Superbike Concorso Finals 2007 - Laguna Seca II

Ducati Superbike Concorso. Four Regional Rounds, One Online Round, One Final Round. This is it, the stage is set, the heavyweight battle of the twins has begun.

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:37:16 -0700

Ducati
Ducati Superbike Concorso. Four Regional Rounds, One Online Round, One Final Round. This is it, the stage is set, the heavyweight battle of the twins has begun.

Laguna Seca Raceway. Home of the most famous turn in US racing, the "Corkscrew" (View courtesy of Dan Bockmier.)

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:53:21 -0700

Ducati
Laguna Seca Raceway. Home of the most famous turn in US racing, the "Corkscrew" (View courtesy of Dan Bockmier.)

Located in one of the most beautiful places on the planet earth, Monterey, California. 10 contestants made the finals and won trips to compete for the big prizes in Monterey. Just being ther ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:41:41 -0700

Ducati
Located in one of the most beautiful places on the planet earth, Monterey, California. 10 contestants made the finals and won trips to compete for the big prizes in Monterey. Just being ther ...

The Finalists: A virtual roadmap of Ducati Superbike chronology. This is Peter Calle's 1974 750. You could say this is the DNA for Ducati Superbike's to come. Maryland, USA Wild Card Judg ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:01:43 -0700

Ducati
The Finalists: A virtual roadmap of Ducati Superbike chronology. This is Peter Calle's 1974 750. You could say this is the DNA for Ducati Superbike's to come. Maryland, USA Wild Card Judg ...

Robin Lawrence's iconic 1974 Ducati 750SS Connecticut, USA Mid Ohio Winner

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:01:22 -0700

Ducati
Robin Lawrence's iconic 1974 Ducati 750SS Connecticut, USA Mid Ohio Winner

William Swenson's ultra rare 1975 900 Super Sport Vermont, USA Road Atlanta Winner

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:00:58 -0700

Ducati
William Swenson's ultra rare 1975 900 Super Sport Vermont, USA Road Atlanta Winner

Mike Cecchini's customized 1974 Desmo Sport Special Maryland, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:02:02 -0700

Ducati
Mike Cecchini's customized 1974 Desmo Sport Special Maryland, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

Dan Bockmier's stunning 1977 900 Super Sport California, USA On Line Round Winner

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:00:18 -0700

Ducati
Dan Bockmier's stunning 1977 900 Super Sport California, USA On Line Round Winner

Lou Saif's restored and well documented 1983 TT1 New York, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 23:00:39 -0700

Ducati
Lou Saif's restored and well documented 1983 TT1 New York, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

Dwayne Frye's fully modified 1995 916 Nevada, USA On Line Round Winner

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:58:27 -0700

Ducati
Dwayne Frye's fully modified 1995 916 Nevada, USA On Line Round Winner

Rick Henry's Mike Lancaster built 2001 996 Nevada, USA Laguna Seca Winner

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:58:09 -0700

Ducati
Rick Henry's Mike Lancaster built 2001 996 Nevada, USA Laguna Seca Winner

Robert Banich's maxed out 2001 996 Nevada, USA Fontana Winner

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:57:52 -0700

Ducati
Robert Banich's maxed out 2001 996 Nevada, USA Fontana Winner

John T. Bragg's 2007 1098S tribute to Casey Stoner's Motogp Ducati California, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:57:03 -0700

Ducati
John T. Bragg's 2007 1098S tribute to Casey Stoner's Motogp Ducati California, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

Friday's schedule was easy enough, drop the bike off at the track, check into the hotel and stop by the evening meet and greet.

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:40:48 -0700

Ducati
Friday's schedule was easy enough, drop the bike off at the track, check into the hotel and stop by the evening meet and greet.

Ducati Island

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:41:49 -0700

Ducati
Ducati Island

It's not just for Ducs, Heron's like it too. At 7am it's the picture of tranquility. By 8am the racebikes take to the track, the Ducatis begin rolling in to the island and this fellow is jus ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:42:00 -0700

Ducati
It's not just for Ducs, Heron's like it too. At 7am it's the picture of tranquility. By 8am the racebikes take to the track, the Ducatis begin rolling in to the island and this fellow is jus ...

Lou Saif's TT1. The only Pantah in the finals, it bridges the gap between the old and the new. A bare bones factory built racer, it's place in Ducati history is secure. With the introduction ...

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:39:54 -0700

Ducati
Lou Saif's TT1. The only Pantah in the finals, it bridges the gap between the old and the new. A bare bones factory built racer, it's place in Ducati history is secure. With the introduction ...

Ducati's photo

nobody@smugmug.com (Ducati) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:40:55 -0700

Superbike Concorso Finals 2007 - Laguna Seca II

Ducati Superbike Concorso. Four Regional Rounds, One Online Round, One Final Round. This is it, the stage is set, the heavyweight battle of the twins has begun.

Laguna Seca Raceway. Home of the most famous turn in US racing, the "Corkscrew" (View courtesy of Dan Bockmier.)

Located in one of the most beautiful places on the planet earth, Monterey, California. 10 contestants made the finals and won trips to compete for the big prizes in Monterey. Just being ther ...

The Finalists: A virtual roadmap of Ducati Superbike chronology. This is Peter Calle's 1974 750. You could say this is the DNA for Ducati Superbike's to come. Maryland, USA Wild Card Judg ...

Robin Lawrence's iconic 1974 Ducati 750SS Connecticut, USA Mid Ohio Winner

William Swenson's ultra rare 1975 900 Super Sport Vermont, USA Road Atlanta Winner

Mike Cecchini's customized 1974 Desmo Sport Special Maryland, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

Dan Bockmier's stunning 1977 900 Super Sport California, USA On Line Round Winner

Lou Saif's restored and well documented 1983 TT1 New York, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

Dwayne Frye's fully modified 1995 916 Nevada, USA On Line Round Winner

Rick Henry's Mike Lancaster built 2001 996 Nevada, USA Laguna Seca Winner

Robert Banich's maxed out 2001 996 Nevada, USA Fontana Winner

John T. Bragg's 2007 1098S tribute to Casey Stoner's Motogp Ducati California, USA Wild Card Judges Pick

Friday's schedule was easy enough, drop the bike off at the track, check into the hotel and stop by the evening meet and greet.

Ducati Island

It's not just for Ducs, Heron's like it too. At 7am it's the picture of tranquility. By 8am the racebikes take to the track, the Ducatis begin rolling in to the island and this fellow is jus ...

Lou Saif's TT1. The only Pantah in the finals, it bridges the gap between the old and the new. A bare bones factory built racer, it's place in Ducati history is secure. With the introduction ...

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

Robin Lawrence and his 750SS. Robin rode this bike in to the finals and he rode it out when it was over.

With a bit of polishing in between!

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

That's Brian J Nelson taking photos of all the entrants bikes. Here he is setting up the shot of Peter Calles Sport

William Swenson's 1975 Super Sport, after the TT, this was the rarest Ducati in the finals

Rick Henry's 996. After entering the Fontana round and going home empty handed, Rick completely re-worked his Ducati until he felt it had what was needed to win. The next round was Laguna Se ...

Ducati's photo

Dwayne Frye's 1995 916. One of three bikes built by Mike Lancaster, a Las Vegas based tuner, it's attention to detail was spectacular, and with upgrades carefully applied in virtually every ...

Like many of the other contestents, Dwayne made plenty of changes to his bike for the finals including this stripe treatment on the seat

The Guys From Vegas - From left, Rick Henry, Robert Banich,Dwayne Frye and Mike Lancaster

Mike Lancaster's Laguna round Modified winner. It didn't make the finals, possibly because he was too busy giving his customers the kind of service that made them winners. He finished his ow ...

The Modifieds

The "Originals"

Saturday at 12:55 the finalists were scheduled to ride a few laps of the Laguna Seca racetrack. But first Jeff Nash tells them a little bit about what to expect.

While Rich Lambrechts and Brian Slark take advantage of a quiet Concorso tent to do a little judging

After a check of tire pressures the bikes were warmed up

The Laguna AMA finals is nothing like the MotoGP race earlier in the year, drawing a much smaller crowd. Still, a steady stream of admirers made their way through the tent all weekend.

Time to go. That's Alex Dunstan of Ducati North America, my Hypermotard driving chauffeur for the upcoming track ride.

Ducati's photo

Danny Carson, DNA's event manager waits for the "fire them up" instruction from the track

Ducati's photo

We're off. I really wish you could have heard what they sounded like

Ducati's photo

That's Dwayne laughing at me because I'm hanging off a Hypermotard like a monkey taking photos

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

The entry to the corkscrew

And the exit....

What Ducati Island looks like to Casey Stoner

All too soon it was over

That's "New Blue" bringing up the rear.

Big smiles and plenty of discussion, there's lots of impressions to share. Several of these guys had never been on a track before, Laguna's a heck of a place to start!

New Blue. They don't call it that because of it's beautiful titanium but they could. :-)

Robin Lawrence checking out the competition

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

John Bragg's 1098S

At the end of the day we headed back out on the track for a photo shoot in the corkscrew. That's Mike Cecchini waxing poetic about the racetrack. He missed the morning session so this was hi ...

Lining up in the corkscrew

Brian J gets them organized

Shoots this group shot

And a couple of this one as well, and then they headed back in, in a, umm, more or less, direct manner. :-)

Except for Peter Calles, who got some help from the campers on the hill who had a gas can ready. Eventually it all got worked out and we all headed to a group dinner in downtown Monterey.

Sunday am. Decisions must be made.

The "sound off". It's the last chance to get the judges to see it your way.

That's John Bragg. Nobody tried harder then John to be here this weekend. With the newest bike comes the tighest schedule, parts hunting is difficult and almost every thing is "first on the ...

Dwayne Frye's 916 might be best understood with the fairing off. Virtually every part of this bike has been breathed on in some way.

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

Ducati's photo

It's time for the awards.

Lined up in the sun, it's a beautiful sight

Danny Carson shines up the winners 1098

The contestants wish each other luck. I swear, they honestly looked like they meant it!

Each entrant lined up next to his entry.