It's funny how what you expect from something is usually the complete opposite of what you get. The preparations for this trip began back in October when I was asked to accompany the JDM Allstars team to the Middle East to cover the first professional drift event to take place in the region. Although Team Orange have already performed some demonstrations in Abu Dhabi, this would be the first taste of a full event for the local drivers including practice, qualifying and twin battles.

The days leading up to my planned departure from Ireland were mostly filled with doubt and worry. The country was under a blanket of snow and the roads were covered in black ice in many places. Airports were being shut down for the safety of those travelling but luckily it cleared up the day before I was due to depart.

First stop was Cork International Airport. One of the hardest things when travelling by air as a Speedhunter is trying to balance the weight of your baggage.  My camera case full is approximately 30KGs but for this flight I'm only allowed 10KGs of carry on so you can imagine how much you have to cut down and leave behind.

Next stop was terminal one at Heathrow, where I caught a quick tube to terminal four to meet the rest of the crew travelling.

In one of those random meetings, we bumped into Mr. Japspeed himself, Paul McCallum who was flying out to a different destination on business. On the left of this image is Mr. Faruk Kugay, one of the great people behind Works Magazine, who would be joining us on this trip.

A six and a half hour flight later and we've reached our next stop in Bahrain. Being a bit of a typography nerd I always like photographing signage in the different regions I travel to. Helvetica alongside some traditional script.

This being my first time travelling to the Middle East, I was unsure of what cultural differences I would experience. However when I saw this Starbucks pretty much immediately after I had disembarked the plane, I was reminded of just how small our world is becoming.

Departing Bahrain International Airport, you can just about make out Manama, the capital city of Bahrain.

James Deane (sleeping, again) alongside Team Severnside / LBD boss Julian Barnes.

Some twenty hours after leaving home, we finally touched down in Dubai International.

Baggage collected, it was time to bail into different taxis and head to our hotel.

Before travelling to Dubai, everyone knows of the wealth that is here but really nothing can prepare you for it. It's hard to explain but so much has been put into the area which allows everyone to enjoy and appreciate and not just the super rich.

First on the agenda once we were checked in was to establish an internet connection and work area in our room. It can be pretty easy to get carried away in a new country but you just have to keep reminding yourself why you are here.

Popping down to the local supermarket to stock up on drinks and snacks I finally got to sample my first tin of Pocari Sweat. I always remember being horrified by the name the first time I seen images of it from Japan but I have to concede it was awesome !

Our first meeting for drivers, staff and press took place on the roof of our hotel at 2200 of the first night.

It was quite cool sitting in the dark having our first briefing. Even at night it was twenty degrees (celcius) which I think I can speak for all of those present it was a welcome change from the below freezing temperatures we were all experiencing at home.

We were briefed on the work underway to promote the event and I was pretty happy to see my photograph of Christy Carpenter on the cover of the City Times. As a photographer, you always get a great sense of pride of seeing your work published and this was a pretty special one for me. For the rest of the briefing we were introduced to the local customs and cultures and how to present ourselves to the general public. Again, being my first time in the Middle East I was a bit unsure of what to expect but I was blown away by the friendliness and courtesy extended to us by the local people.

The next morning I headed to the area where the track was being constructed by the JDM Allstars team. The event was being held at Dubai Festival City, a large area consisting of shopping areas, hotels, restaurants etc.

It's also home to the largest billboard in the world !

Exploring the area, I spotted a lot of posters and advertisements for the event.

The first semi-exotic car I spotted in Dubai was this R35 GT-R.

Although this pickup truck with TE37s and an incredible sounding V8 definitely grabbed my attention !

As the sun began to set, the cars still had not arrived from the port. It was around this time we heard that there were some complications and that the cars would not clear customs in time for the event. Completely out of the organisers control, the event had to be postponed immediately. It was such a horrible feeling and I really felt sorry for the crew who had worked so hard to put all of this together for it to all come tumbling down at the last possible minute. I was really looking forward to shooting the event and even more excited to see the reaction from the general public. But in a cruel twist, all our plans were finished.

The event would be put back a week and run as a free show, which is a very kind gesture on behalf of the organisers. Knowing the JDM Allstars crew quite well, they're not corporate suits out to make money but just a bunch of guys who want to put on the most insane show possible. (I'm not saying any other series aren't doing the same thing, I'm just speaking from my own experiences with these guys)

It's funny how what you expect from something is usually the complete opposite of what you get. What was originally meant to be regular event coverage, thanks to a combination of luck, coincidence and a little bit of blag, quite quickly turned into one of the greatest weekends of speedhunting I've experienced. I'll tell you why in part two …

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Paddy McGrath