The Palm Beach Driving Club "Experience"

The Entrance to PBIR of the Beeline Hwy.

photo: © Jon van Woerden

After a stressful day at the office, there’s nothing like a rush-hour drive down one of Florida’s less congested highways. I’m westbound on the Beeline Hwy in Palm Beach, and to make it even nicer there’s an awesome sunset at drivers left. My destination this evening is Palm Beach International Raceway, joining a few fellow BMW Car Club of America, Everglades Chapter board members as guests of the Palm Beach Driving Club. PBDC is a private member club offering performance driving enthusiasts open track time on PBIR’s newly configured, fully flood-lit, 2 mile, 11 turn road course.

Palm Beach Drivers Club Radical SR-3.

photo: © Jon van Woerden

After a delicious catered dinner, which is provided to club members at each evening track event, the club’s VP Ken Fengler joined us trackside as the Club’s Race Pro Shane Lewis gave exhilarating track rides to prospective members and guests in the Radical SR-3 race car. Joining Ken, was Joe Lubeck who graciously offered his Ferrari and classic BMW 2002 Turbo for us to take for a spin, well maybe spin isn’t the best choice of words, around the track.

Joe Lubeck's BMW 2002 Turbo poised for track time.

photo: © Jon van Woerden

Club members not only have the benefit of four hours of open track time per session along with catered dinner or lunch, but receive from one to four hours of private instruction with the club pro, 50% discounts on private track rentals, discounted trackside services, VIP access and parking for PBIR events, and reciprocal driving privileges at 6 other road courses in the US and Canada.

The BMW's of Jim Storch, Mike Willette and Joe Lubeck.

photo: © Jon van Woerden

For those who’d like to see if the Palm Beach Driving Club is right for them, there is a guest program, which includes driver orientation with the club pro, four hours of open track time and a catered dinner for $ 500.00. How about the opportunity to be a passenger with Shane in the Radical SR-3 for four hot laps of PBIR’s exciting road course along with the catered dinner for $ 250.00. What a great Christmas gift.

For more information on any of the club’s four membership levels, and their features and benefits visit www.palmbeachdrivingclub.com or contact Ken Fengler at 561.578.5628

Every Picture Tells A Story

Rod Stewart performing in 1971.

© Jon van Woerden

Every Picture Tells A Story, or so goes the title song of Rod Stewart's Third album, released way back in 1971. It was on the tour supporting this album that I shot the above photo, one of the first of many concert images I shot during the 70's. Short of a few weddings and assorted other gigs during these early years of my photo career, shooting rock concerts was my passion. It was two years earlier while working as a sound and lighting tech with one of South Florida's premier hard rock groups, Coventry, that it was suggested by fellow band mates that I should utilize the Minolta SRT 101 camera that I had just purchased to snap a few shots at our gigs, after all how busy was I during those shows. Well this lead to that and before I knew it I was shooting some of the really big shows, from prime vantage points, thanks to my long time friend Frankie Banali and his acquaintance with a local concert promotor. I never actively pursued marketing any of these images, and I'm just now sorting through hundreds of these 30+ year old slides, selecting my favorites and posting them to my website gallery "70Rock". As I scanned these celluloid memories, I came to realize that yes indeed, Every Picture Tells a Story.

Click on this link to view the gallery and check back often as it is still a work in progress.

David Bowie performs Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars.

© Jon van Woerden

Freddie Mercury of Queen performs Bohemian Rhapsody,

© Jon van Woerden

Three's A Charm

Dutch fans have reason to rejoice! © Jon van Woerden

As you noticed by now, many of my blogs on current events are twisted into opportunities for me to share some of my favorite photographs, past, present and future. Thus, it was with this in mind that I was rooting for Germany to defeat Spain, advancing to the final and meeting the Netherlands in a rematch of the 1974 World Cup final in Munich. I've had the pleasure of being an acquaintance of two of the hero's of that match, being team photographer for both the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, when Gerd Mueller began his NASL years and later when Johan Neeskens starred for the Fort Lauderdale Sun in the short lived USL. Well as you know by now it won't be Germany in a rematch of that infamous '74 match, but a contest that will, one way or the other, add the name of only the 8th country to ever win it, to the bottom of the FIFA World Cup. Spain may be a formidable opponent, but for the Netherlands its.... well, shall we say.... "Third Time's A Charm" '74, '78, 2010 . As for Neeskens and Mueller below are the pics and if you missed ESPN's broadcast of "I Scored a Goal in a World Cup Final" check out this web site presenting awesome vignettes of both of these player's glorious moments along with goals of the other 32 living players who can make that claim. Hup Holland! After the final whistle blows and Holland brings home the Gold one might well retreat into Soccer withdrawl, do yourself a favor and after you've viewed as much Tivo as one can handle tune in to ESPN's repeat airing of "The Two Escobars" on Sept 18th.

