Miller Motorsports Park was the scene of my first proper experience of shooting a race. The 2008 event hosted both World Superbike and AMA Superbike. In an effort to make comparing lap times impossible between the two series, the AMA series ran the 4.5 mile Full Course while World Superbike raced on the 3.06 mile Perimeter Course. At this point the goal of becoming a motorsports photographer had not yet solidified in my mind and a significant part of my reason for attending the event was that it would be my first and last opportunity to see Troy Bayliss in action as a full time World Superbike racer. Unfortunately for Bayliss he failed to score in either race that weekend, and unfortunately for me I didn't get a single decent shot of him that I was remotely satisfied with. What I did get to witness was Carlos Checa's first wins in a decade as well as another double in AMA Superbike by a then relatively unknown rider named Ben Spies (at an international level at least), giving the World Superbike grid a warning shot for what was to come in 2009...

Equipment used:

• Nikon D200
• Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S VR
• Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED-IF

Related blog posts:

• 2008 Recap: Miller Motorsports Park

Track info:

• Miller Motorsports Park
• Full Course Map
• Outer Course Map