Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
Yep. With the Rolex 24 begins Speedweeks.

Culminating with the Daytona 500!!!


To paraphrase ole DW: "Boogidy boogidy boogidy, lets go racin, boys...and Danica.""

You "gearheads" are all alike  .  .  .  bring out some pretty cars that go REALLY fast, and yer mesmerized  .  .  .    I'm surprised you're not in Kissimmee at the Mecum auction FL  .  .  . 

SOS

DougBPhoto wrote:
I probably should have gone... some friends racing in it and a couple shooting it.

Me and my stupid pact with myself that I would not shoot there so long as they had the ugly "Daytona Prototype" class.

Yeah, the last time I shot there, the track surface had no lights yet.

Actually, the last time I went to the race in person, I worked at the Red Lobster corporate office in Orlando. Never had to buy tickets to the 24 Hours or to the 12 Hours of Sebring...



Since then it's been television only. Sometimes I miss the sights, sounds, smells and the fatigue of 24 straight hours of racing.

Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
...this weekend with the Rolex 24.

I'm excited because NBC (or an NBC Sports channel) will be covering Formula 1 this year!

I've been to the 24 @ Le Mans twice (and plan to go again in 2014).  If you've never been to that, you should try and get there.  It's an awesome atmosphere.

ArtisticPhotography wrote:
To me, watching racing is like sitting next to an expressway and watching the cars drive by. NBD.

Too many characters. Not enough plot.

Hm.  Racing is 90% plot.  So many factors + random events going on.

Gianantonio wrote:

Hm.  Racing is 90% plot.  So many factors + random events going on.

^ yup. it amazes me.

RacerXPhoto wrote:
I would gladly sell my soul to be a top level racing photographer

Just do it, I know a guy who is about 22 or 23, been shooting cars for maybe 5 years, and traveling all over the globe.

Gianantonio wrote:

Hm.  Racing is 90% plot.  So many factors + random events going on.

There's no plot. They run in circles sniffing each other's asses. Oh excitement, someone's filling up their gas tank. Yawn. There's more excitement at the Sunoco station up the street, at least there you might get a robber or something.

ArtisticPhotography wrote:

There's no plot. They run in circles sniffing each other's asses. Oh excitement, someone's filling up their gas tank. Yawn. There's more excitement at the Sunoco station up the street, at least there you might get a robber or something.

You've described NASCAR. That's not racing.

RacerXPhoto wrote:
I would gladly sell my soul to be a top level racing photographer

A local guy, he shoots the Daytona 500 every year. He gets to be up top with the team spotters. http://scottamillerphoto.photoshelter.com/ I think he is shooting the Rolex 24 this year too.

Frank Lewis Photography wrote:

A local guy, he shoots the Daytona 500 every year. He gets to be up top with the team spotters. http://scottamillerphoto.photoshelter.com/ I think he is shooting the Rolex 24 this year too.

It is nice that the 24 is getting the attention that it richly deserves.

Way more interesting than Nascar/the 500.

I need to go back and shoot it again.   If I could become freiends with someone having a motorhome parked in horseshoe, that would be even better!!

RacerXPhoto wrote:
I would gladly sell my soul to be a top level racing photographer

I would gladly sell my soul to drive a few laps at Monaco.
Not even in a F1,... give me a slower street car I can handle.
Like a Porsche GT2rs would be sweet.

Paolo Diavolo wrote:

I would gladly sell my soul to drive a few laps at Monaco.
Not even in a F1,... give me a slower street car I can handle.
Like a Porsche GT2rs would be sweet.

Monaco is slow
Give me one of the faster classic tracks like Suzuka or Spa
Doing Eau Rouge or 130r flat out must be a like affirming experience

Paolo Diavolo wrote:

I would gladly sell my soul to drive a few laps at Monaco.
Not even in a F1,... give me a slower street car I can handle.
Like a Porsche GT2rs would be sweet.

I've driven part of it.  I was in Monaco back in 1979--not during race weekend.  But I did drive through the tunnel--in a Renault 5!

Have driven about 2/3 of the LeMans circuit--from the start of the Mulsane straight to where the "track" enters the racing facility.  Basically the part of the track that is county roads.  For LeMans I have a 1.6 liter, diesel Opel Astra!  Sweet ride for sure... 

