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Today was a great day to photograph the Autocross Banger racing. OK it was bitterly cold but hey, it was dry and for much of the time is was bright. Remember it is January!

There was a good turn out of racers and as always the heats and finals ran smoothly. This genre of motorsport does a fantastic job of keeping the action going. This is down to the years of experience running the event. But I guess that an approaching high tide focuses the mind also!

Plenty of close action was on show for the spectators who mostly sat in their cars - no doubt with the heaters on too.

One racer didn't seem to feel the cold and as this photo shows he must have been happy as he even found time to give me a thumbs up whilst on full opposite lock in his huge Mercedes. Well done Jamie Queripel ;-)

A gallery of pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST AUTOCROSS PICS

This is just a quick update with a link to the latest Karting picture Galleries.

The Guernsey Kart & Motor Club organised Round-1 of their 2019 Championship at The Track. The close and competitive racing promises that this years championship is going to be entertaining and well worth following.

The amount of effort, time and training that has been given to the Cadet classes in recent years is now paying off with some real talent on show.

I've added a few pics to the first Gallery of 2019. Take a look here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND-1 OF THE 2019 KART CHAMPIONSHIP

There was a double-header of action events for me to photograph this morning. I reckon that this sets the tone for the rest of the year as my diary is already filling up with a multitude of different events.

As I've mentioned many time before, it is the variety of sports, gigs, festivals, commercial shoots and news items that I photograph that makes my job the best.

I get to see and experience so much that Guernsey can offer its residents... just as long as they chose to be involved. I'm going to work as hard as ever to offer the best coverage out there. Make sure you visit this Blog page regularly to find a link to all the latest updates.

Today you can view pics of the GVC MTB XC race at The Guet and Round 7 of the Autocross Club Banger racing championship at Chouet. Follow these links:
CLICK TO VIEW THE GVC MTB XC RACING
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST AUTOCROSS RACING

There was a great turn-out for the last Motocross practice day of 2018.

Thankfully the rain stayed away this time as the cancellation of recent races has put a strain on the good spirit in the Club. However all the troubles were forgotten when the riders saw that the track was in good condition. There was also the interest in running the track in the reverse direction.

I spent time track-side and captured a few pics. This is a link to the Gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE MOTOCROSS PRACTICE

I've been tidying some folders and found two more rounds of the GK&MC 2018 Karting Championship that I'd missed due to there being other Press assignments in them too.

The error has now been sorted and two new Galleries featuring Round 8 and Round 10 have been added.

Follow this link if you want to check my pics out:
CLICK TO VIEW THE MISSING KARTING GALLERIES

Motocross... but without too much mud. It looked like the track was in pretty good condition considering the heavy rainfall during the last couple of days.

I know it rained heavily on Friday evening as I got very wet whilst photographing a football game!

But back to the motorsport. Apart from the gale-force winds on the top of the Pleinmont cliffs it was great to photograph Round-8 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Motocross Championship.

My pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-8 OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

The one thing that wasn't in short supply at Saturday's Motocross championship meeting was dust!

It was also windy enough on the exposed cliff top to make it hard to stand whilst shooting with a large lens.

When those two things are combined there was only one place to be... downwind!

I made every effort to avoid the dust storm but of course that was impossible. Perhaps fortunately, I was booked on another assignment early in the afternoon meaning I left early - but not clean. It took a bit more than a brush off to sort me out... ten minutes in the shower did the job.

The Motocross racing was the first shoot in a long, busy day that didn't finish until 11.30pm and the fifteen bouts of boxing at the Oktober Slugfest at Beau Sejour. Those pics will follow.

Follow this link to view pics of Round-6 of The Motocross Championship:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE MOTOCROSS ROUND-6

It's been another hectic week of shooting and edits.

As always it's the edits that drag on but even those are well on the way. But I'm calling it a day with this last edit. More to come tomorrow.

Pics of Round-2 of the Winter Autocross Championship are now online:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-2 OF THE AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

The last two hillclimbs of the season had one thing in common.... heavy rain!

