a joy to have my wife Emily with me again.

On a separate note, a big huge pat on the back to Michael Beck who raced at Monza this past weekend and finished 15th in the second race on Sunday and grabbed his first point in World Superbike. Made more impressive by the fact that he was at a track he had never ridden at..Good stuff. See you all in a couple of days.

Meeting Your Childhood Hero - Giacomo Agostini

It's funny when it happens.

I was on assignment for Cycleworld covering the Legends of the Motorcycle Concourse D'Elegance at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. This is my third trip to cover this event. An annual event I have been attending since it's launch three years ago. The first year was fogged in with a reasonable crowd. Last year was sunny with a bigger crowd. This year, was overcast, with a huge crowd. That said, it appeared to me to have less motorcycles. I could be wrong. What was a thrill for me was the fact that I got to meet a spritely looking 67 year old World Champion Italian motorcycle racer by the name of Giacomo Agostini. Watching him mill around the people at the event, some of whom had no idea who this person is (or was) was actually rather amusing. But for me, the chance to say hello, capture a few portraits was the highlight of the day. It was also rather good to meet up with Eraldo Ferracci who last year returned to the AMA Superbike series to run a pair of (might I add beautiful) MV Agusta F4's, ridden by Mat Lynn and Luca Scassa. Here is another portrait of Giacomo Agostini with his good friend Eraldo Ferracci taken at the Legends of the Motorcycle.Next, a few words about Fontana....

Ridiculous To The Sublime - Fontana to Monza

I'll be updating my site and this blog with some imagery from the AMA Superbike races at the California Speedway in Fontana in due course and if I have time I'll post an image or two from last weekends sojourn to the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay where I covered the Legends of the Motorcycle event. In the meantime, I'm kinda thrilled to have found out that the rider aboard #60, Michael Beck....... will be substituting for injured rider David Checa (brother of former MotoGP and current WSBK rider Carlos Checa) and riding a Yamaha R1 in this weekends World Superbike race at Monza, Italy, for the French GMT94i Racing Team.

All I want to add is safe travels and good luck to you Michael!

It Never Get's Old, Yep, Another Cover - BBoz

Wow...two posts in a row. I'm cooking pan grilled steak with mushroom and sherry sauce this evening but hey, people need their AutoMotoPhoto fix right. I jest.

Anyways, check out the current edition of RoadRacerX and the super cool and groovy shot of Ben Bostrom aboard his superfast Graves Yamaha R6 taken by yours truly. Anyways, less of my yacking, here it is.Next up...imagery from the "Jewel of SoCal", Fontana...

If you get the chance, check out my interview and my insight into motorcycle racing photography with Jules Cisek at MotoGPod.com

Night for now.

Playing Catch Up #1 - Broody Barber

Yes it was. I don't care what anyone says. For some reason it feels like when one works in an office and rumours start circulating that the "company" is downsizing...nothing concrete or written but it's there - it's unsettling. I have been laid off from 11 jobs since I left school at 16, I've become somewhat of a psychic in these matters (even if I do say so myself - hence why I'm working for myself these days). Let's just say, and this is my opinion of course, that there was (and is) nothing wrong with the bikes or the racing... What the AMA needed was something along the lines of what IRTA does for MotoGP , just as the AMA Superbike Series is garnering more visitors WORLDWIDE. I was personally hoping that the series would streamline, take on FIM rules and be an equivalent to say the British Superbike Series. This really isn't rocket science. I just feel somewhat odd because I'm a global person and had this quaint thought that the AMA series would fully become the American equivalent to the BSB. We'll see, I'm a "there's no such thing as a glass" person so I go with whatever.

On a brighter note. Emily, my wife, joined me this race weekend to spend her birthday amongst the paddock.

Barber Motorsports Park is a wonderful facility. The folks that manage the track, Zoom Motorsports, do a wonderful job, the track workers are exceptionally helpful, security is polite and super friendly, in all, making our jobs easier and joyfull. Thank you to all for the wonderful job you do.

Oh, and sorry for the time it took to update. With Barber on one weekend, followed by Fontana the next,(a post - and images to my site - will be added in due course) there just isn't enough hours in the day to do it all.

Thanks for listening.

Chaz Wins The 200 - One More Cover Shot!

Just a quickie before I head off to Barber for more AMA Superbikes. Tooting my own horn here (well, I guess it is all about self promotion!) but I finally received my copy of Motorcycle Racer Issue #107 with my photograph of good friend and British Attack Kawasaki rider Chaz Davies on the cover. The first British rider to ever win the 200 (even if it was over a month ago). It never gets old really. I love this sport.See you after the Barber rounds (PLUS, it's my wife's birthday on Sunday too!)

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'

PCH - The Pacific Coast Highway

Vroom Vroom!
Last week was busy from Monday though well, this week. Working with talented writer Mark Gardiner, a couple of his motorcycling colleagues and some wonderful machinery (Ducati Multistrada, BMW 1200GS's to name a couple) we completed an assignment for UK published BIKE magazine. The premiss for the assignment was to give folks from the UK (or anywhere for that matter) a nuts and bolts head start into taking a trip to Northern California, renting a motorcycle and then to visit a select area over a period of time. Thus the assignment included a trip up and down the Pacific Coast Highway (HWY1) from Capitola down through Big Sur and onto a small village call Fernwood. Possibly some of the prettiest coastline anywhere in the world. Day two was a trip to the wine country, and as I was shooting at Infineon (AKA Sear Point) that morning, we decided that Sonoma would be the region to visit (I prefer it over Napa anyways) and then a ride out through the back roads to the coast and down through Marshall to the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marin headlands. Day three would be a ride around San Francisco with a focus on the off beat (and Beat Generation) lifestyle and then a stop outside a strip joint....and no, no one went in...!

Needless to say, it was a blast. Hard work but a blast. An errant parking mistake in San Francisco also cost me a $60 parking ticket....then there was testing...next post....

18 Years (Yesterday)

I'll have some images from testing at Laguna and Infineon to share in due course. In the meantime I just wanted to share (if anyone is really that interested of course) that without this woman my life wouldn't be what it is today. On April 3, 18 years ago Emily and I were married at the Love Chapel in Nevada..so we celebrated the fact by having Thor neutered (well not really celebrated - it was just that his appointment was the same day...) Poor guy looks like a walking lampshade...More to come.

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!