Beach racing 23 Feb 20
Beach Racing
Mablethorpe
Images by RP Watkinson Photography.
23 February 2020
This was our second visit to this season's Mablethorpe Beach Racing and as always it delivered what every spectator photographer wants, exciting racing, action and therefore great images.
The club was first formed in 1970 so it's now in its fiftieth year running 11 different classes on the deserted winter beaches in front of Lincolnshire's Mablethorpe prom.
The season runs from October to March, with twelve rounds for the riders to compete in to determine the class and overall champions. There are two rounds left, the penultimate on the 8th and the final round on the 22nd March 2020. If you have not been before I would recommend you join the upwards of 3000 people that can turn up before the racing finishes for another season.
The beach racing is a local photographer's favourite with good reason, the location is great with good views from the prom and access to the paddock and it is a free event to attend.
However, it's winter on the East Coast of England so wrap up well and our top tip is check out the Beach Racing Facebook pages as the extreme weather we have been getting can mean the racing may be delayed or even cancelled.
It will have to be pretty bad for the organisers to call off a meeting as they are a hardy bunch, with only one event cancelled so far this year. That’s a good record considering the amount of storms that have been battering the UK over the last few months.
The start times for the racing are flexible due to the tides which change throughout the year and the weather which can have an influence on how fast the water retreats from the beach.
The riders will sign on around 8 o'clock in the morning, with racing starting about an hour and a half later. Arriving around 9am will give you plenty of time to check out the simple oval course, grab a cup of tea from the many cafés that will be open, and pick a spot to start snapping.
Looking from the prom, the start gate is to your left which is a simple bungie cord setup. Once released the riders will race away to the first left hand corner, that is if they don’t take the cord with them. At the second corner the riders will be heading towards you for those all important head on action shots.
The riders are a mixed bunch, from the juniors just starting out on their motorsports journey, through regular circuit riders like Tom Neave and Kier Armstrong.
PistonClick have been following (stalking) Kier for a while now as he has always impressed us when we have seen him out on track. He was not riding at Mabo when we visited but it was great to hear he will be riding the Haybuck Motorcycles KTM in the HEL Performance British Junior Supersport Championship.
This race series will feature at eight of the Bennetts British Super Bike rounds this year which PistonClick will be covering.
It wasn’t just the youngsters who were out on the sand, the Gentleman Riders including the chairman of the club number 24 Neil Tuxworth were well represented.
The ex-head of Honda UK and Isle of Man Manx Grand Prix winner, he has raced just about everything with two wheels. Neil is a regular rider at Mablethorpe and is in second place behind Tom Busfield in the 250cc road bike class.
Neil won the last two meetings in this class so it's all to play for between Tuxworth and Busfield as they head towards the final rounds.
The most stylish rider for us was ex-speedway rider Steve Lomas who was putting out impressive sandy rooster tails all day. He was quick, demonstrating his steel boot skills from his days as a top speedway rider.
Starting his career with the Weymouth Wildcats back in 1974, he went on to ride with some of the best teams of the time. Retiring from speedway 1986 he now runs a motorcycle wheel rebuilding service, Five-one Wheels based in Louth.
The rider of the day award for us had to go to Jack Bell the 2019 Youth Senior Flat Track Champion. Five starts resulting in Five wins in both the 250cc and 450cc class. He also looks to have the adult 250 championship in the bag, this young man is one to watch.
This will probably be our last visit to Mablethorpe for this seasons' racing but we will be back for the 2020/21 championships. If any of the riders would like us to cover their season, get in touch we might even be able to offer some help.
At this time the Pistonclick sponsorship kitty is looking good with last years' sticker, a curly wurly and a half eaten Freddo on offer for the right rider.
Photographic Post Script
To get great pictures from this event you will need a super zoom lens. Nikon 200-500mm or the Sigma equivalents are recommended as you are some distance from the action. In the paddock area you can drop down to a short tele-photo for shots of the riders as they prepare for the off.
As it can be quite dark this time of year you will need to have a high ISO but going too high can result in grainy images. My usual setting is auto ISO. You should limit the ISO to a level you are happy with and this can be set in the internal menu settings on your camera. However, keep an eye on your exposure meter as you are shooting towards the sea and there is a lot of sky that can fool the readings.
The racing will run even in inclement weather so if you want to protect your kit a weather proof cover for your lens and camera is a must unless you have full pro gear. These can be sourced quite cheaply from online auction shops but a cut down leg from an old pair of waterproof trousers or even a plastic bag will do the job.
To get the best results you need to be in the middle of the action, however this area is reserved for the resident photographers. John Sealey is the Pistonclick resident expert photographer on all things oval racing be it dirt or sand, and you can see more of his work at the link below.
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