Mike Veglia

My name is Mike S. Veglia. I live in Santa Cruz, California with my fianc�e Lena and our three children. Besides motor sports and photography I have a passion for sailing and like to spend as much time with my family as I can. I am also an Audi Quattro fan and am active in local Quattro Club USA events. My introduction to motor sports started in knowing that my blood father was a racing driver. I knew little else about him beyond that as I never met or saw him during my childhood. In 1967 my stepfather took me to Laguna Seca to see a Can-Am race and I was an instant motor sports fan. Bruce McLaren was my childhood hero more than any ball player was. I was hooked from then on.

Growing up on the Monterey Peninsula one of my first jobs was helping out at a combination camera store and rental lab called Darkroom Lab and Camera. It was there that I was exposed to some of the great photographers of the Monterey Peninsula and started to learn more about photography. I have had a strong interest in photography from a young age, but primarily did nature work and candid shots of people at first.

Fast forward to the early 80s and I merged these two passions (photography and motor sports) as a young adult. From then on I have worked on refining my skills in motor sports photography to capture memorable moments in motor sports history, just for myself at first. When the quality of my work started to blossom in the mid-1980s, I began to enter some of my work in local shows where I have won many awards. This along with encouragement from everyone I shared my work with helped keep me going through times of wondering if all the money spent on equipment, film, processing, and printing was really worth it. It was I think.

I had always dreamed of marketing my work but lacked the time and tools to do so. Today, the World Wide Web has made this possible. Earlier this year I sold my first mounted enlargement via the web on eBay Auctions and started my web business under the name Motor Sport Visions Photography. My emphasis is on capturing images by a fan for other fans, rather than as a photojournalist who may cover other types of events as well (the only other photography I do now are snapshots of my family). My work is printed on high quality archival paper (Ilfochrome) mounted by skilled framers to treasure for years as fine art. I invite you to take a look at my web site (www.motorsportvisions.com) and hope you enjoy my contributions to The Car Enthusiast!

Site: Motor Sport Visions Photography

Neil Blackbourn

Who is Neil Blackbourn? Well, I am an Aussie who is originally from the biggest city in Oz, Sydney, and now resides in the second smallest, Perth, in WA - 3,500kms away from home! The interest in motorsport came from an early age when my mother and father took me regularly to the now defunct Amaroo Park in Sydney. The interest in photography of cars also started here when I had a small instamatic thing and then later when I borrowed a friend's SLR. I then got my own licence and a few years down the track was introduced to rallying and then co driving and driving, then bought my own car.

One year when Kimberly, then my girlfriend, now my wife, and I used to have a break at the end of the year. Where did we go? The beach? Nah! We used to go to the international Rally of Canberra! in 1993 I decided I may as well do something with my shots as they were getting better and better, so I sent them to a magazine, Australian Rallysport News, and they printed one of my shots first up! I now contribute to them as their West Australian correspondent, and I also submit work to Auto Action, another motorsport publication here in Oz. I also have contributed to Sport the library, the biggest dedicated sports image library in Australia, based in Melbourne, Australia (www.sportlibrary.com.au).

Other projects I am involved with at the moment are this one, The Car Enthusiast, and I am one of three who run www.rally.com.au, the official website for the Australian Rally championship. I am also a part of www.sportsweb.co.nz, who have helped me no end in neighbouring New Zealand, despite living about 5,000kms from Auckland, where their WRC round is run from! I also contribute to their new venture, a digital image library at www.proshotz.com.

This year I have travelled to three WRC rounds, well, two. I got to Rally NZ, Rally Finland (what a buzz!) and Rally Oz is based on our back door step! So I guess you could say my ambition in the next few years is to do this full time, as it now takes up almost every spare hour I have! Fortunately, I love it!

Site: Blacky Photographics

Shane O' Donoghue

My childhood memories may well explain why I am here today, editing one of the best online car magazines in the world! My father is a fully trained and experienced automotive technician. I spent my developing years at his feet, "learning the trade". I developed a keen interest in cars, helped along by his involvement with rally, karting and hot-rods...

I left Ireland at the tender age of 18, having completed my Leaving Certificate exams. University College London accepted my application for a place on their excellent Mechanical Engineering degree. Having worked with Lotus Engineering, Cosworth, Mountune Racing and Jaguar Cars during this period, I signed up to study for a PhD. with the same department.

That is where I am now - nearly finished - I hope... Phil Ahern and I began the magazine in January 1999 due to my interest and the lack of a decent online magazine for enthusiasts like us.

The magazine has gone from strength to strength. We recruit new readers every week. I intend to continue editing the magazine, and also writing of course.

Site: caint.com

Steve Dean

I fell in love with F1 during the last race of the 1990 season, in Adelaide, Australia. I love the art of advanced racing technology. But, I relish racing, close racing.... the top drivers fighting for position on the track.... last lap heroics..... not necessarily a win, rather a gallant fight for the roses. This is what so frustrates me of F1. The cars, not the drivers. The best CAR, as opposed to the best driver. Is this the way it should be? I don't think so. This is what attracts me to CART racing. The race in Fontana, California, last year produced some 60-odd lead changes. THAT is racing. Will my beloved F1 ever have that sort of competition? I doubt it. But nothing on earth gives me a rush like a screaming F1 engine........ well, maybe sex...... but nothing else!!!!

Anyway, I've always wrote in one way or another. When my buddy and I watch a F1 race, we frequently speak the truth before the announcers. We feel we can do as much as the announcers. If only we had the access they did. That's why we started our own web page. We don't pretend to be pros, just passionate about F1, and not afraid to speak the way we feel. Like they say: "The truth is out there". We just have to muck our way through the cesspool, sometimes, to find it. But I'm comfortable with that. The truth doesn't always smell so sweet. But, it is still the truth, all the same.

Racing, for me, is different from other sports, in that, I have no favorites. I simply love watching a driver making it look easy. The most boring races are often the most impressive. A driver in tune with his machine. Both pushing each other. Maybe having no American drivers in F1 makes it easier. I feel my writing is totally neutral. Critical, but fair. Just like the truth.

Site: S & D's F1 page