A new book gives an insight into the lives of Ireland's road racers, writes Patricia Weston
Ragged Edge creatively captures the lives of road racers beyond their sport.
The portrayal of the everyday, ordinary working man at home is juxtaposed with the brave, reckless hero on the circuit.
Stephen Davison wanted to delve deep into every aspect of the racer's world with this book. "I wanted it to be raw. I wanted to look at why they do what they do and what it costs them emotionally, physically and financially," he says.
An award winning photographer and enthusiastic fan, Davison can spectacularly seize the passion and beautiful danger of road racing because he's a true devotee of the sport.
As a sports photographer, Davison has covered numerous sporting events, but, he says, "absolutely nothing compares to road racing. It's the most spectacular and thrilling sport you could ever witness."
As a fan and long-time friend to many of the men featured in his book, Davison was privileged to have unlimited access to their world.
"The access I was given was unrivalled - from the kitchen table to the operating table," he says.
Davison got so close to their lives he even gained access to Ryan Farquhar's wrist operation. His gaping wrist is shot as the surgeon prepares to chisel a piece of bone from his pelvis to wire into his wrist.
Martin Finnegan, dubbed 'the Messiah' in this volume, is depicted in an artistically ordinary light as he's photographed in muddy overalls beneath a mammoth plant machine at his day job and at home in his kitchen with his family having a meal.
Tributes are paid to the late big and burly David Jefferies alongside the small and shy Joey Dunlop in this book, described as 'scenes from another era'.
A stunning photo of Guy Martin's acrobatic mid-air high side at Dundalk in 2004 is flanked beside a photo of him shaving in his truck.
This is certainly not a collection for the faint hearted, as the grisly side of road racing is exposed for the viewer.
A gruesome shot of Dean Cooper's accident in July 2000 on the Mid-Antrim 150 circuit depicts medics attending to the scene where Cooper crashed and lost his foot.
The severed left appendage can be clearly seen in the picture. The story of Cooper continues by capturing him performing his daily ritual of attaching his artificial leg to perform his everyday tasks and bravely pursue road racing.
"The shot of Cooper's accident is not used gratuitously," according to Davison. He simply wanted to convey the danger of the activity.
"Death and injury are part of the sport; it's one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
"The accidents have to be included in order for the book to be honest and to try to understand why they do what they do," he says.
Robert Dunlop is touchingly shot cycling his pushbike around his home in Ballymoney while wearing an 'adjustable cage' on his leg.
This was worn after his accident to stretch the bone in his right leg which is two inches shorter than the left.
Davison also photographs the fans as they daringly stretch out along the roadside to watch the racers whiz by, and the antics of some of the fans are shot as they celebrate the TT Isle of Man races.
A poignant, striking and sometimes voyeuristically gruesome collection of photographs, this volume will surely touch the hearts of road racing fanatics and non-racing fans alike.