As we left the city, I started to relax.  I think that was the effect of a beautiful, tree-lined parkway between the city and Connecticut.  Rather than have Jane try guiding us through that maze of big city streets with a map, we entered our destination into the GPS.  Not having the route marked on a map makes it difficult to recall the names of the routes we took.  But, looking back I can see that we were on Hutchinson River Parkway, Cross County Parkway, and Merritt Parkway.  I was surprised at how calming the drive was.  The worst was behind us.

The drive through Connecticut was fascinating.  It occurred to me that Connecticut is a retreat for New York’s wealthy.   We were only passing through, though we did spend a night in a Days Inn in Berlin.  The motel rate was very reasonable and it was After making a decision to see Vermont, we were anxious to start the tour.

Jane hadn’t organized this part of the adventure, so it was a bit disorganized.  We passed quickly through Massachusetts and stopped at the Vermont Tourist Information Center as we crossed the border.  Covered bridges was my first thought; covered bridges and “The Green Mountain Boys” of the Revolutionary War.  I like history and the old stuff.  Vermont is filled with both.

Did you know that Vermont was not one of the original 13 states?  I was shocked.  It seems there was a struggle between New Hampshire and New York for the property known as Vermont.  Great Britain’s award of the Vermont territory to New York led to Ethan Allen’s organization of a militia known as the Green Mountain Boys.  All the details are readily available on the internet.  I just found this bit of trivia too interesting to let pass.  Vermont became the 14th state in 1791.

We gathered brochures and information, leaving the interstate at Brattleboro in search of our first covered bridge.  We headed west on State Highway 9, the Molly Stark Trail.  This Scenic Byway is a main east-west route in southern Vermont; a historic trail followed by General John Stark on his way from New Hampshire to the Battle of Bennington during the Revolutionary War. 

Our first covered bridge was on the outer edge of Brattleboro.  I was disappointed.  I guess I had expected to find covered bridges isolated in rural areas.  This one was right on the Molly Stark Trail and surrounded by bright orange construction tape.  Unplanned surprises aren’t always happy happenings.

But there was a beautiful colonial home right across the road.  It got more of my attention than the bridge.  As a matter of fact, Vermont abounds with beautiful old homes and Americana. The flowers and gardens had Jane raving.  Around every curve, we were seeing more and more to like about Vermont.  It is so clean and pristine. And, there are no billboards.  Even the directional signs are minimal.  We found several more covered bridges that day but kept getting lost.  That’s not always a bad thing.  We saw and did things that otherwise we may have missed.  It wasn’t until I was preparing for this article that I realized how much we had missed.  Fail to plan; plan to fail. 

That brings me to a photography point that I would like to share.  Good pictures seldom “just happen.”  Like most anything else in life, there is that distressing element called organization.  I should have done a little more research on Vermont in general and covered bridges in particular.  My pictures sucked; and got rejected by my agencies.  You don’t just walk up and snap a picture.  That’s a “snapshot.”  It was obvious even to me.  I was not surprised by the rejection.

Covered bridges are so photogenic (and nostalgic) but they are so “over-photographed.”  Anything unique would require some imagination.  No thought was given to lighting or being there when it was best.  Concept is important.   What are you trying to convey?  Why are you taking this picture?  I had not really given it any thought.  I believe the thinking and planning is what separates travel photography and travel pictures. 

The only images I salvaged from that first bridge was a detail image of the lattice-work architecture and a snapshot of Jane on the bridge. 

Vermont had not been a part of the original plan.  We were only there because we had some time to kill before arriving for our schooner cruise in Maine, which Jane had planned.  She had left organizing the Vermont and New Hampshire tours to me.  The moral of this story is “be organized or have an organized person on your team.” 

Continuing on the Molly Stark Trail, we wandered through the Green Mountains and the Green Mountain National Forest.  We discovered Vermont Scenic Highway 100 and loosely followed it, heading northward toward Rutland.  We stopped for information about local points of interest and a brief tour of a Maple Syrup Museum.   We enjoyed the small, scenic villages as well as the beautiful green countryside. 

Traveling in New England is deceptive.  We are accustomed to travel in Texas and the Southwest.    Distance on New England travel maps is a much different scale, making it possible to see a lot more in a day.  We were tired upon our arrival at a motel in Rutland but surprised at how much we had seen.

The next day was more bridges.   Again, no specific plan.  Jane was directing me to the nearby bridges while I was thinking of Fort Ticonderoga, Lake Champlain, and the ski resorts in Stowe.  Somehow, we stumbled across the Morgan horse farm in Middlebury.  We arrived just a short while before the next guided tour.  We bought tickets for the  tour and wandered aimlessly, admiring the horses.  The history of the Morgan horse, the University of Vermont’s involvement, and seeing these beautiful animals make the detour well worth the time.  I love horses.  I would like to return and spend more time watching the students in the apprentice program train the horses.  

