The Race of Gentlemen ,"TROG" as it's known, is held yearly in the town of Wildwood NJ right on the beach. I found TROG in 2012 but didn't get to go till 2013. Apparently, I was 70 years late to the game, as it's a tradition that began in the 1940's.  

I often talk about wanting to photograph passionate people. Well, I can't think of anyone group of people more passionate about their lifestyles than TROG people. These folks live and breathe motorcycles, hot rods and the vintage culture. They have a pretty much "fuck you" attitude when it comes to rules and regulations. They are a very independent bunch.  

I was drawn to them like so many photographers because of their "keeping it real' attitude. What I mean is, to participate in TROG you had to be in period-correct clothes and period-correct machines. Even down to the spark plugs used in a vehicle — they had to be correct. If I told you how much some of these folks pay to keep their vehicles period-correct well, you might need to sit down first.  

Visually, this period-correctness made for some outstanding images. Not to mention, this was held on a beach. At the end of the day it's always about the people. Their passion and enthusiasm is what makes TROG special.