Well, the racing season is in full swing all over the world and is really starting to ramp up here in my little corner of the world.

I know alot of the members here at The Forums are fellow photography buffs, and with the Mid-Ohio season opener fast approaching, I thought I would post up a quick and dirty little "photography guide" for the race fans who won't have the access that some of our Pro's do. This is by no means a definitive list, just a few locations from someone who has spent a few weekends at Mid-Ohio. I am sure I will miss a few spots, and probably am not aware of others, so by all means if you know of some good shots not listed: Post'em Up!

Without further adieu':

First the map:





We'll start with Turn 1 and work our way around to Turn 8. A few examples:


T1: You can get to the inside of T1 at the base of the drive over bridge leading to the infield. This is a good spot because there is no catch fencing. You have to be on your game here as this is the fastest corner on the course, AND they are coming at you kind of blind from under the bridge. You also can get them at their slowest here as the pit exit is inside of T1. One problem with this location: Sometimes for the big events, ALMS for example, the track uses this area for private hospitality. You can't get in. There is however another area right next to the T1 area which allows some nice side pans. there are also some small grandstands in this section you can shoot from for an elevated shot.

We will skip T2 and T3 as there are blocked by catch fencing and the Pro series don't run the chicane anyway.

T4: This is the Keyhole. This section is wrapped entirely in catch fencing but there are a few Pro photo holes you can reach through from behind the fence if you have long enough glass. Beware though, when the headlining series are on track, these holes WILL be clogged with working pro's. Your best bet for shots from here is during the support series, and even then they will more than likely be occupied.

The straight stretch from 5-6-7 is all fencing.

T7: Another spot with no catch fencing. This is a good spot because Mid-Ohio starts their races on the back stretch, so on the opening lap this is effectively "Turn 1". This is the turn where Marco Andretti ended up on his lid during last years IRL race.

T8: Turn 8 is also wrapped in fencing. you can however shoot a nice "going away" shot from T7 as shown in my example above.



T8 continued: While T8 is fenced, there are holes in it for the working pro's to shoot through. I have had moderate success shooting through two of them from behind the spectator fence. Using a 300mm, and some cropping in post got me the examples above. As with the holes in T4, expect these to be clogged during prime track activity. "hole 1" is at the top of the hill, while "hole 2" is slightly down hill, shooting up into 8. there is also a shot of the cars exiting Turn 7 heading into 8, pretty much a head-on shot, from the top of the spectator mound, shooting over the fence. You will need some long glass to make it though.

T9: The catch fencing is extended from 8 all the way down the hill to T9. The stretch from T9 to the Honda Bridge (T10A) is all open. You can get a nice view as the hit the apex of T9. Also alot of space for side pans on the stretch from T9-10A.

T10A: The kink right aftyer the Honda Bridge. Lot's to do here. The spectator fence runs all the way up to the base of the Honda bridge. You can shoot from there and almost get a clear head-on shot, well, it's more of a 3/4 shot, but it's still pretty good. This is a popular spot with photog's, so get there early and claim your little piece of fence. You can also turn around and get a shot of the cars cresting the hill after 10A, shown in my shot labeled "going away 2". Shooting from the 9-10a stretch and pointing back at the bridge gets you a nice going away shot with the bridge in the background, shown above as "turn 10A going away ."

T10-Outside: If you are feeling young and fit and fancy a hike, cross over the Honda bridge intot he back camp ground, hang a right and hike up to the section between 10B and T11. This is again, a fenced section of track, and again, there are holes in the fence. You can get a nice shot of the cars coming down the hill and apexing 10B. Long Glass, plus some cropping in post. The shot in my example above was shot with a 300mm and uncropped, so you can get an idea of whether or not the hike is worth it.

Turn 11: From the outside= not much opportunity, all fencing and/or trees, with the exception of a "going away" shot as they exit 11. It's been awhile, but I think this may have been shot from the same photo hole as the 10B shot, just pointed the other direction. If it isn't the same hole, it is close, just walk a little further towards T11 until you find it. There is an example in the photo posted below. There is also a shot from the infield, on top of a spectator mound, shooting back towards 11 over the fence. The hill/ mound is just past the infield bathrooms, directly up the hill from the second walkover bridge. The example above, again 300mm un-cropped.




The stretch of track from 11 to the entry to 14 is all catch fencing, and from the infield you can't really get close between 12 and 13. Outside the track there is a spectator mound between the second walk over bridge and T13, but I have never personally shot from there.

T13: There is a photo hole in the fence in the infield giving a great shot of T13 as they exit "Thunder Valley" with the bridge in the background. You can reach through it with a 300 and a little cropping. Beware though: this is one of my personal favorites, to a fault, so expect it to be clogged, if not by me then by some other shooter.