We left the Morgan Horse Farm and worked our way back to the Scenic Route 100, headed north.  I can’t remember why but we turned away from Lake Champlain and the historic area around Fort Ticonderoga.  For whatever reason, we worked our way to Montpelier.  From there, we took the shortcut across the mountains to Interstate 91.  We managed to get lost and plugged a motel address in Lyndonville into the GPS as our destination.  The GPS seemed to know where we were.  We didn’t.   It was rather exciting; and a little scary.  It was a very narrow, hilly, rough road.  The scenery was fantastic but I would not recommend this rural route for the average, four-passenger vehicle. 

The following day started our moose adventures.  I say started because the next several weeks we were either hunting moose, asking locals about moose or talking about places to try next.  The start was in the Northeastern part of Vermont know as the Northeast Kingdom, or, maybe it is North East Kingdom?  It is often referred to as NEK. 

We stopped in Island Pond, where we had been told moose were so plentiful that locals would not drive at night.  (With their long legs and massive size, car collisions with moose are much more dangerous than hitting a deer … or a bear.)  Island Pond is a resort located in the quaint town of Berlin.  It is surrounded by camp grounds and offers many seasonal outdoor activities.  Read more about it here. 

We stopped in the Island Pond Library and visited with the librarian who was very informative and helped us layout a tentative route to view moose.  From there, our circuitous route took us along State Route 105, through Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Nulhegan Basin, up Route 102 (River Road) to the tiny town of Canaan, along the Canadian border to The Kingdom State Forest.  

We had seen a lot of moose habitat and signs of their presence but not a single moose.  A ranger at the wildlife refuge had given us several pointers on when and where to spot a moose.  We stayed excited along the entire drive and expected a sighting at nearly every bend.  We saw lots of bogs and moose wallows but no moose.   Highway construction deterred us as we made our way across the northern most parts of Vermont.  We gave up and turned south and west, deciding to head for Maine a few days early.

We crossed the Connecticut River into New Hampshire at Colebrook.  We stopped to picnic in a city park dedicated to Civil War heroes.  Checking our map, we found that we were on “Mohawk Road” and had just crossed the Daniel Webster Highway (US Route 3).  Civil War, the Revolutionary War, Daniel Webster, Mohawk and Iroquois culture; the place absolutely reeks of history. 

At this northern point, it is a short drive across New Hampshire.  We split from Route 26 and headed north on Route 16 around Umbagog Lake, crossing into Maine.  I don’t remember that we went through a town or village; we were just there, driving through areas that looked to be very sparsely populated.  After the fact, I figured that is a major logging area.  Moose Crossing warnings were every few miles.  I was a little surprised at how such an old area of the US was still so isolated.  We would drive miles seldom seeing another car and not much in the way of civilization. 

We made our way into Rangeley, a popular tourist destination on Rangeley Lake.  Worth noting is that it is the hometown of actor Kurt Russell.  And, a sign there lets you know that it is the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole. 

It was mid-afternoon and we had done a lot of sightseeing.  We had planned to travel deeper into the Maine Moose Country.  We had a dilemma.   It was too early to stop but we were afraid to continue further into the boonies.  We had no plans for the evening.  Not know what lay ahead, we diverted south on Route 4 and settled for a motel in Farmington. 

After checking in, Jane pointed to an interesting photograph on the wall.  It was a moose.  I didn’t understand at first.  Then she pointed out that the picture was taken in the Motel Parking Lot!!! 

Tomorrow, we are heading for the coast.  We will hunt for lighthouses. 

l8r

Anyway, we left Bristol, Virginia after spending the night and decided to take the back roads – the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We needed to kill some time so that our arrival time would coincide with our daughter’s work schedule.  That was a good decision.  It was a relaxing drive and we came across the Mabry Grist Mill.  I love the old,  historical sites and this old mill was especially picturesque.  It was mid-day light but intermittent showers and partly cloudy skies softened the shadows.  The light was so nice that I got a little carried away and spent nearly two hours at the site. 

The detour also brought us in touch with the Appalachian Trail.  I was curious at the time and became fascinated with the Appalachians and the Appalachian Trail as we journeyed northward.  I knew of the trail but did not really know much about the trail.  It is more than 2,000 mile foot-journey along the backbone of American History, running from Georgia to northern Maine.  I won’t go into detail here but will offer this link for the more curious.

I had mentioned in the opening article of this series that I would be using a point-and-shoot camera for much of our trip.  I had the Sony DSC-W170 at the old mill but mostly used my Nikon mounted on a tripod.  I did, however, keep the Sony beside me in the car.  It is great for those times when you just pull off the side of the road for a quickie. 

After spending so much time at the mill site, we needed to get back to the interstate. I had a few quickie opportunities along the way.  This shot of a farm in those rolling hills is with the Sony.  It handled the light contrast very well and the grain (digital noise) is tight and barely noticeable.  The image was accepted by my stock site and has already made sales.  Though the sky looks washed out, a closer look will show that individual clouds are defined. 

There isn’t a lot that can be done as far as manual settings.  The menu does allow exposure compensation.  Mostly, I used the “Program” setting.  That setting allows me more selectivity in the Menu of adjustments.  In this case, I accepted the internal meter setting. 