Inevitably this saw the numbers of competitors depleted. To be fair to those who didn't turn up I have to say that the Petit Bot hill is tight and challenging even in perfect conditions so when you add into the mix 'rivers' of water running down and across the tarmac there is a real risk of aquaplaning into the stone walls!

It would be all to easy to end the season's racing with a trailer load of pieces and a long winter project trying to put them back together!

However there's always the 'mad bunch' who turn out whatever the weather and they were there at Petit Bot having fun.

I too popped along to take a few wet pics. They're now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE WET PETIT BOT HILLCLIMB PICS

I hadn't expected to find the time to take pics of the Channel Island Mower Racing Association's race meeting last Saturday.

However the opportunity appeared between two of my assignments and it was to good to miss.

I'd already spent an hour or so getting layered in dust up at the Motocross racing and had to brush myself down before popping along the the Dressage Championship. Luckily I was early enough to capture pics of a few riders before they took an inconvenient (for me) break for lunch!

But this opened a small time-slot before I had to get to the Fairfield for the Dog Show... I bet you'd love my busy life, eh!!!

So it was more dust for me at the Mower racing where the guys obliged me by running a race so I could quickly grab a few pics. Thanks lads.

My pics from this one race are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST MOWER RACING PICS

A quick mention of another gallery addition from a hectic weekend.

This assignment was the first one on Saturday morning and I'll be honest, I was quite pleased that I didn't have more than an hour and a half to spend taking pics! Particularly as I needed to be respectfully clean for jobs later in the day.

It was just that it was sooo dusty! There was no moisture anywhere on the track so during the bigger races a dust storm formed over the clifftop track. In fact a times the racers just disappeared from view.

But, almost repeating my previous comment about the wet Imperial Hillclimb, often the best pics come out of discomfort.

So I quite enjoyed this edit as the dust clouds added a bit of drama to some of the pics. Check them out here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND 5 OF THE MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

Chouet beach was a bit bleak and dull for Round-1 of the Guernsey Autocross Winter Championship :-(

But it was only windy and it remained dry. After the soaking wet Imperial Hillclimb yesterday I'll take that as a positive.

I've nearly completed the Imperial Hillclimb edit and the pics will be online soon. I think I got a few cracking shots. As always, it seems the most uncomfortable conditions will reward you with the most dramatic pics.

At least that is what I keep repeating to myself whilst the rain is trickling down my back!

My Autocross pics are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND-1 OF THE WINTER AUTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

This was only the second time that the GK&MC Imperial Hillclimb had been run... and what a contrast to the first time.

In 2017 it was a hot and sunny day (nice). The 2018 version was notable for torrential rain! I've learnt to never right-off any event simply because it gets a bit uncomfortable to take a few pics. Often they can be some of the most memorable of the season.

The disappointing side of the event was the greatly reduced number of competitors. Nearly half chose to stay in bed rather than risk doing damage to their racing kit. Understandably I guess.

However those who were a little more 'hard-core' had a busy and fun day of racing and very little damage was done... apart from going home wet through!

By now I'm sure everyone is dry and comfortable with the memory of a day that rewarded their endeavors.

Take a look through this gallery of pics to see if any are your favorites.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE VERY WET IMPERIAL HILLCLIMB

This weekend has been another highlight of the year... but there was a dampener!

Saturday kicked off with a couple of Press jobs then I was off to the Vale Castle for the first day of a double-header of live music. Day one was the turn of Sound Guernsey to take over the main stage within the historic castle walls.

On Sunday it was the main event with the Vale Earth Fair taking its traditional spot. This was the dampener that I mentioned before as, sadly, the twelve hour Festival was wet for the majority of them!

But the hardy festival crowd still had great fun... with me among them. I took plenty pics and they will follow.

The extended Bank holiday weekend concluded (after a late start by me... maybe due to a few too many pints of real ale) with a Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club hillclimb at Le Val des Terres.

The hillclimb edit is the first one online. The pics can be viewed by following this link:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE BANK HOLIDAY HILLCLIMB

It was all reverse again for the 2018 Guernsey Motor Cycle and Car Club's Vale Castle Sprint as the track ran from St Sampsons harbour towards Bordeaux harbour this year.

