75 Minutes…

Its Friday night, I decide im going to crash early as tomorrow is a big day. Tomorrow is Simon’s first race, sure he has been on track with his new car before… but not in a race. This is not any race either, it’s a 75 minute enduro… when this guy does it he does it big! My car is all packed with my basic track goods I take to every event for the 2 days of pure bliss.

I wake up at 5, throw the last few items in my car and hit up Simon. We decide to meet at the gas station just outside the track. As my garage door opens I realize its cold, super cold! Oh well, I jump in my heatless track car and hit the road.

After a quick strategy meeting and pit stop details we begin setting up for the race. Once the pit box is ready I pull out my camera equipment and get ready. I decide the best place for me is directly in front of turn 3, only problem is the sun is setting and is backlighting the turn pretty badly. As the cars begin to roll out the glare and cloudiness of the day make for an amazing view as the cars roll out onto the track behind the pace car. The pace car peels off track, the race is under way… everyone is screaming toward the first corner… jockeying for position. I quickly realize that I should have been down there for the start of the race, oh well. The enduro is like any other enduro you can watch on TV like the 25 hours of Thunderhill, it’s mixed class. You have 944 spec miatas fighting it out with BMW M3’s and Simon in his Integra, the only Honda in the field. Simon qualified first in small bore, taking pole position. Putting him in the mix for what turned out to be an amazing race, full of exciting passing, crazy pit stops, and all the off track excitement protests you could ask for.

I switch my shooting location for a better view and one that does not have the sun effecting my shots. I make my way to the back carousel portion of the track, I take up a position on the hill side just in front of the EMS vehicles. The passing in corners these guys are doing is incredible! Ill let the pics speak for themselves. After a bit in the back I decide it’s getting close to pit stop time and I need to get my reader board (a giant piece of blank cardboard) ready to call Simon into the pits. Simon’s pit is a simple gas and go, a requirement that he take on 5 gallons of gas during the race, simple. The only problem, he has to pit after Team ArizonaPain’s Radical. They’re sharing a pit box and they have to change drivers.

#24 Caldera Ventures Corvette has a puncher on track… he pulls into the pit and has a volunteer pit crew to make the tire change. These guys simply kick ass and change his tire in what seems like record time. Good job! The pics, however back lit have a unique look to them that I simply love.

Congratulations to Simon for not only winning his class, but also finishing in the top 10 for the race! For his first race, I would say he did a great job, he led from green the checkers… it doesn’t get any better than that! I had a great time and can’t wait for the next event. Next year is gonna kick some serious ass!