T14-T15: If the hole at T13 is occupied, just walk a little further up the hill to "The Carousel", T14. No catch fencing, you will be slightly elevated compared to the track, and the Honda Pavilion is in the background. A really good spot to shoot from. You can also shoot the T15 "going away" shot from up here, as the cars race down the pit straight.

Again, if you fancy a walk, head through the paddock, past the false grid, to the grandstand outside of the Carousel, T14. There are 4 sets of stands, the 2 in the middle sit a tad bit higher than the others, and if you climb to the top, you can shoot over the fence and catch the cars at the top of the "hill" before they enter T14. Right after T13 actually. the example above shot with 300mm and cropped.

T15 Outside: This is a shot in the dark. There is a set of grandstands, right next to the false grid, where you can shoot the cars as they enter and exit T15, and the pits. As with T1 though, Mid-Ohio sometimes makes this a private hospitality area.

False Grid: This is back by the outside of T15, the backside of the paddock. This si where soem fo the support series line up before heading out on track. A great place to get close up shots of cars with drivers "armed and ready"

The Paddock: Sometimes you are required to buy an additional pass to get into the paddock, sometimes it is free. Depends on the series really. If you need to pay, it IS worth it. You get access to the garages, haulers, etc.. The garages at MO have the added benefit of having "lofts" where you can walk up the stairs and look down into the garages. There are three seperate sets of garages. The sets on either end have the walkways that overlook not only the interior of the garages, but also offer a view of pit lane. Good stuff.


And with that, we are back to T1. Again, this is not the definitive guide so do some of your own exploring and find your personal favorite spots. If there is anything I missed, certainly post it up.

I hope this can be of some use to some of you.

See you at the races!!

-Chris

A bit late and a bit long but here it is.

I've been going to races for years approximately 30...my whole life. Prior to this years Long Beach Grand Prix, I had never been to a temporary street course. Why? Well I live approximately 5 miles from the location of the San Jose Grand Prix, to which I could have taken a short ride on the light rail to the track. Problem is I didn't care to see ChampCar or any other series that was there at the time. In the past I had followed CART a little, but at the time they had a race at Laguna, so why would I travel to Long Beach?

I'm getting married in May, so I needed to figure out something for my bachelor party. In the past my friends and I have rented houseboats on Lake Shasta, been to Vegas and Vancouver, BC. I wanted to try something new and maybe introduce some folks to 'World Class' sports car racing. I thought about making a trip out to Sebring, which would make an excellent bachelor party, but we're already asking our guests to join us in Hawaii for the wedding and thought another multi day trip back east would be a bit much. I've been to the Utah GP the last two years, we could have rented an RV and made a little road trip out of it, which would have been fun. The problem with that is, there is a slight conflict with the wedding and I'm sure my fiance would not approve missing the wedding for the bachelor party. So the only race left a drivable distance away was the Long Beach GP.



My Dad and I made it to Long Beach just after noon on Thursday and prior to the 'close' of the track, so we were able to park down in the Shoreline Village. I decided to bring my Camera and two lenses (70-200 w/ 1.4x and my 17-40 for paddock stuff, the 400 stayed home) in a small pack. The ALMS paddock sure was cozy, some teams had no more than a transporter width to prep their cars in. If the doors of Lou's Vette were open team members were trapped on one side of the car or the other. Other teams seem to have made out like bandits, Dyson had room for two transporters with one with full awning down, 10 to 12 feet of space, and their other transporter. We were able to see the ALMS cars pre-grid and drive by us on their way onto the track, which is always fun. For the first session we started off just before the hairpin shooting towards T10, met another fan photographer who was already positioned to shoot through a hole in the fence. Nice guy chatted a bit about the ALMS and he said I could take his spot after a few laps. I ended up finding a space a bit further down that gave me a bit better access to the apex for the head-on shots I was looking for. I was able to shoot through the fence, through a photographer hole and at the apex of T10. From there, we moved to the outside of the track by the hairpin, where again I was able to shoot through the fences. My dad tried to get up to the photography tower, but militant security guards were already on station. There were a couple other holes in the fence to shoot there, but some not so friendly fan photographers would not give up there spot, pretty rude if you ask me. They would stand in a hole take some shots, do some chimping, and take more shots...whatever. They were there in one hole for nearly the entire session. Then we moved down the front straight, where I thought if I kept the shutter speed slow enough(I tried at 1/45 and 1/15, go big or go home right?) the catch fencing would be blurred away enough to make a descent shot. Next up was some drifting...I've never witnessed such a lame 'motorsports' spectacle in my life. I'm sorry...real drivers try to reduce oversteer and what's with the silly wings and dive planes? They aren't going fast enough for them to work. Then were some other imports that didn't seem to be drifting, but they were taking the racing line either. So I have no idea what they were doing. For the second session we started on the platform above T1 on the inside of the track, Got some shots of the cars turning left on Aquarium. Then I looked down below me to see an empty photographer hole looking at the apex of T1. So I headed down there where I eventually was joined by other fan photographers where we promptly SHARED the hole until a couple pros came by. They were polite and apologized for taking our hole, I told them not to worry about it...it was their job. The pros moved on after a few laps and the four or so fan photographers and I continued to share the hole until the end of the session. From there Dad and I headed to the Yardhouse to grab some beers while waiting for my brother to arrive from San Diego. The Yardhouse has beers on draft from around the world probably over 100, so we proceeded to partake in a couple German pilsners and moved on to Stella. We had some food when my brother got there, then we took off to pick up a buddy from Seattle and head to the hotel to check in. Once we were settled in the hotel we had a few C minuses (Coors Lights) and hit the sack.