And I took a racing driver's school at Leguna Seca where we drove open-wheel, open-cockpit Formula Fords.  That was the most fun I've ever had in a (moving) car!

Gianantonio wrote:
And I took a racing driver's school at Leguna Seca where we drove open-wheel, open-cockpit Formula Fords.  That was the most fun I've ever had in a (moving) car!

What was the corkscrew like
Sense any g-forces from elevation change ?
Should Laguna be on my "Bucket" list of tracks ?

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:
What was the corkscrew like
Sense any g-forces from elevation change ?
Should Laguna be on my "Bucket" list of tracks ?

Like driving off a building.
Yes.
Yes.

Frank Lewis Photography wrote:
...this weekend with the Rolex 24.

Well, Team Ganassi does it again, with Juan Pablo Montoya at the wheel. And Scott Pruett has tied Hurley Haywood for number of wins in the 24 Hours: Five each.

Every one ran a good race and the weekend was perfect weather-wise. Great fun.

See you all at Sebring in March...

Brooklyn Bridge Images wrote:

What was the corkscrew like
Sense any g-forces from elevation change ?
Should Laguna be on my "Bucket" list of tracks ?

Absolutely put it on your bucket list.

The corkscrew is amazing. In the formula ford, being so low to the ground, you have to turn into the left-hander and set up the right-hander blind. The track drops off so quickly you can't see it. When I was there, there was a big tree off in the distance you could point the nose of the car at to line yourself up for the right-hander. But I heard that tree is gone now. And yes, you felt the g-forces all over the track but especially in the corkscrew.

Also, when I was there the hairpin (turn 11) had a concrete wall where there is now run-off area. That wall was intimidating.

Gianantonio wrote:

I've driven part of it.  I was in Monaco back in 1979--not during race weekend.  But I did drive through the tunnel--in a Renault 5!

that is so cool!!!!

SayCheeZ!  wrote:
I took a few laps around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway today.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151213472522536

That is cute, how fast did they let you go?

SayCheeZ!  wrote:
I took a few laps around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway today.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151213472522536

just watched.   looks like fun!

DougBPhoto wrote:
That is cute, how fast did they let you go?

We had to follow an official pace car @ 80mph. 
Let's just say I drove faster on the freeway getting to the track than I did while on the track.

(A few years ago I got to ride shotgun in one of the actual race cars... they wouldn't allow us to go over 154mph, but it was still enough to give ya tunnel vision)

SayCheeZ!  wrote:
We had to follow an official pace car @ 80mph. 
Let's just say I drove faster on the freeway getting to the track than I did while on the track.

hahaha! did it feel at 80? especially on a banked turn?

Paolo Diavolo wrote:
did you get it up to 80mph?

Smart Cars in the USA are electronically governed to 90mph. 
I have a few friends that 'fixed the circuits' so it could go faster.
I've driven it at 90 many times before (both US and in Europe) and it's still a relatively comfortable ride. 

The only fear is if you have to make a sharp turning maneuver (to avoid hitting an object or something), at those high speeds it feels like you can tip over.  It hasn't happened to me and the suspension / wheels are electronically controlled so it shouldn't happen... butcha never know!

Paolo Diavolo wrote:
hahaha! did it feel at 80? especially on a banked turn?

Not to me it didn't, but there was a little old lady in the group that never drove a car over 65mph in her life and she was terrified.

SayCheeZ!  wrote:

Smart Cars in the USA are electronically governed to 90mph. 
I have a few friends that 'fixed the circuits' so it could go faster.
I've driven it at 90 many times before (both US and in Europe) and it's still a relatively comfortable ride. 

The only fear is if you have to make a sharp turning maneuver (to avoid hitting an object or something), at those high speeds it feels like you can tip over.  It hasn't happened to me and the suspension / wheels are electronically controlled so it shouldn't happen... butcha never know!


Not to me it didn't, but there was a little old lady in the group that never drove a car over 65mph in her life and she was terrified.

I've driven a Smart car before, felt like a golf cart.
When I was watching your video all I could imagine was being there in my car, and coming out of a turn and passing all those Smart's like they were standing still.

I can imagine the little old lady in your group. haha!
Hopefully she still had fun.