Barber

MMP (Motorcycles Made Proportional)

Miller Motorsports Park and the landscape of Utah conspire to make motorcycles look really small.  Not a bad thing, really, but one does have to make allowances.

No. 9 @ Daytona

Jason DiSalvo's Latus Motors Racing Triumph 675R will return to standard colors for Round 2 of the AMA Pro Racing Daytona SportBike championship next month at Road Atlanta, so let's take a moment or two to enjoy the Gary Nixon tribute colors exhibited at Daytona.

First

I think this is my favorite photo from Daytona.  It's the front tire of the Project 1 Atlanta Yamaha R6, which Joey Pascarella had just ridden to the Daytona 200 win and his marked spot in Victory Circle.  I like to look for something a little different, particularly when confined to a staged setting like a podium ceremony.  Sometimes I get lucky too, as I did here with the strong reflected light on what would normally be the shaded underside of the tire.  So.  Gnarly textured used racing tire, 1st place "ribbon," interesting light and shadow.  It's all there.

    

Daytona Race Week in a Week

As thrilling as it sometimes was, the Ben & Mat Show of a few years ago tended to put the rest of the Superbike field in the shade.  It's probably safe to assume next week's AMA Pro Road Racing competition at Daytona International Speedway will be more closely fought at the front of the pack.    

Rog's Resurgence

Roger Hayden was quick at Mid-Ohio, racing with the leaders and scoring his first Superbike podium on the National Guard Suzuki.  Click and make big.

5, 4, 3, 2 . . . Mid-Ohio weekend starts in a few

Two for One

I haven't kept the blog updated of late, so here's a quick recap of AMA Pro Racing rounds 4 and 5 from Road America and Barber Motorsports Park.

Jake Holden

Jason DiSalvo led all comers at Elkhart Lake but somehow ended the weekend with two DNF's.

After I noticed the possibility for this shot it took me three tries to get it.  But it was pure luck that the "Elkhart Lake Wisconsin" signage ended up so visible (I suspect a true racing fan wouldn't need the hint to locate the photo).

Josh Hayes.  Winner.

Cheesehead

On to Barber then.  Go.

One from Road America

More later!

Road America this weekend!

Hot and bothered at Road Atlanta with Jim Allen

A scene from Road Atlanta, 2007.  Tires were overheating that weekend.  One solution was to remove a measure of rubber from the surface of the tire--less rubber means fewer rubber molecules rubbing against each other and getting all hot and bothered and stuff.  Dunlop's Jim Allen, seen here demonstrating the tire shave technique on the rear tire of a Fast By Ferracci MV Augusta Superbike, would probably explain it differently.  Elraldo Ferracci stands by. 

Incidentally, the April 13 edition of SoupKast contains a charming Ferracci anecdote. 

I don't know Chris Peris

But I like the way he follows cars.

Daytona

For motorcycle racing fans in the U.S. March means Daytona, and the beginning of the new racing season.   For the first time I experienced it first-hand rather than on the telly or page.  It was pretty much as I had expected it to be--for better and worse--but there still is no substitute for the smell of race fuel and howl of racing engines at full rip.  What follows are a few samples from my Bike Week.

Apparently for some Bike Week means something other than racing on the high banks.  The diversity of humankind never ceases to surprise.

The following three days brought familiar actors, even if the stage was new to this noob.

Until next year . . .

Almost, but not quite

Looking at this photo I almost miss the place.   Full update coming soon.

Wednesday Wallpaper: Movin' on Up

I'm looking forward to seeing Martin Cardenas on the big bike this year.  Click and make big.