Cat 2s at Kenda Cup West, Bonelli Park: Predator and Prey

For two consecutive days this past weekend this same roadrunner came around my photo spot. The first time he blundered upon it, taking hasty flight (or as much as a roadrunner can take flight) upon realizing I wasn't a tree suddenly grown in the middle of his trail. The second day he approached more warily, stepping forward and retreating time and again until, finally, deciding with a run and a glide, to bolt past me for the shelter of its nest. I was afraid the race would come swooping down the hill, scaring him before I could get a good shot. Panning passing racers is one thing, doing the same with a roadrunner in full stride is something else, though I did manage a few less-than-clear shots. Both days the roadrunner held a lizard in its beak, hopefully not the same lizard. Hunter and prey.

When the race did come scorching down from Fatt Hill not five minutes later I recognized a certain similarity between it, the racers, and the roadrunner and lizard. Hunter and prey. There may have been more emphasis on the imagery because even though they were only two-thirds through the first lap, the race was already mostly shredded - no continuous stream of riders, just one here, and a few seconds later another, maybe a pair, or trio. There is one thing all racing has in common, whether it be on the road, dirt, or track - you are either chasing, or being chased. Like the roadrunner and the lizard, all be it without the fatal ending. Once you lose that wheel you have been chasing it is very hard to get it back, and so the Cat 2s, as I am sure the rest of the days races did as well, continued to split apart, some gaps growing while others, perhaps receded. The eternal cat and mouse between predator and prey. Regrettably I was called away after the one race on Sunday, so the album only contains photos from the Cat 2 races - but you can check it by clicking here.

i almost always take a photo or two at the results posting, but they always end up less than satisfying; just not quite what I am looking for. i think i finally got it with this one - everyone leaning in, looking intently at what it listed on those 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper