Long-distance driving, early starts, media-access headaches and some seriously close racing. The final round of the British Supermoto Championship at Cadwell Park was never going to be a straight forward weekend!

There's something special about a British Supermoto Championship race weekend. The noise, the atmosphere, the riders pushing themselves and their bikes to the absolute limit, and those split-second moments that can turn an ordinary lap into something spectacular.

But sometimes, getting to the racing is almost as challenging as capturing it.

For the final round of the 2026 British Supermoto Championship, I headed to the legendary Cadwell Park circuit in Lincolnshire. It was a weekend I'd originally considered giving a miss, thanks to the distance, the cost and the increasingly complicated business of getting permission to photograph the action.

Thankfully, with a bit of help, a lot of determination and a camera bag ready to go, I made it happen.

This is the story of the journey, the challenges behind the camera and a final round that provided a fitting end to the 2026 season.

Every decision has to make sense. I'd already been weighing up whether the trip was worthwhile. Between the distance, the expense and the restrictions surrounding photography at Cadwell Park, there were plenty of reasons to stay at home. But it was the final round of the championship. One last opportunity to photograph the riders, capture the atmosphere and bring the season series to a close. Sometimes you have to ask yourself whether the sensible option is necessarily the most exciting one. On this occasion, the camera won.

Getting media access: apparently, taking photographs requires a small mountain of paperwork, before I could even think about getting trackside, there was another obstacle to overcome: media accreditation.

Now, you'd think that if you've spent nearly over 15 years photographing the British Supermoto Championship, building a portfolio of racing images and producing content around the sport, applying to cover the final round of a season would be reasonably straightforward.

Apparently, it isn't always quite that simple.

The media application process at Cadwell Park involved a rather substantial list of requirements. Evidence of previous work, a covering letter, proof of insurance, copies of photo identification and supporting letters from publishers or editors were all part of the process. The publisher and editor letters were particularly awkward when you're an independent photographer running your own business rather than working for a traditional newspaper or motorsport publication. It's a bit of a catch-22. You need access to produce the work, but you're being asked to provide particular forms of evidence to obtain that access in the first place....and when you're already travelling a considerable distance at your own expense, jumping through additional hoops can make the whole thing feel even more daunting.

I'd already been questioning whether the trip was worth the hassle. The last thing I wanted was to spend money travelling to Lincolnshire only to find myself unable to photograph the event in the way I normally would.

Thankfully, David Dearden stepped in to help. Dave helped me navigate the process and secure the media access I needed to attend the final round. Without that assistance, there's a good chance this weekend wouldn't have happened at all for me. So, credit where it's due: thank you, Dave.

Getting independent photographers and content creators through the door shouldn't always feel like an endurance event in its own right. But on this occasion, getting the pass was a victory before the racing had even started.

A media pass doesn't necessarily mean freedom to shoot, getting accredited was one thing, Making the most of that access was another. One of the biggest challenges at Cadwell Park was the restrictions on where I could photograph from and the limitations on the sort of images I could capture.

That changes how you approach the entire weekend. Instead of moving around the circuit and positioning yourself wherever the action looks best, you have to work within the locations you're allowed to use. You have to rethink your compositions, look for alternative backgrounds and try to find something different from the angles everyone else might be shooting. It's a challenge, certainly, but it's also a reminder that motorsport photography isn't just about having an expensive camera and a long lens....It's about adapting.

You can have all the equipment in the world, but if you can't get the angle you need, you have to find another way to tell the story. And when you're travelling all that distance for a single weekend, you want to come away with images you're genuinely proud of. The restrictions didn't mean there was no action to capture. Far from it.

Cadwell Park is packed with character, and the riders provided plenty to photograph. The challenge was making the most of the opportunities available rather than relying on the style of shooting I'd become accustomed to throughout the season. It's also why I approached the photography differently for this round, making the images available on a donation basis rather than using my usual pricing structure. When access and shooting opportunities are more limited, I wanted to give people a way to support the work while recognising that this was a different sort of weekend for Shootin' It Photography.

Independent motorsport photography involves far more than the few seconds it takes to press the shutter. There's travel, equipment, time, editing and the work that goes into delivering the finished images. It's a labour of love, but the bills still need paying!

Once you're at Cadwell Park, it's easy to understand why the venue has such a reputation. This is a circuit with character. The elevation changes, the flowing sections and the famous features make it visually distinctive, and it's a brilliant place to watch racing when the bikes are being pushed hard.

For this round of the British Supermoto Championship, the action was strictly tarmac. No dirt sections. No loose-surface antics. Just riders, tarmac and the relentless pursuit of the perfect lap. And when you put a competitive grid of Supermoto riders on a circuit like Cadwell Park, you get racing that demands a combination of precision, bravery and confidence.

The bikes are fast, the braking zones are important and the corners provide endless opportunities for riders to put pressure on one another. A rider might spend half a lap trying to find a way past a competitor, positioning themselves for an opportunity that lasts only a fraction of a second. One slightly better exit can put them alongside another bike. A late braking move can change the order, while a small mistake can leave a rider vulnerable to the next attack. There is very little room for complacency. And that's what makes watching the championship so entertaining. You're not simply watching riders complete laps; you're watching a series of battles unfold simultaneously.

While your attention is fixed on two riders fighting for position, another battle might be developing just behind them. A rider who looked comfortable in a position a moment ago can suddenly find themselves defending from two competitors. The gaps can be tiny, the decisions have to be immediate, and nobody can afford to switch off.

For a photographer, it's a constant game of anticipation. You have to recognise where a battle is developing, predict where the riders will be and be ready to capture the moment when everything comes together. The best photographs often happen when you least expect them.