We called before getting to our daughter’s place.  Disaster!!!  Her apartment had flooded and management had moved her to a hotel until it could be repaired.  That changed our plans.  Rather than hang around the DC area and watch her suffer, we decided to spend a night at the hotel, have breakfast together and arrive a bit earlier in New England.  We spent the next day cursing our way thru New Jersey and New York,

That part of the adventure will come in the next installment.  Stay tuned.

l8r

It wasn’t exactly that way.  The cruise she was suggesting was on a 137 year-old wooden ship with few to no modern conveniences.  She had booked passage on an historical old schooner that would transport us to and through the islands off the coast of Maine, as well as some of the most scenic ports ever to be visited. 

That was just the beginning.  Our anniversary celebration lasted seven weeks with historic and cultural excursions through twelve states, mountains, oceans, coastlines, safe harbors, farmlands and a few irritatingly large cities,  Much of it was strictly spur-of-the-moment decisions.  Only the cruise and a leased cottage near Acadia National Park were pre-planned.

I can’t effectively cover the entire adventure in one post.  It would be much too long and, for some, bore you to tears.  I’ll break it into sections to please myself and give any readers the opportunity to pick and choose what to read and when.  Chronological order may seem the best approach.  But, remember, my wife is the organized one. 

As stated, this will be approached from a photographer’s point of view.  i will drop a few tips or provide references throughout.  I’ll mention right here that this article is especially relevant for photographers using “point-and-shoot” cameras.  A lot of what I have submitted to my stock agencies was shot with a Sony Cyber Shot, DSC-W170, 10.1 Mega Pixel camera that I carried around in my pocket. 

I bought this camera shortly before leaving for the cruise because I was afraid that the salt water would ruin my “Professional” equipment.  Man, did this baby perform.  My wife used the camera for the above picture of me in a canoe.   I love it.

Since our grandson spends summers with us, his return to the DC area was incorporated into our plans.  We decided that driving would provide the best opportunity to enjoy the history and culture of our nation’s birthplace, the East Coast and especially New England.  Besides, Dillon is seventeen.  He helped my drive through Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee and Virginia.  Parts of that section will be included in our adventure.

We will relax along the Blue Ridge Parkway; curse frantically along New Jersey and New York’s toll roads; recover along a calming, tree-covered Connecticut trail; see hardly any of Massachusetts; gape, open-mouthed at the beauty and cleanliness of our greenest state, Vermont. 

Hunting a moose will bring us into Maine a few days before our scheduled windjammer departure from Rockland, Maine.  The early arrival will allow us time to thrill at the plethora of lighthouses along our coastal shores, learn more about lobster men and the rugged life of fishing and fishermen;  step back in time as ancient airplanes and historic vehicles are on display and demonstrate their capabilities at the Owls Head Transportation Museum. 

We will document our six days of sailing on a strictly authentic schooner as we are offered the opportunity to learn sailing as hands-on crewmembers of this beautiful relic from our coastal history.  Our ship will follow no particular course as we let the wind lead us to the best harbor for the evening, or the most interesting of the thousands of islands along Maine’s coast. 

We will view much of Acadia National Park from the deck of our schooner and spend time ashore at our own lobster boil; gawk at the “cottages” of several of America’s wealthiest citizens and shop in quaint shops of Stonington, Maine on the ever popular Deer Isle.

We will spend another week in a small fishing cottage in Stonington, using that as headquarters as we explore Acadia National Park and eat lobster almost every day.  Jane will take in the local farmers market and we will see a movie in the hundred year old Stonington Opera House.

This already has gotten too long.  I will add pictures and anecdotes as we work our way around Moosehead Lake, the Catskills, Pennsylvania’s Amish Area and on to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  I promise something for everyone and a generous selection of images and photography techniques.  Please stay tuned for more on our great adventure.

l8r

In a good season, photographers line the highways and tourism brings a smile to the faces of local business people.  Finding just the right (not already occupied) spot is a task.  There is a place, however, for photographers to get an entire season of wildflower photographs in one day.  The Wildseed Farms is on US290,  seven miles east of Fredericksburg.  Not only can you have free access to their gardens, you can buy seeds and plants for your own garden.  They also offer very artistic planters, pots, bird baths, water structures and decorative designs.

My wife has a new car.  We decided to take it for an old-fashioned Sunday drive.  She had never been to the Wildseed Farm and had always wanted to see the place … and shop.  She is really into gardening.  She absolutely loved it.  We spent several hours there; me taking pictures and her ooohing and ahhhhing, admiring the flowers and handling the trinkets.  She wanted something for her mother.  (Mother’s Day, you know)  She didn’t find that perfect gift but did buy several packages of seeds for our own gardens.

There are 200 acres of wild flowers in  various stages of development.  The shopping areas are central; you go through the shops to get to the flower trails.  There is no charge and it seems the flower gardens are laid out with photographers in mind.  Distractions and busy backgrounds are minimal.

