2014 Le Mans – Part Two of My Motorsport Photography Year

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the pinnacle of sports car endurance racing. Everything about this race is amazing, from the large field of cars that participate (55 cars in 2014), length of the race (about 3000 miles after 24 hours), size of the track (about 8.5 miles), and the huge number of spectators that attend (263,000 in 2014). Of course their is the incredible technology in the LMP1 cars from Audi, Porsche, and Toyota. Who could have imagined when Le Mans first started 82 years ago, that we now have turbo-electric-kinetic-energy-recovery-hybrid-all-wheel-drive-carbon-fiber-bodywork cars that are highly efficient and have the endurance and speed to “race” for 24 hours. From a photographers point of view, Le Mans must be experienced, since you have the opportunity to photograph the cars under different lighting, weather, and terrain conditions. You also have plenty of time to “get the shot” and many opportunities to get a variety of photos from the “spectator side of the fence” as shown in this photo story.  Since Le Mans is a special race, I’ve dedicated part two of my motorsport photography year to cover round three of the World Endurance Championship (WEC). Hope you like the photos.

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2013 International Sports Car Weekend (COTA, Sep 20)

Arrived at the track in time for the morning WEC practice session. However, soon after arriving, the rain started to fall, and was very heavy rain at times. Was lucky I brought my rain jacket and pants, and rain cover for my camera gear. Always like shooting in the rain since it’s great capturing the spray coming off the cars tires, “rooster tails” from the rear of the cars, and lights reflecting off the track. For the morning session, photographed from the walkover bridge between Turns 2 and 3, since the sunlight (when it was sunny for about 30 minutes) is lighting the front of the cars. Here are some shots from the morning shoot. Continue reading “2013 International Sports Car Weekend (COTA, Sep 20)”

2013 Audi RS 6 Static Display at the Nurburgring 24Hr (May 18)

At the Nurburgring 24Hr race, the Ring Werk building complex behind the main front straight grandstands has many activities, shops, food/drink vendors, and static displays of high-end cars. Being a big fan of Audi cars, I had to take a look and photograph what they had on display. Taking center stage were an RS 6 Avant sports wagon in matt grey and an R8 two door coupe in matt blue. The matt body work color was very unique and eye-catching and certainly made these cars stand out. The shade and color of the matt paint work changed as you viewed the car from different angles. Here I focus on the Audi RS 6 Avant. Continue reading “2013 Audi RS 6 Static Display at the Nurburgring 24Hr (May 18)”

2013 Le Mans 24 Hrs (Jun 23, Audi Wins and Podium Presentations)

We all know car racing is a dangerous sport. We were reminded of how dangerous this sport can be with the passing of the Danish Aston Martin driver, Allan Simonsen, due to injuries he sustained when his Number 95 car crashed at Tertre Rouge early into the race on Saturday afternoon. Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends. At the request of his family, the Aston Martin team continued to race to honor Allan Simonsen. Continue reading “2013 Le Mans 24 Hrs (Jun 23, Audi Wins and Podium Presentations)”

Quick Blog – Audi Wins the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hrs (Jun 23)

On Saturday took the TGV from Paris to Le Mans and arrived at the track at about 11.30 am. The race started at 3.00 pm and I stayed at the track for the whole 24 hrs, with only about a half hour nap on Sunday morning. It was a marathon photography adventure with the rain, wind, night, crowds, fatigue, and little sleep to contend with. By the time I got back to Paris and into bed I had been up for about 40 hrs. But it was worth it, and what an experience to be with the estimated 245,000 spectators at the track, especially late at night and in the early morning hours at Tertre Rouge. Hope you like the photos. Continue reading “Quick Blog – Audi Wins the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hrs (Jun 23)”