From a photography perspective, it's an absolute gift. The challenge is timing. You need to anticipate the point at which the bike will lift, follow the rider through the approach and press the shutter at precisely the right moment. Too early, and you've captured the approach. Too late, and you've photographed a bike that's already disappeared over the crest.

Get it right, though, and you've got a photograph that instantly communicates the spectacle of the event. A huge wheelie, the bike silhouetted against the circuit, the rider controlling the machine as the front wheel points skywards — these are the sorts of images that make people stop scrolling. And then there are the riders who get a little more airtime than expected, lifting the entire machine off the tarmac. It's one of those moments that looks spectacular in a photograph, but even better when you're standing there watching it happen.

The Mountain gives Cadwell Park something distinctive. Combined with the close tarmac racing elsewhere around the circuit, it provides a mixture of technical competition and visual drama that makes this round stand out. You could spend the weekend trying to capture wheelies over the Mountain alone and still find yourself wishing you'd been ready for one more.

There's a constant battle between attack and defence. The rider in front has to protect their position without sacrificing too much speed. The rider behind has to find a way past without throwing away their own race. Both are working at speed, making decisions in fractions of a second.

A tiny gap can become an overtaking opportunity. A slightly compromised line can give the following rider the advantage. Even when a pass is completed, there's no guarantee the position will be held for long. That's what makes close racing so exciting: the story doesn't end when one rider gets ahead. The response can come almost immediately, and from a photographer's point of view, that creates a challenge of its own.

Capturing one bike at speed is relatively straightforward compared with telling the story of a battle between two or three riders. You want to show the proximity, the tension and the commitment. You want the viewer to understand that these riders aren't simply sharing the track; they're fighting for every available advantage.

A photograph of a bike on its own can show speed. A photograph of two riders battling side by side can tell a story.

That's the difference I'm always looking for.

You can't control the racing, the weather, the light or the access arrangements. You can only control how prepared you are and how well you adapt. That's why I enjoy the Behind the Lens series. It gives me an opportunity to show more than the finished photographs. It lets people see the work, the decisions and the challenges that go into covering a race weekend independently.

The photographs might appear on social media in a matter of minutes, but there's a whole process behind it. And sometimes that process includes a very early alarm, a long drive from Liverpool, a mountain of paperwork and a fair bit of improvisation!

The final round: more than just another race weekend.

There was another reason this weekend mattered: it was the final round of the 2026 British Supermoto Championship.

End-of-season events always carry a slightly different atmosphere. There's the familiar excitement of watching the racing, but also the knowledge that this is the final opportunity of the year to capture these riders in championship action. For me, it was the culmination of a season spent travelling to events, photographing the riders and building Shootin' It Photography's coverage of the championship.

Every round brings its own challenges. Some events make it easier to get the photographs you want; others require more planning, more travel or a different approach.

Cadwell Park certainly had its challenges. But it also provided the opportunity to bring the season to a close, capture the final round and produce another episode of Behind the Lens.

Was Cadwell Park worth the trip?

When you consider the distance from Liverpool, the early start, the expense and the challenges surrounding media access, it's fair to ask whether the weekend was worth it. From a purely practical point of view, there were plenty of reasons to question the decision. The restrictions meant I couldn't shoot exactly as I would at other circuits. The journey was a substantial commitment, and travelling independently means absorbing the costs yourself.

But motorsport has a habit of making you forget the inconvenience when the action starts. There's something satisfying about overcoming the obstacles, getting yourself to the circuit and making the best of the opportunities you've been given. You might not always come away with every photograph you originally imagined. You might have to change your plans, find new angles and work around restrictions that weren't part of your ideal setup. But you adapt, keep shooting and concentrate on what you can do.

That's independent motorsport photography in a nutshell.

And Cadwell Park still delivered the things that make British Supermoto worth following: committed riders, close racing, spectacular wheelies over The Mountain and the unpredictable moments that make every lap worth watching. The weekend wasn't necessarily the easiest way to finish the season, but it gave me the opportunity to be there, document the final round and close out the 2026 Behind the Lens series.

Sometimes that's enough to make the early alarm worthwhile.

Thank you for supporting Shootin' It Photography

Before wrapping things up, I want to say a genuine thank you to everyone who has supported Shootin' It Photography throughout the 2026 British Supermoto Championship season.

Every photograph purchased, every share, every comment and every bit of encouragement helps keep this going.I'm not a large media operation with a team of people behind me. I'm an independent photographer who travels to the events, captures the action, spends hours editing the images and gets them out there for the riders, teams and fans to enjoy.

The support from the paddock makes a real difference, and I'm grateful to everyone who has chosen to support my work.

A special thank you goes to Dave Dearden for helping me secure media access at Cadwell Park and making it possible for me to cover the final round. And, of course, thank you to the riders for putting on the show. The commitment, the close battles and the spectacular riding are what make this championship so enjoyable to photograph.

That's the 2026 British Supermoto Championship season wrapped up.

It's been a season of incredible action, plenty of laughs, some unforgettable photographs and a few challenges along the way.

Would I do it all again? Ask me after I've recovered from spending the past 5 nights editing photos!

Watch the full episode....

Want to see what went into covering the final round? Join me for Behind the Lens – Episode 8: Cadwell Park, where I take you along for the weekend and give you a closer look at life behind the camera at the British Supermoto Championship.

From the journey and the challenges of media access to the racing itself, it's a look at what goes into photographing a championship when you're doing it independently.

Watch the full vlog here: Behind the Lens – Episode 8: Cadwell Park

Thanks for following the journey throughout the season.

Shootin' It Photography — capturing the action, the atmosphere and the moments that make motorsport unforgettable.