We headed to the track early Friday morning to catch the first and only official practice. Started off the practice in the stands on the outside of T10, moved to the hairpin, and finished off down the front straight. I pulled my camera out for about 5 seconds but between all the the Pros and the fans you couldn't get anywhere near the holes I shot through the day prior, so the camera went back in the bag. The four of us made our way down to the T1 area while the open wheel cars paraded around the track. We ended up lounging in the Mai Tai Bar, where the waitresses are easy on the eyes, for a little lunch and some adult beverages. Just after lunch another three more of my buddies made it down to So Cal, being hungry after their drive we all headed to Bubba Gump's so they could get a little lunch and the rest of us had a Bubba Boiler (a beer and a shot). Next up was the ALMS qualifying, so we headed to the stands on the outside of the track near T1, where we could see the cars braking for T1, see a video monitor and hear Hindy over the PA system (very important). I also had my Blackjack smart phone going with LT&S up so I can keep track of the progress. After a pretty good qualifying (any qualifying where the Lizards are on top is good in my book), we headed back for the trolley to retrieve the cars. Once back at the hotel we had a couple coffee pots (exactly 2 C minuses (Coors lights) fit in most hotel coffee pots) and headed out for dinner at Fred's in Huntington Beach. I'm a big fan of Fred's fish tacos if you get a chance try'em out. Two fish tacos, a few Coronas, and a couple shots of tequila, we made our way back to our hotel rooms to crash.


Well after a night having an adult beverage or two we decided not to get up for the short morning warm-up. We made it in time for the Champ Car qualifying, which we watched from the grand stand on the front straight. A couple of my friend, not big race fans, commented how boring it was compared to the ALMS qualifying. I agreed, between the announcer on oxygen (literally...he was hooked up to a machine) and a poor qualifying format, it just wasn't very interesting. The plan was to head for the ALMS paddock to watch the cars pre-gird. Unfortunately we watched the Champ Car Qualifying a bit to long and didn't make it to the ALMS paddock it time, as they went out to their pit stalls one session early. That was a big bummer, it's always fun to take new fans right up to a C6.R as it starts it's engine. So after missing the pre-grid we decided to head to where we were going to watch the race from. I decided I was going to do something I had never done at a race before, stay in one place for the entirety of the race. Why you ask? Well we had a rather large crew, there were people everywhere, and the good spots to watch from were a couple people deep. It would have been hard to keep us all together and have a good view of the race. So we sat in the stands on the inside of T6 were we also had a view of the braking for T1 and that all important view of a big screen. The race was a good one with plenty of action, all of my buddies seemed to enjoy it. After the race we headed back for the hotel to clean up for dinner. Like the night prior we had some drinks, went to dinner in Newport, hit a couple bars, and headed back to the room for a nightcap.

Saturday we reluctantly headed back to the track to watch a little bit of the Champ Car race. The race started around noon or so and went until 3pm. Our GA tickets did not gain us access to any of the stands on Sunday, so that was a bummer. We ended up watching about 45 mins of the race an decided to start our journey back North. Champ Car just doesn't do it for me or any of my friends, big yawner in my opinion.


Overall Thoughts:
Well I'm glad I got the opportunity to go, we had a really good time. I think the biggest question would be...will I go back? The last two year my dad and I road tripped to Utah, where we had a much better 'sports car' experience. The ALMS is a little to second class citizen at Long Beach for me. I'd rather drive the 12 hours to SLC and see a proper track than 6 to see Long Beach. Part of the fun for me is taking pictures, which is nearly impossible at a place like Long Beach with all of the catch fencing. Long Beach is a decent racing experience, plenty of fun was had, but more because I was with a bunch of good friends than the actual racing. The ALMS race was good, very good, it was cool being there...but the race is only part of the reason I like attending ALMS events.