We stopped in Fredericksburg for our Sunday drive lunch but could just as well have visited the Wildflower Farms’ Brewbonned Biergarden.  They serve some excellent sandwiches and offer a beautiful outdoor setting for enjoying your lunch and beverage.

There also is a live butterfly exhibit.  We will try it on our next visit.  There is a small fee.  It was four dollars  for seniors.  I can’t recall the other prices.  You can gather much more information at their website, including phone numbers and the hours.  The website is at:

http://www.wildseedfarms.com/

Maybe we can schedule this as a Photography Club outing.  I will propose the idea tonight at our monthly meeting.

l8r

Lackey recruited four European veterans of the old Inter-AM/Trans-AM days to compete against an American team with similar credentials. Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee Lars Larsson of Sweden, Zdenek Velky from Czechoslovakia, Germany’s Herbert Schmitz, and 1979 World Champion Graham Noyce of Great Britain came to the US for two rounds of racing against the United States Inter-AM and Trans-AM veterans Gary Jones, Chuck Sun, Danny LaPorte and Bill Silverthorn.

The group gathered at Diamond Don Rainey’s AHRMA Riverport National in Jefferson, Texas on April 4^th and 5^th for the second round of the international competition. During the AHRMA Nationals the Legends gathered in a single pit area and graciously signed autographs, posed for pictures and spent hours bench racing with fans.

Ed. Note:  Roll cursor over image to read caption

Their vintage bikes were a collector’s dream. Gary Jones was competing on a Honda RC450; Zdenek Velky would ride nothing but a CZ, of course. Herbert Schmitz was on a monster 490 Maico. It was offered for sale after the race. Graham Noyce, 500cc World Champion in 1979, stepped down to a 250 Honda for this race. Danny LaPorte chose a 250 Suzuki. Bill Silverthorn was on an RM400 Suzuki; Chuck Sun had a sweet-looking 250 Maico that he was considering buying from its owner. Lars Larsson was on a classic yellow and black Yamaha.

Gary Jones had the hole shot and led for several laps before Chuck Sun moved to the lead. Gary had raced an earlier AHRMA race and forgot to refuel.  Herbert Schmitz started dead last but moved up to second at the midway point leading Danny LaPorte in third place. The three pulled away with LaPorte getting past Schmitz near the end. That led to some trash talk with Schmitz claiming that LaPorte would never have passed him if he had known he was there.

Gary Jones ran out of gas for eighth place but with Bill Silverthorn finishing in fourth, Team USA dominated the first moto. Graham Noyce was fifth, Zdenek Velky sixth, and Lars Larsson seventh.

Herbert Schmitz strongly declared that he would win the next moto of the two-day event. He did. The 62  year-old German grabbed the holeshot and only once had anyone even get close.  Chuck Sun got alongside Schmitz in a sweeping left-hander but was unable to complete the pass. Schmitz opened a huge lead; riding so smooth and gracefully that it could have been put to music. He and that Maico were a beautiful thing to watch.

But, according to the US Team, there were extenuating circumstances. The wise old German had tried to sabotage the Americans.

Chuck Sun had this explanation for not completing the pass: “As you know the U.S. had a good lead going into the final moto of the 4 moto series that began at Sand Hill CA.  That did not take away my desire to win however!  Herbie was very determined and kept pouring wine for everyone the night before.  Herbs holeshot the 2nd moto and I was 4th behind Jones and Noycey.  By the end of the lap I was on Herbert wringing out the 250 Maico of Steve Marpes (Ohlins factory rep).  Herbs was riding quite well and the 250 began to make noises, so I backed down to make sure of a finish. (I hate to DNF)  LaPorte got by as well, but was very gracious to wait by the finish line to let me bye.  So I won the individual overall for the Vintage-AM series.  Now Steve has to rebuild the Maico as there is no compression!  Thanks Steve! “

EDITOR’S NOTE: Is that not ironic? I wonder if any of this reminded Danny LaPorte of; “Let Broc Bye.”

Danny LaPorte passed Chuck Sun and closed the gap on Schmitz but ran out of time before coming to the checkered flag.  It looked like Schmitz would take the overall with 3-1 finishes to Sun’s 1-3. But, according to a note from Brad Lackey, “I didn’t see it but I was told that Danny let Chuck by right before the checkered flag so that Chuck would get the over all instead of Schmitz…a brilliant move by the team manager!”

Sun’s 1-2 finishes were good for the overall with Schmitz’ 3-1 taking second. Danny LaPorte was 2-3 for third and the USA claimed the overall based on strong finishes by Bill Silverthorn and Gary Jones. The Team USA victory was sweet revenge for those Inter-AM massacres of the distant past. Through bloodshot eyes, the US Team basked in their glory.

Winning is a way of life for these legends but winning was a little less important to the fans. Just seeing those guys ride again was well worth the price of admission. And, with the Vintage AM being run in conjunction with two days of AHRMA Vintage Nationals in Observed Trials, Cross Country, Vintage and Post-Vintage Motocross it was an action-filled weekend of reminiscing and remembering.

