I am back from the Great Salt Lake. No, I wasn’t fishing, nor was I visiting for any weddings or anything along those lines. I was there to get my speed on.
I can’t count how many times I have written about my racing exploits. Because I am so passionate about racing, I figure that I can share my experiences locally and abroad.
The last weekend of May is a weekend jam-packed with motorsports.
There are numerous events happening around the globe and at home, and I have a goal to knock every major racing event that weekend off my ‘bucket’ list before I am 30 in six years.
This year, I attended the World Superbike Races in Salt Lake City, at Miller Motorsport Park.
Just another event off my list. Still to go is the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix, the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600, and locally the Edmonton Road Racing Association’s opening weekend of racing.
The weekend in Salt Lake had everything that a race fan and photographer can ask for, from rain on the track forcing the best motorcycle racers to take to slippery pavement, to a race that saw the run-away leader crash with 10 laps to go, giving the remaining drivers a chance to battle for the win.
The event started on May 26, which happens to be my birthday.
Heavy rain gave drivers and photographers a tough challenge, but I found refuge in the pit stalls of Italian rider Max Biaggi and the Honda garages of Jonathon Rea and Hiroshi Aoyama.
A pair of practice sessions and some support races made for a long day.
The next day presented threatening skies and a chilly rain, but it was qualifying day.
The riders took to the track and tried to lay down their fastest possible laps of the weekend vying for a good starting position on the track.
During this session, I was shooting on the outside of the final turn, which had the bikes rolling straight towards my lens.
During the qualifying session, another Italian rider, Carlos Checa, had a scary moment when he slid his back tire causing him to come close to what is called a high side.
Luckily for him, he was able to stand up on the bike and not fly over the handlebars.
May 28 was Memorial Day in the U.S., and race day for all the different racing series that were competing at Miller. Before the World Superbike races there was an AMA SuperSport race that featured Airdrie rider Chad Swain and Chris Crump, who lives on the outskirts of Calgary.
Both riders had an eventful day, Swain ended his day in 29th after a scary moment in turn one, and Crump finished 36th, riding an underpowered bike.
There were 47 riders in the race.
The two World Superbike races were exciting.
Checa won the first after running away from the field, but found himself picking up his bike in turn five in the second race, allowing a battle between Englishman Rea and Italian Marco Melandri for the win.
Melandri, riding his BMW, would prevail in an incredibly exciting race for the win.
Trying to describe the technology and athleticism in racing is tough, as a lot of people enjoy their stick-and-ball sports, but if you give motorsports half a chance, any type of racing from drag racing to motorcycle racing, and make an effort to see it in person, you will not be disappointed.