A Penske Porsche RS Spyder leading a Dyson Porsche RS Spyder leading a Fernandez Lola B06/43-Acura leading a Cytosport Lola B06/10-AER at Mid-Ohio. Image Credit: SPYDERMAN360

It’s The Open Road Challenge For ALMS Cars

With the American Le Mans Series running in Utah this weekend, one wonders ... why doesn't the management of the American Le Mans Series plan to take in the Nevada Open Road Challenge along the way as a “Qualification” round?

If there ever was an event designed to take into account the uniqueness of the full-bodied racing automobiles of the American Le Mans Series classification of cars, it is this open road challenge timed racing event that is held two times a year through Central-East Nevada.


Drivers patiently wait in line for the tech inspection at Broadbent Park in Ely, Nevada for last September's 20th anniversary of the Silver State Classic Challenge open road speed rally. Image Credit: The Ely Times (2007)

Technically, the Nevada Open Road Challenge (May 15-18, 2008)/Silver State Classic Challenge (September 18-21, 2008) event is a rally format that includes a navigator along with the driver held on a 90 mile open stretch of Nevada Highway 318 between the towns of Lund and Hiko. The cars are run in classes at five mile per hour increments, from 95 mph to 180 mph, with the class determined by the vehicle's safety equipment, the driver's experience level and the driver/navigator comfort level.

There is also an Unlimited Division for very experienced drivers with full race-equipped cars. Vehicles are started at one minute intervals and 30 second intervals, beginning with the 150 mph class and working back to the 95 mph class. Once the last 95 mph class vehicle clears the course, the Unlimited Division and the higher speed brackets over 150 are run as the final group.


Image Credit: SSCC

This is where the ALMS could make an impact in the annuals of American racing (assuming that the organizers accomidate the ALMS with a basic rules change - driver only) ... have the ALMS cars line up and qualify for the upcoming race in Salt Lake City at the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix by driving the 90 miles from Lund, Nevada to Hiko, Nevada, and may the best time win its bracket. With a little planning, this idea would create some history and possibly capture a Guinness Book world record along the way.


Image Credit: SSCC

This excerpted from the Silver State Classic Challenge website –

Silver State Classic ChallengeA Brief History

The State of Nevada closes down 90 miles of Route 318 and more than 200 drivers from around the world converge on the little town of Ely in the central high desert of Nevada. Why do they come? To experience first-hand the adrenaline rush of driving flat-out on a public highway. Not just professional racers, but men and women from all walks of life, pursuing the Walter Mitty dream of speed, horsepower, and high performance. Yes, there’s a place for everyone in the Silver State Classic Challenge events.

As the Silver State Classic Challenge Series of Open Road Rally Events continues into the new millennium, we thought it might be interesting to trace the history of this unique American auto rally event. It began simply enough in 1988, as a showcase for vintage racing cars. Along with Ferrel Hansen, then President of the White Pine County Chamber of Commerce, the organizers received approval from the State of Nevada to close the highway based on the event’s potential for pumping money into the local economy. That left less than two months to organize the event, which meant getting the go-ahead from all three counties, formulating a traffic control plan, lining up the Nevada Highway Patrol to secure the highway, and arranging liability insurance of one million dollars. After Steve Waldman, one of the original organizers and then Marketing Director of the Showboat Hotel in Las Vegas, agreed to make the Showboat the official host property, everything was in place.

When the Silver State Classic Challenge debuted on Sunday, September 25, 1988, it was the first legal open-road rally of its kind in the U.S. in a half-century. In addition to vintage autos, it pulled in a mixed bag of late model, high performance vehicles and muscle cars. Among the 50 odd entries were six Ferraris, thirteen Porsches and four Corvettes. The oldest American car was a ’56 Dodge D500, which blew its engine after just twenty minutes into the event. Overall, three cars failed to finish, but fortunately nobody was injured. For the record, a red 1988 Ferrari Testarossa, driven by Jim Liautad, Jr. of Elgin, Illinois, which averaged 162.58 mph, clocked the fastest time.
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Thanks to favorable press in nationally known publications like “Motor Trend” and “Autoweek”, the next event drew over one hundred competitors, including a 19-year old phenomenon name R.J. Gottlieb blasted through the course at 197.99 mph, hitting speed in excess of 220mph, a record that has only recently been broken.

