It was with a heavy heart and great sadness that we got to know that our good and caring friend, Maria Bailey, passed away Monday a week ago, after a long illness. She is survived by her husband Gary, her son Owen, and daughters Nicole and Michaela.

We got to know Maria and Gary through their several visits over more than fifteen years to Mo i Rana and our Arctic Circle Motorsport Club. Their annual visits and their great enthusiasm, infectious spirit and love for motorcycle racing, quickly made them our good friends.
Gary's skill as a photographer was tenderly attended to by Maria in their point of sale just seconds after the pictures were taken. As a team, Gary and Maria were unique and their images were loved by drivers, crews and others involved. Their kindness and eagerness to participate in activities outside the actual events was a great joy for us all. Maria's love of Norwegian waffles, often for breakfast, together with other local dishes, gave room for a sphere and a friendship far greater than just motorsport.
The journey from Lincoln in England to the Arctic Circle is a long one, with approximately 40 hours of driving. For Maria, there could be long days in the paddock sorting the pictures during the event, and then tending to her customers in the evening. She was always devoted and concerned with creating good memories for all of her customers. Despite the long journeys and their well-being under the Arctic Circle, Maria loved home and often talked about missing her family and children and grandchildren back home in England.
Our road racing events will not be the same without Maria. We will miss her and her enthusiasm. We have lost one of our very best friends.
We express our deepest condolences to Gary, Maria’s family and all bereaved.
Arctic Circle Motorsport Club
and friends in Mo i Rana, Norway