Johan Neeskens with the USL's Fort Lauderdale Sun in 1985

© Jon van Woerden

Gerd Mueller in 1979 with the NASL Fort Lauderdale Strikers

© Jon van Woerden

Onward to the Semi-finals

Nestor Lorenzo battles Jurgen Klinsman in the

Italia 90 World Cup final ©Jon van Woerden

My good friend Mick Finn and I enjoyed watching the Netherlands advance to the semi-finals in a historic win over Brazil. Mick who had just recently returned to Atlanta with his wife Cindy after living in Den Hague is a devout fan of Oranje. Now comes tomorrows Argentina vs Germany match, which could become one of the classic meetings of this tournament, unlike their dreadful meeting in the Italia 90 final, that Germany won on a penalty kick in a game marred by two Argentine red card expulsions. The winner of this quarter final match-up may well be the Netherlands opponent in the final of South Africa 2010, provided both prevail in there semi final match-ups.

Today we are also reminded of one of soccer's tragic moments, as it is 16 years since Andrés Escobar was murdered in Columbia in retaliation for his inadvertent own goal in the 1994 World Cup game against the US which Columbia lost, contributing to their elimination from the tournament. It was in the quarter finals of these games that Brazil defeated the Netherlands 3:2 in Dallas on July 9th. and continued on to win in the final against Italy.

R.I.P Andrés Escobar

Photo ©Jon van Woerden

World Cup at Duffy's Sports Grill

Photo © Jon van Woerden Woodbury & Associates Photography

It certainly wasn't the result hundreds of US supporters at Duffy's Sports Grill in Fort Lauderdale had hoped for, although there was enthusiastic celebration as Landon Donovan put away the penalty kick, as captured here in this panorama stitched from three 14mm wide angle images. Duffy's locations are open at 10:00 AM for fans to cheer on there team, as the games unfold on the multitude of large screen TVs.

Bronze Award for Oasis of The Seas Panorama

The Panoramic image of the Opal Theatre, that I shot aboard the Oasis of the Seas, the worlds largest cruise ship, received a Bronze Award in the Epson International Photographic Pano Awards. This 360 degree pano was stitched from 16 wide angle photos taken as part of an assignment for the Finnish corporation that created most of the interior public spaces. Additional images from this shoot, along with photos of the ships arrival in it's home port of Fort Lauderdale can be viewed on our website at wa-digital.com/Oasis of the Seas.

The Oasis of the Seas arrival reception in Fort Lauderdale © Jon van Woerden 2009

90's Stars, Commentators 2010

Photography ©Jon van Woerden

If you've been following the 2010 World Cup you've heard and seen some familiar faces providing us with commentary and analysis from South Africa. I thought this would be an appropriate time to post a few shots of these guys in there playing days. The shot of Alexi Lalas is from the 1993 Transatlantic Challenge In Miami's historic Orange Bowl Stadium, John Harkes is pictured vs Brazil in a 1993 US Cup game in the Yale Bowl and Germany's Jurgen Klinsman celebrating the opening goal of the 1994 World Cup USA.

Honoring Ruud

Ruud Gullit "Italia 90" ©Jon van Woerden

I'm sitting at home on the eve of the Netherlands vs Japan World Cup match, reminiscing my days covering these games, in particular the West Germany vs Netherlands "Italia 90" round of 16 matchup. Although marred by the Rudi Voeller/ Frank Rijkaard red card incident, that game produced one of my favorite World Cup images, Ruud Gullit with the ball at eye level as he feints West Germany's Thomas Berthold. Rudd is a studio analyst for ESPN at this World Cup and is endeared by South Africa and Nelson Mandela for his public stance against the injustice of Apartheid, when in 1987 he dedicated his European Footballer of the Year award "Ballon d'Or" to the imprisoned Mandela.

Enjoying World Cup Soccer

The Netherlands celebrate, as seen on 5 of the 75 TVs at Duffy's Plantation

My daughter Jana and I had an enjoyable morning watching the Netherlands defeat Denmark in the company of fellow dutchman Frans Kobus, the general manager at Duffy's Sports Grill in Plantation. Duffy's locations have been opening early, to give their guests the opportunity to view the FIFA World Cup 2010 games on their multitude of flat screen TVs. It was a good win for the Netherlands and we look forward to attending the match at 7:30 am Saturday at Duffy's new Ft. Lauderdale location.

Relivin' Ofest 2009

Last September hundreds of BMW CCA members found their way to the posh rooms of Legacy Island Lodge and twisty turns of scenic Road Atlanta to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the BMW Car Club of America Oktoberfest celebration. Relive that glorious week with a video version of my slideshow from the awards banquet evening. Ofest09

BMW CCA Oktoberfest 2010......Starts in 100 Days

It may be hard to believe, but our annual BMW CCA get together "Oktoberfest 2010" is only 100 days away. I thought it be fitting to start my life as a blogger with a shot from last years concours.