I chatted to quite a few competitors and there seemed to be a general feeling that they enjoyed the track when raced the other way. However swapping things around offers more variety... and that's a good thing isn't it?

As a photographer I think I prefer the opposite direction too, but it's still to have the variety.

There were a couple of breaks in today's racing for crashes but things were sorted very professionally. However it was clear that bikers and cars don't come out as the winners when they 'do battle' with Guernsey granite walls!

My pics of the racing are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW VALE CASTLE SPRINT PICS

Well actually it was a glorious day for many things last Saturday in Guernsey.

This summer just carries on giving us dry hot sunny days.

Now there could be a whole debate on whether the dry spell has gone on too long. Without doubt there are some 'casulties' but for the purpose of this Blog I'm going to reflect of the benefits.

The Rocquaine Regatta drew bigger crowds than normal and that was even with 'competition' from many other events including the 'Historic Harvesting' demonstrations. Then there were the obvious things like Cobo beach and Herm.

I spent the first part of the day at the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Hillclimb up Le Val des Terres.

The racers enjoyed the conditions and three new records were recorded. It was also fantastic to see a new name feature on the FTD records as Tim Tulie drove his Empire 00 Evo to the top in 29.09sec which was also a new Class record. Well done Tim.

I've added the days pics to a new Gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE GK&MC HILLCLIMB

A picture can't always tell the whole story.

Today, down on the Vazon Bay sands, I was capturing pics of Round-6 of the GMC&CC Sandracing Championship.

Take a look at the pics and you will see that it was yet another bright and sunny day... we've been spoilt by many of them this summer :-)

What my pics don't tell you is how windy it was on the beach. I even had to tie my hat on after it threatened to take to the skies!

But it was a warm wind and actually quite a pleasant change from the recent baking weather.

Whilst on the beach I took a photograph of the young riders who are about to travel to the mainland to partake in special training sessions helping them to develop the racing technique and confidence on their bikes. This investment in the youth of the Club should ensue that Sandracing in Guernsey is in safe hands.

You can view the pics of Round-6 by following this link:
TAKE A LOOK AT PICS OF ROUND-6 OF THE SANDRACING

The 2018 edition of the Guernsey Motorsport Seafront Sunday Festival was even more popular than the previous year!

Once again the St Peter Port seafront was closed to traffic allowing a huge display of all types of vehicles.

The entertainment spread along to the North Beach car park where a full day of motorsport action took place.

The weather played its part by encouraging thousands of people into town and the day provided a fantastic end to the 2018 MSA National Hillclimb weekend.

This gallery features some of the displays and entertainment...
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2018 MOTORSPORT SEAFRONT SUNDAY

That's another gallery update finished :-)

This time it features another two Rounds of the The Avon Tyres/Wynn Developments 2018 MSA British Hillclimb Championship.

Following my trip to Jersey to capture the action at the Bouley Bay rounds I headed home to capture the action at my local Rounds.... No's 21 and 22 at Le Val des Terres, Guernsey.

Once again local drivers split the pack of regular National competitors in the Top Twelve Run-Off. We certainly have a bunch of fast talent in Guernsey and always manage a couple of qualifiers.

This year was no exception and had a thrilling highlight when the (now legendary?) Darren Warwick took top spot on the podium in Round 21.

This was an incredible feat given that Darren uses such an old car compared to the cutting edge machinery on show.

However Darran's Moore Stephens Dallara F399 is clearly fast enough to take FTD when he drives it! Well done to him and all the other local racers.

My pics of the Guernsey National Rounds are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2018 GUERNSEY NATIONAL HILLCLIMB

I love July... that's the month, not the girl!

July is always such a busy month and this week is a fine example.

I've spent an entertaining couple of days in Jersey photographing their two rounds of the Avon Tyres/Wynn Developments MSA British Hillclimb Championship held at Bouley Bay.

The racing was as close as ever and us Channel Islanders should be proud of the success of our local racers.

Now I'm back in the office its been full speed ahead to complete the edit of my pics before the road-show takes to Le Val des Terres for the Guernsey rounds of the championship.

So the first of the pics are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2018 JERSEY ROUNDS OF THE NATIONAL HILLCLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP