“With caffeine levels topped up for the five hour journey to south wales, I was finally going to experience the buzz that surrounds the VHRA Pendine Sands Hot Rod Races.Stepping back in time doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s one of those events that people can’t stop talking about, and they assure others that haven’t been that they need to make the pilgrimage. Everyone congregates on the hill waiting for the tide to go out before the racing can begin– and when it did the two hundred strong fleet of rods seemed endless making their way to the pits on the historic beach.

With the sun bursting through the few clouds in the sky, it was as if our brothers across the pond at the east coast The Race Of Gentleman in Wildwood NJ, had sent some sunshine to the U.K. as rods and customs were kicking up sand on both sides of the Atlantic.

Getting through rolls of film was easy given the subject matter– endless stretches of beach, flag girls and car club jackets as far as the eye could see lent themselves to dreamy soft focus images. Like most first timers, my only regret is that I hadn’t made the trip there before. If you miss it you really do miss out on one of the finest Hot Rod events in the U.K.” ~ Jungle Pat

Photography by Jungle Pat