04/08/06 14.46 World Superbike Championship Brands Hatch Kent UK

Noriyuki Haga around the back section of the Brands Circuit and as he rolls off the throttle his Yamaha R1 spits fuel into the pipes which then ignites. Quite dramatic and predicable which is great news for snappers.

1/750 f5.6 200mm on Sigma 70-200mm f2.8

Ollie Bridewell, 21 yrs, died on circuit as a result of injuries suffered in a fall on Friday 20th July 2007 at Mallory Park during a wet practice session for the Bennetts British Superbike round that weekend.

Ollie was perhaps the nicest guy in the paddock and frankly it nearly made me go home and forget the idea of trying to shoot these events.

I can't offer much support for those more closely affected by this tragedy, but photos can last forever and I hope the memories of this charming, witty, intelligent, gentle and respectful young man last forever too.

Go with God Ollie, pegs down mate.

Taken at the World Superbikes Race at Silverstone a fortnight ago. It was horribly wet on race day and the organisers cancelled the last half of the day for safety reasons.

Thanks as usual to londonbikers.com for the media pass that allows me to take otherwise impossible shots of these incredibly skilled riders.

Taken from Druids bend at Brands Hatch, this was the first round of this years British Superbike Championship. It was the usual elbows affair as this the favourite corner for anyone without a media pass. I noticed two bikes in particular, one had flames coming from the exhausts on a shut throttle and the other rider (found elsewhere in my gallery) had titanium toe sliders on his boots causing sparks when they brushed the ground. It took a couple of pre-emptive shots but I eventually cracked it. Comments welcome.

Taken from Druids bend at Brands Hatch, this was the first round of this years British Superbike Championship. It was the usual elbows affair as this the favourite corner for anyone without a media pass. I noticed two bikes in particular, one had flames coming from the exhausts on a shut throttle (found elsewhere in my gallery) and the other rider had titanium toe sliders on his boots causing sparks when they brushed the ground. It took a couple of pre-emptive shots but I eventually cracked it. Comments welcome.

Karl "Bomber" Harris launches himself and bike into the air over the famous "Mountain". Taken at Cadwell Park during practice back at the end of August for British Superbike.

Nowhere near my best shot from the weekend technically, but certainly the most dramatic. This is Karl Harris going for maximum air over the "Mountain" at Cadwell Park last weekend.

As we wait for the season to start (in this country), here's one from Cadwell Park last season. Johnny Rea on the Red Bull Honda going over the Mountain during British Superbikes in August.

I'm not his biggest fan, but Josh Brookes was in sensational form at Cadwell Park this weekend...

Karl Harris used to lay claim to the biggest and most stylish trip over the mountain, but now Brookes is blatantly the most stylish rider over there, plus he's won BSB races (something Harris never did.)

This is a different sequence of frames, covering the take-off, landing, and everything in between. Just as incredible as the other version I reckon...

Over the Mountain, Cadwell Park British Superbikes meeting.

Along with Harris and Shakey, Rea was easily the biggest and most stylish up and over the 1-in-3 stretch of tarmac.

I couldn't resist posting this one...

It's not the sharpest of the bunch by any means, but it's Karl Harris in full flow. Watching him over the Mountain was like poetry in motion. The Hydrex roster this season has two of the maddest riders you'll find anywhere in the world and are both a pleasure to watch.

Le Mans Moto 2007

THE DISTANCE (CAKE)

Reluctantly crouched at the starting line
Engines pumping and thumping in time
The green light flashes, the flags go up
Churning and burning they yearn for the cup
They deftly manoeuver and muscle for rank
Fuels burning fast on an empty tank
Reckless and wild, they pour through the turns
Their prowess is potent and secretly stern
As they speed through the finish, the flags go down
The fans get up and they get out of town
The arena is empty except for one man
Still driving and striving as fast as he can
The sun has gone down and the moon has come up
Not long ago somebody left with the cup
But he's driving and striving an hugging the turns
And thinking of someone for who he still burns
He's going the distance
He's going for speed
She's all alone, all alone, all alone in a time of need
Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course
He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse
He's going the distance
No trophies, no flowers, no flashbulbs, no lime
He's haunted by something he cannot define
Bowel shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse
Assail him and bail him with monster truck force
In his mind he's still driving, still making the grade
She's hoping in time that her memories will fade
'Cause he's racing and pacing and plotting the course
He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse
The sun has gone down and the moon has come up
Not long ago somebody left with the cup
But he's striving and driving and hugging the turns
And thinking of someone for whom he still burns

'Cause he's going the distance,
He's going for speed
She's all alone
All alone
All alone
In a time of need
Because he's racing and pacing and plotting the course
He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse
He's racing and pacing and plotting the course
He's fighting and biting and riding on his horse
He's going the distance
He's going for speed
He's going the distance

Suzuki #1 - Le Mans Moto 2007

The #33 Zytek at Le Mans making an unplanned trip through a gravel trap at about 6:30am

Taken at B&S Motors Romanian Superbike Championship, Serres stage.
Rider: Ionut Mistode, one of the fastest riders around

Romanian Superbike, PannoniaRing, Hungary.