Brad Lackey was unable or not ready to discuss the future of Vintage-AM. It is an expensive undertaking and he needs sponsor support to carry on. You can offer encouraging words or sponsorship support by contacting Brad at his web site … http://www.bradlackey.com/ Let the world know, “We love our legends.”

The Results:

Finish Moto 1    Moto 2    Name

1        1            2                Sun

2        3            1                Schmitz

3        2            3                LaPorte

4        5            5                Noyce

5        4            6                Silverthorn

6        8            4                Gary Jones

7        6            7                Velkey

8        7            8                Larson

l8r

I’ll post a few images from a favorite subject – motocross.  My grandson went with me to a vintage motocross race in Jefferson, Tx.  We had a great time and he got autographs from several motocross legends.  I got my kicks just watching these guys ride again. 

Adding this picture of 1979 World Champion Graham Noyce seems easy.  It could be resized and/or effects added.  This is just one of the legends that my grandson got autographs from.  Gary Jones, who was the first real American Motocross Hero was another. He still rides like a young man, grabbing the holeshot on his monster Honda RC500.

All the legends were riding vintage bikes from their era.  Brad Lackey, the promoter, tried to make it as much as possible like the Inter-AM and Trans-AMA events of the 70s and 80s.  Those in attendance agreed that it was. 

As for the testing of “Windows Liver Writer,” it is proving to all that was claimed.  It is fairly intuitive.  I will post this now to see if the end result looks anything like what I am seeing in draft mode.

////it looked good… if you are interested, download it for FREE at:

http://windowslivewriter.spaces.live.com/

Have fun. 

ll8r

Pomeroy’s Pursang

AHRMA is the American Historical Racing Motorcycle Association. My first AHRMA experience was in April 2006, at Diamond Don Rainey’s Riverport National in Jefferson, Texas.  These races are great for photographers and for meeting some of the legends of motocross. There is no restricted pit area. It is a family atmosphere with historic motorcycles and legendary riders readily available for pictures and nostalgic bench racing sessions.  I spent nearly an hour with Jim Pomeroy, helping him sell t-shirts and reminiscing. That’s his Bultaco in the foreground of the picture.

I had credentials for the race, doing a feature for Cycle News on Don Rainey’s replica of the bike that Brad Lackey rode to the World Championship. But the credentials were probably not necessary for the access I had. A ticket gets you just about anywhere you could want to be. And, it is surprising how accessible and friendly these legends are.

The entrance road crosses the track and circles around and through the pit area and camper sites. It is much like spending a weekend camped at any other motocross track. Everyone is friendly and motorcycles are the common interest … motorcycles and racing.  

I found Brad Lackey and his crew working out a jetting problem on the CZ that he would be riding in the Vintage Motocross event. Lackey didn’t recognize me but it had been nearly twenty-five years since our last encounter – his World Championship win.  He didn’t look the same either.  

After getting reacquainted with Lackey, I noticed a giant standing next to a very nice motor home. It was all 7’4” of Rik Smits, former NBA basketball star with the Indiana Pacers. I used my Cycle News connection to chat a bit and get a few pictures. Rik is a collector of vintage motocross bikes and does quite well at the races. The picture to the right is Smits making a 400cc Maico look like a minibike. I wonder how he gets that size 20 boot between the peg and shift lever?

Rik Smits Maico

There is little need for long lenses or expensive equipment at AHRMA events. A point and shoot will do in most cases. Photographing the action, however, is another story. The shutter lag on any digital camera other than a DSLR makes point and shoots impractical (but not impossible) for pictures of the races. My 18~135 Nikon kit lens is the most used of my lenses. I take the 300mm f4 for special effects – soft backgrounds, but it is really bulky and gets very little use. Another option would be the 70~200 f2.8. Again, that is a heavy choice and a bit pricey for non-professional use. I guess the best advice would be, “use what you got.”  

Continuing to circle the road, I found new thrills at each pit area. There were past heroes and motorcycle legends like Jeff Smith, two-time world champion; Tommy Benolkin and his stable of Pentons; and Tammy Rice, a legend of women’s motocross.

It was a profitable weekend of nostalgia and reminiscence. I wrote two race reports (vintage nationals and post-vintage nationals) and a feature article on the Brad Lackey replica, all published by Cycle News. Even without the publication, I treasure the images and memories I brought home from that event.

A Youthful Graham Noyce

I’ll be returning to Jefferson for the Diamond Don Riverport National in April. I don’t have an assignment (yet) but this event offers too much to miss. In addition to the usual AHRMA Nationals in Vintage Motocross, Post-Vintage Motocross, Observed Trials and Cross Country races, former World Champion Brad Lackey is promoting the Vintage-AM. The Vintage-AM is takeoff on the old Inter-AM and Trans-AMA races from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Those were the days when spectators would flock to the races to watch those amazing European motocrossers show America’s best how it was really done.