However, it was later determined that the course was 2 miles shorter than originally thought. Therefore, the old record was retired and a new mark of 186.73mph was set in the May, 1996 event by veteran open road participant, Kelly Seivers. Again in 1999 the course was remeasured by an independent civil engineering firm and found to still be about 2,000 feet short, and so that record was retired and the new Public Highway Land Speed Record was established after moving the Start Line to bring the course to exactly 90 miles in length.

The current record now stands at 207.7801 mph (334.3896 km/h) set by Chuck Shafer and his navigator Gary Bockman at the May 2000 event.
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The year 2001 was a year of big developments in the SSCC history. We were accepted into the Guinness World Book of Records for two records, Highest Speed On A Public Highway and the Fastest Road Rally.
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The organization’s many dedicated volunteers work hand-in-hand with the State of Nevada to boost travel and tourism in the region. Upcoming events will host the world’s top open-road drivers, names like Chuck Shafer, Rick Doria, Kim Baker, Todd Carpenter, Dave Golder and Tarik Ben Jabar, as they go for broke in their attempt to set new Public Highway Land Speed Records.

One thing’s for sure, in the words of Phil Henry; “We can count on these guys to come out with the fastest machines to ever set rubber on a public highway”.
Reference Here>>

... notes from The EDJE

Mario Dominguez mastering the hairpin just before entering the Long Beach Shoreline Drive straightaway in his Pacific Coast Motorsports Panoz DP01 Image Credit: Andy Sallee - TSO Photographer (2008)

… or, when the pure love of motorsport meets a strong management style.

This year, 2008 has been quite a year for Pacific Coast Motorsports. It started off smooth enough, the kick-off party at the Hard Rock Hollywood was a complete success. Members of the C-300 volunteer group in Long Beach, luminaries’ from the Grand Prix of Long Beach Association, card carrying Screen Actors Guild members, photographers, and fans enjoyed themselves under the guitar and beside the Atlantic racing cars before retiring inside for food and chat.

At that time, back in the middle of February, Pacific Coast Motorsports, under the management of team president, Tyler Tadevic, had plans to compete successfully in two major American open-wheel series. After all, in 2004, the team had put together a series championship winning campaign with Jon Fogarty and was looking to do the same in the ChampCar World Series after what the team had learned from completing its first season in 2007 with a two car, three driver effort with Alex Figge, Ryan Dalziel, and later, ChampCar veteran Mario Dominguez.

In about the time it took the PCM transporter to leave Oxnard and drive to Sebring for the first at speed testing for the Atlantic series where Frankie Muniz (yes that, "Malcom In The Middle" star, Frankie Muniz), and Carl Skerlong were anxious to get the season started … an announcement came down that the CCWS would merge with the Indy Racing League starting immediately.

The investment in equipment and relationships that had been forged over previous years that were planned out and put in place, in order to compete at the highest levels of professional motorsports had to be totally re-assessed in a bizarre game of high-stakes 52 card pick-up.

What was once viewed as a 2008 sophomore season chase toward a championship title with American born driver (a dwindling breed) Alex Figge, just became a rookie motorsports competition effort with new equipment, new tracks, new rules, and no driver, no sponsor. All of this with the prospect of having to run one last race through the streets of in about two months.

This edited and excerpted from Racer Magazine -

SPECIAL: PCM - Poster Child of What’s Possible
Written by: David Phillips - Senior writer, RACER Magazine - http://www.racer.com - 04/29/2008 - 04:50 PM - Calif.

“You look at the other teams and most of those other teams had some sort of investor to facilitate the move from Champ Car,” Tadevic observes. “But ours is one of the only ones that’s set up 100% on sponsorship, sponsorship derived from a driver who went out and sold the program. I like to think of us as the poster child of what is possible.”
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PCM then ran the American Le Mans Series and Grand-Am GT in ’05 before finishing the year in Daytona Prototypes. A full season of Daytona Prototypes followed with another one in the cards for ’07 until a chance meeting between Tom Figge and Kalkhoven led PCM down the Champ Car path.
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“I was able to put myself as far in hock as my creditors would allow me,” Tadevic continues. “I scraped up the sums necessary to buy the company out. Mr. Figge was gracious enough to allow me to do so. As I explained to everybody, ‘I’m all in on a pair of twos!’ I’m either gonna get another two on the draw or I’m gonna have to fold and find something else to do!”

Fortunately, Dominguez arrived with that missing two with a three to boot – as in a third-place finish in the Champ Car swan song at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The deuce? That would be the Visit Mexico sponsorship.
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Over the winter, we hired some really capable people with IRL and oval experience, including Didier Francesia a chief mechanic from Target/Ganassi, and we have (crew chief) Roy Wilkerson and (mechanic) Chuck Miller who were with us last year and have a significant number of Indy 500s and time in the IRL under their belts.

