Indianapolis AMA Supercross: A Photographer’s Perspective

I arrived in Indianapolis for round 9 of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross series on Friday, February 28, after a long commute from my small hometown in western New York state. Outside Lucas Oil Stadium, the scene was unfolding much the way I had anticipated: The teams were getting their rigs and paddock areas situated, and the Dirt Wurx crew was building and prepping the soil into an actual race course. I saw only a few other souls as I paced the catacombs of the stadium while searching for camera angles and exploring this awesome structure.

The next morning was much different. Sunrise was coming to full strength as I rolled down South Capital Avenue. I began to see throngs of people dressed in motorcycle-inspired clothing huddling in ticket lines and filling the pro pits, all with big beaming smiles on their faces. I was quickly immersed in the joy and excitement unfolding around me. Thanks to relatively mild temperatures, the fans didn’t seem to mind waiting in long lines for autographs or to join in the pit games put on by Toyota Trucks, The National Guard, and others.

Once I was inside the building, the warmth of the lights and heating system reacting with the churning of the soil heightened my senses. I could smell the freshly prepped dirt as the air circulated throughout the immense 62,000-plus-seat facility. The bustling of the growing crowd, mixed with the occasional roar of a four-stroke engine, had my senses on fire as I made my way to the Event Level while the riders walked their machines to the starting area.

The intense aroma of race fuel on a Saturday evening meant one thing: It was time to get it on! The 250cc class was first to test the soft, tacky course conditions, which were apparently unlike anything the riders had encountered thus far this season. Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Martin Davalos, coming off a career-first win at the previous round in Atlanta, was the guy to beat, and he had the lead in the main event. Unfortunately, he crashed and left the door open for his teammate, Adam Cianciarulo, who, despite falling himself, cruised to his second win of the season.

You know something exciting is happening when you can feel the rafters shaking from the roar of the crowd. That's what the stadium felt like when Red Bull KTM's Ryan Dungey turned a dominating performance into his 14th career AMA Supercross win. The smile on Dungey's face solidified to me the rush of emotions and overwhelming joy that racing and, in particular, winning on this level, brings to a rider and his crew.