In the Vintage-AM, Lackey will lead a team of Americans consisting of legends Danny LaPorte, Chuck Sun, and Gary Jones going up against such notable Europeans as Graham Noyce, Zdenek Velky and Lars Larsson. The portrait is Graham Noyce a long, long time ago. They will be riding the vintage iron of the day … CZ, Maico, Bultaco, Husqvarna – maybe a Honda or Suzuki.  

More information is available at:
http://www.diamonddon.com/

l8r

I met Danny in 1982 at the Swiss 250 Motocross Grand Prix (World Championship Series) in Payerne Switzerland. He had just replaced 1981 World Champion Neil Hudson as a Team Yamaha factory rider. I was taken with his professional attitude and media-savvy representation of the team. He confided that a part of his agreement with Yamaha was attendance at what he called “charm school.” He was obviously a good student. After hearing my first name once, Danny never forgot. Name recall had been a part of the “charm school” curriculum.

The recent turmoil in the AMA Supercross and Supercross Lites series inspired this article. The immaturity and lack of professionalism amongst some “professional” riders is embarrassing to all concerned - factory, riders, fans and the AMA. It may have happened during my days as a motor sports journalist but, if so, it was a well-kept secret. And, I do not think it is because the Internet makes such information so much more accessible. I can’t imagine Danny LaPorte involved in such childishness. Nor, can I imagine a factory allowing its brand to be so tarnished.

His “company man” attitude did not mean that Danny LaPorte was a “yes man.” He started that season on a bike that he hated. Hated may be a bit strong. Danny had problems with the new liquid cooled Yamaha, especially on muddy tracks. After a few races he forced a switch to the more reliable air-cooled bike. Let someone else be the “test rider.” Danny wanted to win. As far as I know, that was never publicized and Danny never complained publicly.

Another inspiration to write this came from a friend asking about the most exciting race I had covered. Motocross is exciting. I can’t pick a specific race that was the most exciting. I do, however, think one of the most important races I ever witnessed was the Fourth of July meeting between Danny LaPorte and Georges Jobe at the Dutch 250 MX GP in Mill Holland in their intense competition in the 1982 Motocross World Championship Series. For me, it was THE RACE that made Danny LaPorte America’s first 250cc Motocross World Champion.

LaPorte and Jobe came into that race tied for second in the standings. Dutchman Kees van der Ven had a slight lead and was on his home track. Kees van der Ven was not considered a serious threat. He had never been able to stay with Jobe in head-to-head competition. The Suzuki Team was concerned enough about Danny LaPorte, however, to put sand specialist Henk van Mierlo on a factory bike to help put some distance between Jobe and LaPorte.  The image on the right is Jobe who is very comfortable on sand tracks.

Before the race, LaPorte laughed about the idea of a sand specialist. Why would anyone consider sand an obstacle to him, Danny wondered. “Don’t they realize that I learned to ride in the Mojave Desert,” he grinned? He went on to humiliate Jobe that day – Jobe, van der Ven and the Suzuki sand specialist, Henk van Mierlo. LaPorte won both motos, coming from behind in each.  See image on left.  That was THE RACE that broke Jobe’s confidence – and put any doubts out of Danny LaPorte’s mind. He Knew he could win.

Rather than rewrite history, I will quote from a World Championship Series wrap-up that I wrote for the Stars&Stripes on July 21, 1982. The article was written with just three races remaining in the series:

Story and pboto
By WARREN M. PRICE
At the beginning of the 1982 season, the question was: “Who will finish second to Georges Jobe in the 250cc class of World Championship motocross?”
The Belgian rider Jobe, world champion in 1980, appeared seemingly unchallenged after the departure of Britain’s Neil Hudson, last year’s 250cc titleholder, who had moved up to the 500cc class.
Dutchman Kees van der Ven, consistent finisher but rarely a winner on his KTM, was the name most often mentioned as a possible runner-up to Jobe. West Germany’s Roll Dieffenbach had an erratic ‘81 season and was considered too heavy to be consistent on a 250cc Honda. The American Mike Guerra, sixth last season on a Husqvarna, was not figured to place any higher in ‘82.
Another American Danny LaPorte had raised a few eyebrows last fall with his impressive rides in the 250cc Trophee des Nations in Belgium and the 500cc Motocross des Nations in Germany. LaPorte had led the upstart American team to first-time victories in both events, leaving the European teams in mild shock.
But for ’82 LaPorte was considered as too inexperienced to be taken seriously, despite Yamaha factory support he bad inherited from the Briton Hudson.
It would be a good race for second place, the experts said, but not one of these riders was considered a remote threat to Jobe on his Suzuki.
But all that “expert speculation” came before the start of the 1982 season.
LaPorte, instead of battling other riders for second place in the standings, is leading Jobe and all the rest for the 250cc world crown. And he’s doing it on the strength of four straight grand prix victories, the latest one scored Sunday over Jobe in the Russian Grand Prix.
In the Soviet event, LaPorte won the first moto and Jobe finished second. In the second moto, it was vice versa, with Jobe the winner and LaPorte runner-up. But the American rider was fastest on aggregate time from both events, and he walked proudly onto the victory stand as winner of the Russian Grand Prix.
LaPorte, of Torrance, Calif., now leads for the world title with 173 points to Jobe’s 167 so it’s all very close, with only three GPs remaining — the US GP at New Berlin, N.Y. on Aug. 1; the Finnish GP at Hyvinkaa on Aug. 22, and the Swedish round at Vimmerby on Aug. 29.
While LaPorte’s victory in Russia was a dramatic one, his earlier triumph in he Dutch GP came as one of the most important in his career. It was a turning point, so to speak, and it occurred on the all-American date of July 4. When the Dutch race had ended that day, LaPorte had emerged with his third straight grand prix victory after beating Jobe soundly in both motos.

