[Remembering] Nicky Hayden 1981-2017
May 29th, 2017 by Elusive MediaDevastated and in total shock! A few days after arriving home from Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix, i was notified that Nicky Hayden, the 2006 MotoGP World Champion had passed after his cycle accident 5 days prior. As I look up at his first MotoGP victory photo hanging on my wall, it’s hard to absorb that we all won’t be seeing that infectious smile and personality that we all grew to love.
I started to become a Nicky Hayden fan when i started following MotoGP in 2005, which was just a few years after getting my first motorcycle. And of course at the time he was 1 of 2 riders that was American, on the factor Repsol Honda(I road Honda at the time), and we were only a few weeks difference in age. How could I not become a Nicky Hayden fan? Once Indianapolis GP came on the race calendar, it was time to see & hear these motorcycles in person, along with see my favorite rider, Nicky!! Over the years I would attend every IndyGP and a few in Austin. I was lucky enough to have some conversations with him over the years, even with his limited time during a race weekend. He was always happy, motivated, determined to do his best week in and week out and that was one of my many reason I looked up to him.
He will be missed not just because of his racing background, but because of the person he was! His memory will live on between his family, friends, and millions fans! RIP Nicky! #
Here are some of my favorite photos that I’ve taken of Nicky over the years! So many great memories! #RideOnKentuckyKid
Date: May 29th, 2017
By: Erik
Gallery – Click Here
[COVERAGE] Clean Culture: NJ Season Opener
May 28th, 2017 by Elusive MediaCar season in the north east is just warming up and the best way to do that is with proper show and drag! The original date was 2 weeks ago, but was rained out. I was in Spain for the Formula One race, so seeing this rescheduled when returning home was great! This event is as local as it can get for me, nearly 5 miles away, so it was great to come out and support my local drag strip as well. Drag strip was open for three hours, and it was run what you brought. Great for anyone that wanted to battle a buddy, practice, or test a new build you’ve been working on all winter long. We also had a burnout and two step competition; the energy from the crowd around the cars was fantastic! And of course there were cars coming in all day til dusk, so there was something to check out and photograph all day long! As the sun set, Island prepares the track once again for the official drag competition with first place walking with $2500! Props to Clean Culture for starting the season right!!
Date: May 29th, 2017
Location: Island Dragway – Great Meadows, NJ
By: Erik
Gallery – Click Here
[COVERAGE] Formula One Spanish Grand Prix
May 19th, 2017 by Elusive MediaFormula One returns to Europe with an exciting amount of overtakes for first position. If you were seated in turn one, you got some to see some great overtakes and some unfortunate crashes that took out some favorite drivers. Right from the start, Sebastian Vettel who started from pole outpaced Lewis Hamilton to the first corner and takes the lead. Where as Valtteri Bottas touches Kimi Raikkonen going into turn one, which in return sends Raikkonen colliding into Max Verstappen. Kimi and Max are forced to retire. Felipe Massa gets a tire puncture going into the first corner and slides into the gravel; all this going into the first corner of the first lap! After a few laps things start to settle and drivers get into a rhythm. Lap 10, Vettel is 2 seconds head of Hamilton, but the race is far from over. After a pit stop by both drivers, Hamilton was able to switch to the softer compound, where Vettel had already used it earlier in the race. Hamilton is able to cut the gap in half from the pit stop and is now able to fight for the win. With the first attempt to overtake, both drivers make contact and Hamilton is push off course. But with only 20 laps remaining, Hamilton in his Mercedes is able to overtake Vettel. Sadly the German wasn’t able to keep the same pace as Hamilton and was able to secure his 2nd win this season! Ricciardo was able to take 3rd spot after Valtteri Bottas’s failed engine and and the collisions that happened at the start of the race. Its not the way Red Bull Racing wanted to take 3rd, as their recent upgrades showed little to no improvement against the other teams.
1st Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
2nd Sebastian Vettel – Ferrari
3rd Daniel Ricciardo – Red Bull Racing
Date: May 12-14, 2016
Location: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
By: Erik
Gallery – Click Here
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