3 Hours and 8 Minutes with Stefano Mesa

Photographing AMA Pro Superbike Racers

for OMRRA Round 5

 

For his birthday this year, AMA Pro Superbike Racer Stefano Mesa flew up from his home in Miami, FL to visit us here in Seattle. Of course, the trip wasn’t to just walk with us through Woodland Park Zoo eating ice cream. Instead, the ultimate motive was to reach acceleration, speed and adrenaline.

Stefano achieved all three by being the second rider to race the Special Projects Group (SPG) customized Ducati 1199 Panigale, the first being World Superbike and AMA Superbike Champion Scott Russell for the Ducati Seattle – Seattle100 back in July (you can check out that original post with the wicked superbike specs HERE http://bit.ly/Ducati_ScottRussell).

The beautiful track at Portland International Raceway set the scene for the Oregon Motorcycle Road Racing Association (OMRRA) Round 5 races for the hot August weekend and of course, #37 got the podium.

The series of portrait images was taken at the every end of the track day before the actual race day. Although I got to relax and hang out in the Ducati Seattle pit tents and watch the team rock out lap after lap, as soon as the track was clear I was given the go-ahead to drive out and grab the series of Stefano with the bike. I had a total of 22 minutes to set up the bike, lights and environmental portrait of the racer. Talk about adrenaline!

 

   

   

   

   

   

 

 

Outtakes: more speed fun

On his birthday proper, we took Stefano to race go karts. He won.

 

 

Photography details