Refused start money at last year’s Motocross des Nations because he was an unknown, LaPorte is now the dominant 250cc rider in European motocross. What a difference a year makes!
But he started the ‘82 season slowly, troubled by a flat tire in the Swiss round, a lapse of concentration in Spain, and an ignition malfunction in Belgium. Although a bit discouraged, the young American’s confidence began to return when he won the second moto of the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix.
He scored well in the Italian GP, which van der Ven won, but Jobe still led the standings by nearly 50 points.
Despite Jobe’s big lead, he was not invincible. After all, Guerra, the other American in 250cc competition, had beaten Jobe twice and had also won the Spanish GP at Barcelona. In addition Dieffenbach had been the over-all winner in the Czech GP and Van Der Ven had beaten Jobe in Italy.
LaPorte’s first European GP victory came in France, where he won the first moto and placed third in the second to take overall honors. His victory was somewhat hollow, however, because Jobe had not raced. The Belgian had chosen, instead, to allow his injured elbow to recuperate.
But LaPorte had found the confidence he needed with his French victory, and he won again in England and moved into a tie with Jobe for second place in the world 250cc standings. Van der Ven, who had split six of the last seven motos with LaPorte, was leading by two slim points.
But until the Dutch round on July 4, European fans remained skeptical. Jobe had been riding hurt in England, they said, and LaPorte was just lucky. Van der Ven would blow LaPorte away in the sands of Holland and Jobe would beat them both when his elbow healed.
Three weeks elapsed between the British GP and the Dutch round, enough time for Jobe to recuperate. He declared himself ready for the stretch run.
Van der Ven, racing at home, is good on sand and a healthy Jobe is good on any track. And Henk van Mierlo, another Dutch sand specialist, had been given a factory Suzuki ride for the Dutch round. LaPorte would have to ride a great race to stay with the GP veterans.
And that he did.
He beat Jobe in the first moto by two seconds, then vanquished the Belgian again in the second moto by and even greater margin – seven seconds.
Heikki Mikkola of Finland, the Yamaha team manager, was ecstatic about LaPorte’s performance. Mikkola, himself a four-time world motocross champion, said, “Today I saw a motocrosser. Danny rode a perfect race … not one mistake. I’ve never seen a better race.”
LaPorte had beaten Jobe twice, and had come from behind each time. He had won his third consecutive GP, taken the lead in the world championship standings, and won the respect of motocross experts and fans alike. He would not have to beg for starting money again.
“It was a great Fourth of July,” said a smiling Danny LaPorte.

Danny LaPorte was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in 2000.  His profile is a great read. See it at:
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=211

l8r

I gave up on being a famous photojournalist after returning from Europe in the early 80s. Races were just too far apart and time off from the day job became unmanageable. It wasn’t until I bought a dirt bike for my grandson that my love for racing resurfaced.

My grandson and I began to share the MX magazines and talk about Papa’s days as a photojournalist. I replaced the old film cameras with digital and started to photograph my grandson and his riding buddies. Soon the desire was at fever pitch. I’m retired. Time is the least of my problems. “Why not,” I thought. I emailed some of the old contacts and soon was back in business. I wasn’t interested in a full-time job but did feel a great rush when I got an assignment to cover an AHRMA (vintage motocross) National in Jefferson, Texas. Just as with my first article, Brad Lackey was my subject.  Lackey is second from left in the photo to the right.  The article was about this replica of the bike he rode to the World Championship in 1982.

If you are interested in a place to start, I would recommend Cycle News. They publish a lot of local events in their Regional Events Section. I contacted Paul Carruthers and David Holther for their approval before posting this article. If you are willing to work for practically nothing, contact David Holther, Regional Events Editor at Cycle News, and request a copy of their Contributor Guide. David’s email address is:
david@cyclenews.com

This is not an automatic. You have to have some writing skills and snapshots of your friend on a bike won’t make the grade. If you want to be accepted at a professional level, you must play the part. I had references and an “old” resume to offer. You may need to cover a few races on your own, submitting an article, results and a picture for consideration. Having an article published does not mean instant acceptance but you can start thinking about and planning for your move toward the front pages; maybe a two-page feature. 

