Two of my good friends from Illinois, Nick and Brandon, made the long haul to make the event. During their stay, I was fortunate enough to snap a few shots of Nick’s Honda S2000. It features custom Volk Racing CE-28N’s, a Mooncraft hardtop, aggressive rear diffuser, and a whole list of modifications that make this S2K truely one of a kind.

These shots were taken along the pacific coast in Long Beach, CA. Enjoy!

Check out a few samples from my Long Beach Grand Prix set. They’re wallpaper size in case you like what you see. Thanks again to UrbanRacer.com for the opportunity, and thank YOU for looking!

When my friend Emma (who has helped me with a few shoots in the past, most recently the UTI/Wrecked Magazine 350Z), asked me to try my hand at portraits, i couldn’t say no. We headed to Zuma Beach in Malibu, CA where upon arriving, found the beach to be pitch black. This posed a challenge as i was going into portrait photography in the most difficult of situations, but after some practice, trial and error, and some goofing off, we got it down!

Thankfully, my model was not only very supportive, but very patient. I don’t know if i would’ve enjoyed the shoot this much had it been with anyone else. Anyway, onto the photos! If you check these out, take a second to let me know what you think in the comments section. THANKS!

Check out a few of the samples from my coverage. The rest of the gallery can be found over at Wrecked Magazine.

Joey Redmond and I took a trip in Nissan’s latest revision to their 350Z roadster, which might i add, I wasn’t too thrilled about. The 2010 370Z completely changes the game, most noticeably with body lines that actually look like they were designed to be driven without a roof, unlike the 350Z predecessor. The powerplant also received a bump in displacement and power, and the interior received a sleek redesign certain to turn heads.

We had hit the road from Riverside County, California towards various stops which included the Saltan Sea, Joshua Tree National Park, a cruise on the historic Route 66, a tour of Laughlin, Nevada, and our final destination of the Hoover Dam. Along the way, the seats and ride was surprisingly civilized which made the car absolutely ideal for a road trip of this caliber. The car turned heads wherever it went, and along the windy roads of Joshua Tree National Park, the car was an absolute blast.

The crisp 6 speed manual transmission was absolutely flawless. And the SynchroRev system automatically matched revs between shifts at the push of a button which made every shift perfect during spirited driving. Overall, i would highly recommend the 2010 370Z Roadster for anyone in the market for a convertible that’s actually a comfortable daily driver.

Head on over to WreckedMagazine.com and check out Issue #14 for a 350z vs. 370z Comparison by Joey Redmond & 2009 Formula Drift Champion Chris Forsberg. Enjoy the rest of the photos. – RC

By the time you read this, the body will be undergoing a color change, and aero will be fitted to the body. Stay tuned for the “after” shoot, or follow the build over at Wrecked Magazine.

Special thanks to Emma Clarke for her help during this shoot!

Just to update those 3 of you that actually read this, a few weeks ago Joey Redmond and I took a road trip through California, Arizona, and Nevada in a 2011 Nissan 370Z Roadster for a shoot at a few locations that yielded some stunning photos.

Then this past weekend, the Wrecked Magazine/UTI Project 350Z got a photoshoot before the body goes under the knife! I’m really happy with how both shoots came out, and i’m excited to share them with everyone, so keep checking back! I’ll update again with the full shoots once they’re out.

Until then, follow the progress of the Wrecked Magazine Project/UTI 350Z HERE! And if that isn’t enough to hold you over, dress up your desktop with this teaser wallpaper from the 350Z shoot:

As always, thanks for looking!

Check out the newest issue, lucky number 13, over at WreckedMagazine.com! and some bonus shots not featured in the issue here: http://rickycervantes.com/?p=436

Thursday Night: Dinner with my Valentine. Double date, anyone?
Friday Night: Party with Friends, details to come.
Saturday Morning/Afternoon: Family time.
Saturday Night: Dinner at Mongolian BBQ in Naperville. I want EVERYONE to come out for this!! More details as we get closer, but please save this date!

Since those are all evening plans, i’m free during the day, and of course any date that isn’t yet accounted for. So get ahold of me if you want to hang while i’m in town!

Also, car friends: i’m looking to shoot 2-3 cars while i’m in town. So if anyone knows of anyone finishing up a killer project that wants a little exposure, let me know. Or if one of my media friends is reading this, if you know of a car you’d like featured in the Chicagoland area let me know and i’ll be your photographer.

That’s all that comes to mind for right now, discuss in the comments section here, or on my Facebook! I can’t wait to see you all!

As if the on-train bar wasn’t enough, upon arriving we paid a visit to the Santa Barbara Brewing Company to enjoy what ended up being some of the best steaks and brews i’ve ever had. If you ever find yourself in the area, i recommend stopping in!

Anyway, check out our photos from the trip. Photos were taken along the way, and in the downtown Santa Barbara area. The ones with me in them were taken by JB. Thanks for looking!