“Then, engineering-wise, we brought on Gerald Tyler, who has a ton of oval experience in Indy Lights and Champ Car. It’s the same with our general manager, Michael Harvey. So I think we’re better prepared personnel-wise for the IRL than a lot of other teams. Can we be ‘best of the rest?’ I think we can and I think what we did in , Long Beach displays that. As an organization we’re really matured and I think we’re ready to make that next step.”
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“I’ve become pretty good friends with Michael Cannon, race engineer at HVM,” says Tadevic. “Michael told me the other day, ‘You’re the most ambitious man in motorsports.’ I think what he was really saying was that I’m either the most ambitious man in motorsports – or the stupidest. But we’ll see. All I can say for now is that failure is not in the scope of things.
Reference Here>>

The key to Pacific Coast Motorsports and Tyler Tadevic's management style (and the absolute love of the competition provided through racing automobiles) can be found in this Tadevic statement, “Every off-season we liquidated what assets we had procured for the series for the season before and throw those funds back towards a new series.

We’d go backwards a bit every time, but not as much as you might think when we were able to take our capital investments and basically roll them into the next investment throughout that entire time.”

It is this tough but smart management strategy through the years at Pacific Coast Motorsports that has allowed Mario Dominguez, at this very moment, to pursue the lifelong dream of competing at the Indianapolis 500. The dream begins Sunday, May 4, with the Rookie Orientation Program on track from noon-5 p.m.

We, here at The EDJE, are doubleing down on the success of Tyler Tadevic and the Oxnard, California based team at Pacific Coast Motorsports.

... notes from The EDJE

Well, it seems that no good deed goes unpunished. I read on the web today that John Fitch, yes, THAT John Fitch is in a bit of a spot with the great state of Conneticut because he "tried" to do the "right" thing.

The Following is poached from the 'net:

This is unacceptable.

This guy is an American hero. Put aside his AMAZING racing career. A career that saw him racing with Briggs Cunningham, and an Alfred Neubauer-led Mercedes Benz, teamed with the likes of Fangio, Stirling Moss, Karl Kling, and Peter Collins. Competing at Sebring, LeMans, The Mille Miglia, and recently. at the ripe old age of 89, the Bonneville Salt Flats. Forget all of that.

What makes him a hero is his service to this country. He flew P-51's in WW2, managing to shoot down one of Hitler's Speedy Messerschmidt ME-262's, and was then shot down himself toward the end of the war, becoming a "guest" of the Germans in one of their cozy little POW camps.

After his racing career ended, Fitch focused on making our roads safer. Ever see those yellow barrells surrounding bridge abutments? Those are called the "Fitch Inertial Barrier." He invented them. Then he tested them. Personally. By crashing into them to prove their effectiveness. Like I said: a Hero.

Is this how we treat our Heroes in America.:mad:

After 12 grinding hours at Sebring, I couldn't help but notice Romain Dumas' comment following the race:

"It will be very difficult to win so many races overall, I'm quite sure about that. Today was something special."

Was Sebring "something special" or was it a sign of things to come?

"Computer simulations show that the lighter LM P2 sports cars have an advantage over the "bigger" LM P1 class on seven of the eleven circuits visited by the American Le Mans Series, Audi nevertheless faces this challenge," Audi said in a statement last Friday, committing to the 2008 ALMS season.

Now make it eight. They lost to the gaggle of P2s in the race they had swept for the past eight years. Yes, came down to reliability, Audi did have the speed over the P2s. But still, a win is a win.

We next head to the tight and twisty tracks on the calender - the street courses. St. Petersburg, Long Beach. Then it's the unknowns of the revised layout at Miller Motorsports Park. The P2 cars will be very tough to beat at these venues.

The big question raised is: will Audi fight back? Their 2008 car seems to be improved but lacked reliability at Sebring. With the focus on Le Mans, has most of the organization's resources gone to Europe to support the LMS effort?

Nonetheless, I think we are in for one hell of a season - with a three-way battle for the overall win. Acura has come back much improved - and they should be fighting for overall wins this year as well. And Audi will still be there - they won't give up that easy.

But, I have this sneaking suspicion we will see those bright yellow cars taking more overall victories than the silver diesel bullets. - Just like last year. A more permanent changing of the guards?

Here's some quick pre-race chatter on the eve of the start of the 2008 American Le Mans Series season:

Corsa Motorsports has withdrawn due to tire problems with new supplier, Hankook. I talked with Gunnar Jeannette today, before the official announcement was released. He said the team has a three-year partnership with the tire manufacturer, pretty much prohibiting them from running another tire brand for this race. Let's hope the team makes it back out for St. Pete...

