I attended my first MotoGP last year but I was still a novice with dSLR camera then.
One year later, It was obvious that my photography skills have improved further with this panning shot, I feel more confident now wih the dSLR camera.
I have also upgraded my camera from EOS 350 to EOS 5D and it does help a lot on colour tones and details in addition to ease of taking photos under dim light conditions.
Camera lenses do play a major role in getting good IQ photos particularly with longer reach telephoto and wide angle lenses. L-lenses are a must if cost is not an issue esp with bigger aperture of at least 2.8 as it provides high IQ images.
High ISO capability of camera do help esp the light conditions or for indoor shots without flashlights.
Having said all the above, this does not mean that basic dSLR does not give good and acceptable results.
