Classic Motorcycles v Classic Camera: BMCRC Meeting at Cadwell Park

For the British Motorcycle Racing Club (BMCRC) meeting at Cadwell Park, I decided to give my 17-year-old camera a run-out. It might not have the technology or headline specifications of the latest cameras, but the bombproof Nikon D3X can still take a very nice photograph.

Having not used this rather chunky piece of kit for some time, I needed an excuse to get it out of the camera bag. Classic motorcycles versus classic camera seemed as good an excuse as any.

Launched on 1 December 2008, the Nikon D3X arrived as a 24.5-megapixel flagship DSLR with a premium £5,499.99 ($7,999.95) price tag. Nikon aimed it primarily at professional studio, fashion and landscape photographers. Now more than 17 years old, this bombproof workhorse has become something of a relic from Nikon’s gold-standard engineering era.

Despite its age, the D3X still has plenty going for it. Its low-ISO dynamic range and distinctive, almost film-like image quality continue to make it a capable camera. Used examples still attract interest from photographers who appreciate its build quality and image output.

Why Take a 17-Year-Old Camera to the Racetrack?

The D3X certainly isn’t the obvious choice for a modern motorsport photographer. The main reason is its frame rate.

In full-frame FX mode, the D3X shoots at a maximum of 5 frames per second, rising to 7fps when using its DX crop mode. Compare that with today’s professional mirrorless cameras, which can fire at extraordinary frame rates, and the Nikon looks positively prehistoric.

I can understand why sports photographers don’t normally choose a camera with such a modest shooting speed. Modern motorsport photography often involves firing long bursts and selecting the perfect frame afterwards.

But high frame rates don’t influence my choice of camera very much. Even when using a much more modern camera, I generally shoot only two frames. I’m confident enough in my technique to capture the image I want without spraying hundreds of photographs at every passing motorcycle.

I also have a hatred of culling hundreds of nearly identical images in post-processing. It feels like a waste of time. My philosophy is simple: compose the photograph in the camera, take the shot and keep the image you intended to make.

That approach made the D3X an interesting choice for a day of classic and club motorcycle racing at Cadwell Park.

BMCRC Meeting at Cadwell Park

This was the British Motorcycle Racing Club’s second visit to Cadwell Park during the 2026 season. You can always count on Bemsee, as the club is better known, to deliver a quality motorcycle racing event, and this meeting was no exception.

The oldest motorcycle racing club in the UK brought proper grassroots racing to the Lincolnshire Wolds. Packed grids, close battles and a varied programme provided exactly the sort of racing that makes club meetings so enjoyable.

The two-day programme featured Powerbikes, Clubman 1000s, Retro 1000s, numerous 600cc classes and sidecars, alongside several other categories.

One motorcycle you don’t see much of on the public highway these days is the Honda CB500. Perhaps racers have bought up many of the little commuter bikes to turn them into race machines.

Recently introduced as a Bemsee racing class, the CB500 grid already looks to be going from strength to strength. It’s easy to see the attraction. Control tyres and closely matched performance put more emphasis on rider skill rather than simply the size of the budget.

I also noticed different CB500 classes based around rider weight. It makes sense. A 60kg 17-year-old will have a very different power-to-weight ratio from a more mature 100kg rider, so adding weight-based classes helps make this budget-friendly route into motorcycle racing even fairer.

Two-Stroke Memories Return to Cadwell

My personal favourite class was by no means the fastest. Instead, it was the collection of two-stroke motorcycles from the 1980s and 1990s.

The Yamaha LC, TZR and YPVS machines are the bikes of my youth, so it should come as no surprise that these were the motorcycles I particularly wanted to see on track.

After watching Yamaha Past Masters racing, I always find myself looking at second-hand examples online. These bikes now command surprisingly strong money, so clearly I’m not the only rider tempted by the opportunity to relive those teenage years.

Then reality kicks in. I remember rebuilding those fragile machines in my parents’ back garden. The memories of stripped-down engines, oily hands and trying to persuade temperamental two-strokes back into life are enough to make me put the phone away. I like reliable motorcycles these days.

There was still something special about seeing these machines being ridden in anger around Cadwell Park. The sound, the smell and the distinctive way a two-stroke delivers its power brought plenty of memories back.

BMCRC Cadwell Park: A Photographer’s View

At £19 on the gate, the Bemsee meeting at Cadwell Park offered good value for two days of motorcycle racing. The schedule provided a wide and eclectic selection of classes, keeping the racing varied throughout the day.

For an enthusiastic motorsport photographer, the continuous stream of motorcycles also provides plenty of opportunities to add something different to a portfolio. The bikes were generally well presented, with plenty of colour and variety across the different classes.

The commentary team also deserves a mention. Their informative and often amusing commentary kept spectators up to date with what was happening on track and between races. It was particularly interesting to hear the number of announcements about lap records falling during the meeting.

Across the UK, PistonClick has noticed a growing number of lap records and personal bests being set at circuits this season. The extended periods of dry weather have certainly helped, allowing circuits to rubber in and provide plenty of grip.

Cadwell Park wasn’t completely immune to the Lincolnshire weather, though. Rain arrived during the morning and, although it wasn’t heavy, it was enough to cause a red flag during the sidecar race. A few very light showers followed during the day, but not enough to convince me to put a jacket on.

Some riders had other priorities. Wet-weather tyres appeared as teams tried to judge whether the track would remain dry or deteriorate further. Choosing the correct tyre remains one of the biggest decisions a race team faces, and there were plenty of riders and mechanics looking towards the sky and trying to decide what the weather had in store.

Classic Motorcycles, Classic Camera and Quality Racing

The BMCRC meeting at Cadwell Park delivered exactly what you want from a grassroots motorcycle racing weekend: competitive racing, a varied programme, colourful machinery and an atmosphere that makes club racing so enjoyable.

For spectators and photographers alike, Bemsee provides an entertaining way to spend a weekend away from the daily grind. There is enough variety to keep the racing interesting, while the paddock atmosphere gives visitors a chance to get much closer to the machinery than they would at many larger events.

As for the classic camera experiment, the Nikon D3X proved that you don’t necessarily need the latest technology to produce good motorsport photographs.

Yes, 5fps looks painfully slow compared with today’s cameras. Yes, the D3X is big, heavy and decidedly old-school. But when you compose carefully and time the shot correctly, it still delivers.

Perhaps that’s the real lesson from pairing a classic camera with classic motorcycles. Good photographs don’t always depend on having the newest equipment. Sometimes you just need to know your camera, understand the sport and press the shutter at the right moment.

The next opportunity to see the British Motorcycle Racing Club comes at Snetterton on 5–6 September, followed by the 2026 season finale at Brands Hatch Indy on 3–4 October.

For anyone looking for quality grassroots motorcycle racing, both meetings should be well worth a visit.