The B-K Motorsports Mazda has been successfully rebuilt and has passed inspection this evening. Dean Case from Mazdaspeed provided us with the good news. The team worked around the clock building up the car on a new tub. The car is apparently even decaled up too. Impressive... as the words of JT: "a Herculean effort" :D

Risi Competizione revealed it's driver lineup for the No. 61 Ferrari for the remainder of the season. Former Rolex Series driver Harrison Brix will partner Patrick Friesacher..

Another new lineup that will start at round two is Audi's second R10 TDI. Emanuele Pirro and Frank Biela will drive the second car, alongside Marco Werner and Lucas Luhr. That's right, two full-time Audis for the season.

I spent most of the day wandering around to various hospitality tents for media opportunities. Peugeot's turned out to be very informative. Peugeot Sport Director Michel Barge was very pleased with progress made at Sebring, but stressed it is still a "test". But, if they are in the position to win, they will go for it. He also hinted a bit towards the future and Peugeot's planned "hybrid" program, which is supposed to be in a "testing" phase this year. It was very hard to get any confirmed information out of him on this. Nonetheless, it seems like a very exciting new program. Serge Saulnier, team manger, explained that their single car entry may not work as well on terms of strategy. Audi would be able to do split strategy, where the Pug won't have that luxury.

I've been most impressed by the Peugeot effort. Quietly confident.. I wouldn't be surprised to see them on the top step of the podium 24 hours from now... OR perhaps even a P2 car. It may be a stretch, but both Audi and Peugeot drivers think the P2 cars may have a shot at the overall win. Apparently, the P2s can do three less pit stops due to its efficiency. Now wouldn't that be something? Allan McNish predicts a four-way fight.

Weather is going to be a key factor in tomorrow's race. The forecast is calling for sunny and 87 F. It will surely be the hottest day of the week and could through up some challenges. The Peugeot is not air conditioned, although the cockpit is regulated to stay within 10 C of the ambient temperature. Don't ask me what happens if it goes above that..



Anyways, long day tomorrow. Going to try and get some rest now.

Greetings all.

Wednesday at the track provided the usual bits of goodness. Fast cars, great scenery and plenty of opportunities to photograph the best sports cars in the world.

I'll be posting images from Thursday in the gallery section of this forum later.

But for now...


And be sure to have a look at the galleries on my home page here

Well as I certain those of you stuck back home are anxious for news from sunny Florida, I will add the view from above, here in the media center.

Today is Wednesday, so we'll back track a day to Tuesday's musings first. This day was reserved as a promoter's test day. Some teams chose to go out while others continued to build their personal village in the paddock. As to who was fast, our French friends at this point continue to lead the way in the Peugot. The Bowtie brigade pace GT1 and the Lizards are, well, flying. Others are gaining, LGM comes to mind as they continue to find speed and a drop in times.

Saw Max Papis in the parking lot. When inquired as to how Max felt about the new paint scheme, Max replied, "It doesn't matter to me(smile), the Vette is fast not the paint. You could paint it purple for all I care. The Vette IS fast."

I mentioned the paddock villages. I think the French are taking over. They have erected a monstrous temporary structure, with steel beams, solid sides, full lighting....something that rivals the repair shop of your local car dealership. It will be dismantled and shipped out come Sunday. Very impressive to see.

Audi meanwhile, not to be out done, have their own two story hospitality building. It truly makes one giggle at the spectacle. Just amazing.

Today is Wednesday as the date suggest. It has rained all evening but seems to be clearing out as we speak. Humidity will no doubt come into play as the day progresses.

Updates as available.

T

The start of a new racing season is always a special time. New cars, new teams, new drivers, new sponsors, new goals.. It's an opportunity to make a fresh start. The 2008 American Le Mans Series is no exception. A lot has changed since the checkered flag flew at Laguna Seca last October, but more has stayed the same.

Audi's dominance in the LM P1 class is likely to not change, although its exact ALMS program has yet to be announced. Rumors center around a one-car full-season assault. Maybe we'll find out more at Sebring or shortly after. The German diesels are once again focusing it's efforts around the 24 Hours of Le Mans - but also this year in the Le Mans Series with two cars.

Sebring will see the first North American face-off between two diesel prototypes. Peugeot has entered one of its 908 HDI FAPs as a test for their return to La Sarthe. They were quick in the Winter Test and could be a threat for the win.

A third diesel prototype team will be on the grid in the form of ECO Racing. Utilizing a Radical SR10 with a production-based V12 powerplant, the Ian Dawson-led crew are aiming to run the entire season.

