Sushi ~ The Race of Gentlemen, 2017. Photograph by Sean Madden
Armed with a leaky old 35mm camera, and an iron clad determination to capture as many of the “Faces behind the Races” of TROG 2017— Sean Madden surely delivered the goods! Sean was snapping at a furious pace and wasn’t able to get everyone’s name – so help us out by sharing this post and/or leaving a comment if you see someone you know!
Sumner Dilworth has made quite a name for himself shooting incredible portraits, and some of the hottest up-and-coming models, brands & bands. We first met at our Greaser Getdown event with Triumph & Disaster in our New Hope, PA shop. Sumner has a commanding stature and presence that exude a gentle, self-assured confidence. His smooth voice and chill delivery immediately put you at ease. He went about setting up a very simple rig in our doorway consisting of a backdrop and a couple lights, and proceeded to take some of the most stunning portraits that any of us had ever seen.
Sumner fixed his attention on the numerous photos on the walls at The Selvedge Yard shop of The Race of Gentlemen shot by our friend and esteemed photographer Scott G Toepfer, and his interest immediately grew. From that Sumner was determined to bring his unique eye to TROG West (Pismo Beach, CA) and TROG EAST 2017 (Wildwood, NJ) that just occurred June 10th & 11th. Sumner has allowed TSY to share some of these latest photographs with you, and I am confident you’ll love them as much as we do.
I cannot imagine life without The Race of Gentlemen! Honestly, how did we ever live before it? TROG has become such an iconic event that brings so many amazing people together each year to celebrate their love of vintage motorcycles, hot rods, racing, Kustom Kulture, and so much more. Old shit is the best shit! The past is where it’s at! Sean Madden once again captured these rad shots of TROG for TSY that capture the vibe of the event and the people who come out every year to make it The Greatest Race on Earth!
Mel Stultz, founder of The Race of Gentlemen, TROG EAST 2017, ALL Photos c Sean Madden
The Race of Gentlemen, TROG EAST 2017, Wildwood NJ, ALL Photos c Sean Madden
The Race of Gentlemen, TROG EAST 2017, Sushi on Mel’s bike, ALL Photos c Sean Madden
The Greatest Race on Earth! The Race of Gentlemen 2017, ALL Photos c Sean Madden
Bummed that TSY could not make it to TROG West out at Pismo Beach, CA. Stoked though that our photographer friend Pierre Robichaud shot these amazing images for us to share with y’all. I can’t imagine The Race of Gentlemen without the colorful (in more ways than one…) backdrop of Wildwood, NJ… but damn if Pierre’s photography and words don’t make me even more sorry that we weren’t there.
“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.
Sara Francello — To say she’s the TROG flag-girl is like saying Michael Jordan was a Chicago Bulls’ guard. I don’t know where the hell Sara gets the energy to jump and do what she does out there time and time again with such oomph and enthusiasm. When the racers line-up there’s no question who is in charge, and who has everyone’s attention. You may not remember all the hot rods and bikes at TROG– but you will remember Sara and how she gave it all out there on the sand for 2 days straight. Photo © Sean Madden
We are stoked and honored that the fine folks at Free People profiled The Selvedge Yard shop in New Hope, PA a few weeks ago. It was a blast working with the creative crew as they highlighted their FP Vintage Loves. Ali, their vintage buyer, has a great eye- and Carrie Yotter is such a gracious soul and wonderful Free People ambassador. Thank you to David & Ginger at America Designs for being our friends and vintage & interior collaborators. Thank you Michael Persico for the amazing photography, and the entire Free People team for making it an awesome day. Click thru to check out his shots…
The Race of Gentlemen 2015 shined bright in terms of excitement and attendance– even in the shadow of a hurricane threat, and sharing the same weekend with the widely attended Barber Vintage Days motorcycle show. Mel Stultz, Bobby Green, and the team were admittedly short-handed due to the last minute need to push back a week into the off-season, but everything seemingly came-off without a hitch due to the passion, positivity, and perseverance of all involved in putting on what many call The Greatest Race on Earth. Thank you!
Allan Glanfield (one half of The GodSpeed Company and founder of Blackburn and Foster & City Dog Living) generously captured the weekend for The Selvedge Yard — The sea of jaw-dropping hot rods and bikes, and the colorful cast of characters that convened in Wildwood, NJ for the races and to get shit-faced. In that order. Both with gusto. With all the photographers on-hand, the challenge was to balance the must-have shots right in front of your face with pulling away from the pack to find the gems that occur off to the side, caught with a candid eye. Allan more than succeeded, and we are excited to share his captures of TROG weekend.
All photography in this post: the work and property of Allan Glanfield @blackburnandfoster
Photographer Bastian Glaessner shot these incredibly cool pics of vintage hot rod racing at the legendary Pendine Sands. His eye and unique style has created a strong signature that feels rich and nostalgic. The images are so stunning, I could stare at these all day…
“I was super chuffed when Neil Fretwell of the VHRA recently invited me up to the rugged Welsh headland that holds the infamous ‘Pendine Sands’ for a weekend of vintage racing. Since the early 1920s cars have pelted down this 7-mile stretch of fine golden grains to chase automotive speed records. On this early July weekend a mad crowd of hot rod racers from all over Europe had assembled their beasts at this historic spot. By the time I got there Friday after dark, the field around the Museum of Speed was brimming with glorious pre-1949 rods, glistening in the moonlight, begging to be let loose on the endless stretch of tidal sands below.” ~Bastian Glaessner
“Come Saturday morning and first the Welsh weather gods got their own. Heavy winds and some blistering downpours overnight meant racers had to be patient a little while longer whilst the team of helping hands were busy getting the course up and running. Once the fences were up, the 110 yard timing section established and the mile long track cleared of stranded giant jellyfish, the show got underway. As if on cue the sun popped out from behind the clouds, crowds gathered on the beach and with a mighty “ROOOAR…” our cars rolled out onto the sands to line up in the pits. What an exciting display of vintage sheet metal that was!” ~Bastian Glaessner
The Selvedge Yard 