The most difficult part (for me) was formatting the results in accordance with the contributor guide. You will need cooperation of the race organizer or track owner. Before the race starts, you will need a printed list of all the entrants and their race numbers. It would also help if any sponsors were included on the list. After the race, you will need a printout of the results. Cycle News may accept the results from the race without an article but will not accept your article and photo without the results.

You will seldom see more than one of your photographs published with a Regional Events article. Your article should be short and specific, normally no more than 500 words. That is not enough space to cover every race of an amateur event. You will have to be selective. As for pictures, a good rule of thumb is: One rider is riding, two riders is racing, three or more is a race. I believe the guidelines will recommend including more than one rider in your photographs. The photo to the left is the start of an amateur event at a local Texas track. Notice that it is just as exciting as start of the professional race at the top of this article.

Putting these articles together is hard work. It is a slow and tedious process and you will ALWAYS find a discouraging problem. You are also working to a deadline. David Holther will advise you that the earlier he receives an article the more likely it will be published. As with anything else, completing the process a few times and getting some experience (and confidence) makes it seem simpler. And, you are building a resume.

As you put your article together, you may think of offering it to your local newspaper. I seldom see motocross or motorcycle racing in the local papers. But, that is probably because they do not have the staff to cover the event. Give them a call. What do you have to lose? Your track owners and race organizers would certainly appreciate the publicity. It could make you a very welcome sight at their tracks and events.

I hope you find some inspiration and helpful information in this article. I will publish more as I think of it but need to get back to my first love in future articles … The Legends of Motorcycling.

l8r

This week finds me pushing away from the “how to” stuff and just remembering how fortunate I have been.  My camera allowed me to be a part of one of the most exciting sports in the world – motocross.  It brought me close to super heroes and some of the zaniest characters ever.  One of my super heroes, David Bailey, was born December 31, 1961, in San Diego California.  In honor of his birthday, I’m dedicating this post to “The Icon.”

I first met David Bailey in Gaildorf, West Germany in September 1982.  He was rushed to Germany to replace Donnie Hansen on the US Motocross and Trophee des Nations Team.  Hansen was injured while practicing for these events.  The accident was essentially the end of his career and the beginning of David Bailey’s ascension to Super Hero status.  Ultimately, both riders were inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

One of my first images of The Icon was less than flattering. It was right after the first moto of the Trophee des Nations and he was puking his guts out.  In the rush to replace Donnie Hansen, David was not allowed a lot of transition time.  He was exhausted from the unplanned trip, adapting to a new time zone and sleep (or lack of) schedule, and had just raced his heart out for Team USA.  Against the best motocross racers the world had to offer this hardly heard of American had just hung on for an eighth place finish, enough to place his team first going into the final race.  Certainly no shame in that well-earned puke.  :-) 

1982 was the year after the Americans won their first ever Motocross des Nations title and the same year that one of the zaniest, most revered motocrossers of all time won all four motos of the Motocross and Trophee des Nations, a never-before-accomplished feat.  And, it was to never again be accomplished.  But this is not about Magoo (Danny Chandler.)  It’s the Icon’s birthday.  :-)

After a brief recovery, Bailey went on to an even better finish in the second moto.  He was sixth.  The Americans clobbered the world, placing all four team members in the top ten of each moto and winning the Trophee des Nations Championship by 21 points.

The following week, the team was in Wohlen, Switzerland for the Motocross des Nations.  Europeans looked at the 250cc bikes (Trophee des Nations) as a training ground for the “real” championship – the 500cc Open Class.  Though the American team had also won the Motocross des Nations in 1981, it was still regarded as a fluke by the rest of the world.  Magoo won both “big bike” motos and David Bailey was even better than on the 250; he finished fourth in the first moto behind Danny Chandler, Andre Vromans and David Thorpe.  He beat everyone but Magoo in the second moto and the fluke continued. 

That team of David Bailey, Johnny O’Mara, Danny Chandler and Jim Gibson is on my list of Super Heroes.  Man, those guys could ride.

I later wrote an article about Jim Gibson and his move to Yamaha.  See the previous blog post for that article.  David Bailey won both 250cc Motocross and Supercross championships in 1983, as well as again beating the world’s best by winning  the 250 USGP in Unadilla.  He and Brian Myerscough had one of the hardest fought most exciting motocross races I have ever seen, with Bailey taking the championship by beating such notables as Georges Jobe, Danny LaPorte, and Heinz Kinigadner –  all of whom are former 250cc World Champions.

Danny Chandler made a mockery of the 500cc Support Class at that event, winning so easily that he finished riding backwards on his Honda.

Unfortunately, I never got to watch Johnny O’Mara race again, although he went on to assemble one of the most impressive motocross resumes in the history of the sport.  Man, those guys could ride.

Though an unfortunate crash in 1987 ended his racing career, David Bailey still is one of the most authoritative voices in our sport.  It was his open letter to the industry that finally convinced me to spend over $400 on a piece of safety equipment for my grandson.  It is fun to think of those David Bailey days when I watch my grandson ride.  I even have a few pictures of him that look a little like the Icon.

 To the Icon, I say, “Thanks for the memories and Happy Birthday.” 

l8r