You might not know who Stephen Davison is, but if you read Road Racer X, then his work has probably made an impression on you. Stephen is the guy behind most of the “pure” road racing photos we run in the magazine (aficionados of racing on real street circuits like the Isle of Man’s TT use the adjective “pure” to differentiate their preferred genre from road racing on dedicated circuits). Davison’s third book, Ragged Edge, was recently released, and it’s amazing—arguably even better than his other fine tomes, Joey Dunlop: King of the Roads, and Beautiful Danger. We recently checked in with the Irishman.
By CJ

RRX: Congratulations on your new book, Ragged Edge. I think this one is your best yet.
Thanks for saying so, Chris.

When you started on it, how did you want to set it apart from your previous two books?
I did set out to make Ragged Edge different from the others. The Joey Dunlop book was a celebration of one man's life in the sport for 30 years and Beautiful Danger was a celebration of the sport over 30 years or so, but with the new book I wanted to look much more at what is involved in being a pure road racer, get under the skin of the men and women in the sport and look at what it costs the people involved. I also wanted to write a lot more about what I have seen and felt about the sport; there were things that had to be said.

What is your favorite photo in the book?
Always the toughest question! They’re all like old friends and so much of my life is wrapped up in taking them, but I suppose if you push me I’d have to say there are two that are slightly more special than the others. One is the cover image of Steve Plater hitting the wall with his shoulder in Macau in 2003 [Ed note: This photo was also used in “Speed of Life” in the September/October 2004 issue of Road Racer X], and the picture of Nigel Davies and the little bird on page 85. Moments like those are like catching lightening strikes. They’re all about luck, and every time I look at them, I can’t believe my luck.

You’re known as the best pure road racing photographer in the world. Have you ever tried shooting circuit road racing?
I don’t know about the former, but I do shoot a lot of circuit stuff but it just doesn’t quite cut it for me. Maybe it’s just that there aren’t any jumps! Or maybe it’s all the sunglassses and hair gel! But the roads are more real, in every way.

What are some of the biggest challenges of shooting pure road racing?
The biggest problem is getting about. The Isle of Man TT course is 37 miles long, and there are only a few access roads. After every race, I have to get back to the podium, so there are some mad rallying sessions around the little back roads! Because most of the road races I cover happen in the U.K., our weather is an issue too. I like the rain, but we rarely have what photographers need most—good light—so it’s always a struggle to get the shutter speeds we need to freeze the huge speed the bikes are traveling at. But to be honest, I enjoy all of that as a challenge anyway, and I love trying to find new places and ways to cover them in all kinds of conditions. As I always tell people—“It’s much better than working for a living!”

Why do you find pure road racing so rewarding to shoot?
It’s the most dangerous sport in the world and yet its participants are the most laid-back, easiest-going people you’ll ever meet. Prima donnas are nonexistent, but the life-and-death nature of the game means that in many ways, normal rules don’t apply. That makes these guys really exciting and interesting to be around—if a little crazy at times too! Like everything else in life, it’s the people that really matter, and if those people are doing 180mph on motorcycles on narrow, bumpy roads with grass growing down the middle of them here and there, you’re photographing something uniquely special.

Which is your favorite pure road race, and why?
The Isle of Man TT course, without a doubt. It’s the ultimate challenge for the racers, and it’s the ultimate challenge for the photographer. Thirty-seven miles through villages, over mountains, and down glens, lined by walls and hedges, telegraph poles, and lampposts, with jumps at every turn, often bang on the apex of a 100mph-plus bend—what more could I ask for? Getting around is difficult, and you can get it wrong. I’ve gone up on to the mountain into a “lock-in” (where my car is parked on the inside of the closed course, allowing no way out for maybe five hours), arriving in bright sunshine and full of hope, only for the clouds to blow in just as practice begins, the light fades, and the whole evening is wasted, with nothing but wet sheep for company! But when the sun stays out and drops low in the sky, lighting up the racers’ eyes behind their visors as they scream through the 32nd Milestone or hammer around Keppel Gate, there’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be.

There were a couple of photos in the book that made my stomach turn. What are your thoughts on the dangerous aspect of pure road racing?
The dangers are part of the fabric of road racing. They’re not ignored or avoided by the racers; that would be to miss the whole point. They want to pit themselves against the risk, step right up to the mark, and beat it. When it goes wrong, when they don’t win that challenge, it’s truly awful, often resulting in horrendous injury or death. But if you look at a guy like Dean Cooper, whose progress I followed from a terrible crash in which he lost his lower left leg until his comeback to racing and victory, you see that he’s undaunted; the challenge is still there. Road racers are very special people. They’re selfish and at times driven to almost reckless self regard, but they’re also incredibly brave and skilful, determined to prove themselves to themselves, above all else.

Has the Isle of Man TT become too dangerous?
The lap record for the TT is an almost 130mph average, and in some places, like the Sulby Straight, the bikes are hitting 200mph, so if something goes wrong, the outcome will often be very grim. But the bikes handle so much better nowadays, the course has been smoothed out a lot, and the racers are skilled and fit, in control of what they’re doing. Although the course is constantly being made safer, it can never be made safe, and the danger is part of the challenge for the road racers. They know the pitfalls, they’re sane and competent men and women, and they come back in larger numbers year after year to pit their skills against the famous Mountain course. Who am I, a mere observer, to argue with their desire and determination?

What your thoughts on the Cape Breton Festival of Speed?
The only thing I know about this new event in Canada is what top TT star Ian Lougher told me about the course after he visited it last year. He said it was like the Isle of Man without the pubs around the track! But I’ll be on the plane out there this September for sure, and I’m sure there’ll be beer to found somewhere!

What do you see as the future for pure road racing?
In Ireland, the sport’s historic birthplace, it’s booming, with a new event appearing on the calendar every year. The biggest danger is presented by the insurance companies, with rising costs against public liability threatening to cripple the small amateur clubs that run most of the events. But I think that whilst there are still men and women who want to race on closed public roads, it’ll continue. And more power to them.

Thanks very much, Stephen, and great job on the book.
Thank you.

Ragged Edge is available for $37.95 from Dufour Editions at 800-869-5677 or orders@dufoureditions.com.