Wallpaper size on this one. Download it
Absolutely no color editing or other editing that unsharp mask and resize.
Luv you, beautiful NATURE!!

This accident happened on the motoGP event in Sepang, Malaysia..

the 150cc one..

Macau Grand Prix 2007 - Steve Plater and John McGuinness, last lap

Martin Finnegan, Mid Antrim Road Races, August 2007

Cameron Donald, Kells Road Races, Ireland, July 2006

Tribute:

James Toseland (born 5 October 1980 in Doncaster, South Yorkshire), is an English motorcycle racer. Toseland is the reigning 2007 World Superbike Champion on a Ten Kate Honda, who also won the 2004 Superbike World Championship on a Ducati. Toseland is currently competing in Moto GP for the Yamaha Tech 3 team.
As well as being a motorcyclist, Toseland is also an accomplished pianist and singer who performs regularly with his band "Crash" when not at home in the Isle of Man, Toseland performed alongside Ray Stubbs for BBC's Sport Relief, as well as playing a piano set at the British sports personality of the year awards 2007.

2006

For 2006 Toseland switched to the Winston Ten Kate Racing Honda racing team, replacing the MotoGP-bound Chris Vermeulen, where he rode alongside Australian Karl Muggeridge. He won the season-opener in Qatar, and finished 2nd in the championship behind Troy Bayliss. He was contacted to replaced injured Toni Elías for the Fortuna Honda team for a one-off appearance in MotoGP, but this didn't happen for sponsor-related reasons.

Toseland was linked to the D'antin Ducati satellite team in MotoGP in 2006, and received an offer to ride for them in 2007. D'antin have not performed well in recent years however, and Toseland turned the offer down, not willing to make up the grid on a bike that wasn't competitive.

WORK: Illustrator & Photoshop CS3

Tribute:

Manuel Sete Gibernau Bultó (born December 15, 1972 in Barcelona) is a Spanish former MotoGP rider, currently residing in Switzerland.

When focussed, he was a match for Valentino Rossi, or faster. However, flair and consistency win more championships than flair alone, and he was all too often let down by an apparently sensitive or temperamental nature. In-race setbacks could disproportionately affect his competitiveness, both negatively and positively. His career started slowly until he found his motivation and his intermittent flair became consistent. Then he was the principal challenger for Rossi's crown until 2005. 2006 brought a series of emotional, technical, and injury set-backs, apparently sapping his motivation. It culminated in a major mid-season no-fault racing incident which effectively eliminated him from the championship. The Ducati Marlboro team replaced him with Casey Stoner for 2007. He turned down offers from Kawasaki, Sito Pons and Ilmor team and decided to retire from all forms of motorcycle racing. He was arguably one of the best riders in MotoGP never to have won the title.

WORK: Illustrator & Photoshop Cs3

Tribute:

MotoGP

In 2002, Biaggi rode the four-stroke for the first time as development on the new motorcycle remained strong throughout the season. He won in Brno, Czech Republic and Sepang, Malaysia to clinch runner-up in the championship behind rival Valentino Rossi. In 2003, Biaggi finished third in the MotoGP championship after rejoining Honda on the Camel Pramac Pons team. It was expected that Biaggi would be one of the main candidates for the title in 2004, but a crash in Estoril saw his season begin to fade. At the end of the 2004 MotoGP season Biaggi finished the championship in third place, behind Sete Gibernau and series winner, Rossi.

Biaggi started the 2005 MotoGP season as an official factory Honda rider, joining American racer Nicky Hayden on the Repsol Honda Team with technical director Erv Kanemoto. It was hoped that continued cooperation with Kanemoto and the full factory support from Honda would make Biaggi one of the main title contenders in 2005. However, Biaggi finished the season fifth in the championship with only 173 points (series winner Rossi finished with 367).

Biaggi lost his ride for the 2006 season, his position filled by 2005 250cc Grand Prix champion, Dani Pedrosa. He negotiated with Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki, however, was unable to land a contract even with the backing of major tobacco sponsor Camel. On January 10, 2006, Biaggi posted on his website that he would not take part in the 2006 MotoGP season.

WORK: Illustrator & Photoshop Cs3

Slight 'delayed reaction' if you will... I present the 2008 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island on the first weekend of October.

This event represented the second time this year - and also the second ever - I'd been trackside to witness something other than racing of the four-wheeled variety. I still prefer my cars, but the racing was enthralling nonetheless...

The Audi R10's ultra high-tech diesel powerplants (with the associated mega torque figure, hence the title) only rev to a fraction of what a typical petrol unit would do and so the noise of these cars is drowned out by every other motor out there. It truly is incredible - there are road cars out there that would be far louder than these race rockets...

Home, James! Take all the back roads and shortcuts you know... or not.

From today's V8 Supercar practice session at Queensland Raceway, James Courtney overcooks things a little in his Stone Brothers Falcon. I've used the most dramatic image as the main part and the 'anatomy' of the lose in the film strip below.