Both Intersport and Autocon have been making strides during the off-season as well. Mike Lewis' team has taken delivery of a Creation CA07, according to the latest updated entry list. And the Ohio-based Intersport squad have been pounding away with testing miles. Look for bright things from two of the series independent stalwarts.

LM P2 features an "upgraded" look compared to last season, with all the major teams returning but each having minor revisions.

Pat Long joins Penske, replacing Ryan Briscoe who is off to IndyCar. Christian Fittipaldi is Bryan Herta's new full-season co-driver at Andretti Green. Scott Sharp joins Highcroft Racing, bringing sponsorship from Patron Tequila. Lowe's Fernandez Racing switches to the Acura ARX 01-b chassis. Dyson Racing adds Marino Franchitti and B-K Motorsports welcomes new tire partner Yokohama and sponsor BP. So what do all of these changes mean?

Expect the competition to fierce. Penske will probably still be the class of the field, but I predict seeing Acura challenging for wins - and probably taking two or three. Dyson should be in the mix as well, as they enter their second season with the RS Spyders.

Can the P2 cars challenge for overall wins again? I think so, especially at the tight and twisty circuits that suit the lighter and more nimble RS Spyders and ARX 01-bs.

What about GT1? Finally, Corvette Racing has competition. Bell Motorsports has entered an Aston Martin DBR9 for the full-season. But don't expect to see the green machine landing in victory lane. The Pratt & Miller boys have a stranglehold in the category and will be extremely tough to beat - unless you are a factory team.

GT2 sees an influx of new cars and teams, but Ferrari will still be the car to beat. After a disappointing 2007 season, Porsche is back with vengeance, supporting the three-car Flying Lizard attack. Farnbacher-Loles will also enter a 997 for the full-season, as will VICI Racing, with a second car coming later in the year. The question is: can any of these teams challenge Risi Competizione?

The Farnbacher Loles entry could be a threat, and we know two of the three Lizards cars will be as well. It will be a question of time if the off-season developments from Porsche can get them back into victory lane on a consistent basis.

The Ferrari attack is bolstered with Tafel Racing switching to the prancing horse, as well as a full-season program from Corsa Motorsports.

The three American auto giants - Ford, Chevy and Dodge all have cars represented in GT2. The only problem is that only one of the three is receiving factory assistance: Pratt & Miller is providing support to LG Motorsports' Corvette C6 program. Dodge Motorsports was originally slated to provide support to Joel Feinberg's Primetime Race Group Viper effort, but that fizzled out over the off-season. And Ford has never intended to support Doran-Kuttner's Ford GT project. But nonetheless, all three cars will be welcome additions to the grid.

Finally, we shouldn't forget about Drayson-Barwell's efforts, initially campaigning an Aston Martin DBRS9, then moving to the new Vantage GT2 by Long Beach. The British team, like Interssport, will be using the series' new E85 Ethanol fuel.

My predictions for Sebring? I suspect an Audi will take the overall win, but will be closely pursued by one of the Penske RS Spyders - which will finally take a Sebring win in P2. GT1 will be Corvette, while GT2 could be a great fight between Ferrari and Porsche.. And how cool would it be if it comes down to the wire like last year? Melo vs. Bergmeister.. Bring it on!

Ah, the joys of childhood. Lego's were a huge part of mine and all still have all my sets boxed up waiting in storage for me to have kids. One of my greatest achievements was after receiving a space shuttle set, I proceeded to make a Lego space shuttle launch complex. I still have several pictures of that tucked away somewhere I believe.

To that point I found on CNET the other day this link to a new program where you can actually design and build your Lego creation digitally.

http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-...12.html?tag=bl

Now this program is actually quite nice with the ability to zoom and rotate 360 degrees. The amazing thing is after you have completed building your Lego creation you can actually check the price and order the individual pieces sent to you.




Now I just wish Lego and Boeing would come out with a 777 version of this and I would be a happy camper.



As a side note as this is my first blog, if anybody in their travels ends up on one of Delta's brand new 777's, I spent quite a few hours on that plane getting it ready to fly. The engineering that goes into that plane is amazing and I still love to say that I build airplanes. The real ones and the Lego ones. Enjoy!

First let me say, I'm not afraid to admit I've made mistakes in my life. But I will say, I work very hard at only making them once. So, I'm always willing to give folks a little slack as they come up through the ranks of business and life.

But, then we have people who like to stick their chest out and assume the roll of a "professional."

For some reason, the words professional, media, racing and Internet, have somehow inherited floating definitions. Definitions that are seemingly arbitrarily applied at will by the individual needing to conveniently fit or apply it to a specific situation... typically, to their personal benefit or gain.

This past week I was invited to participate in a PRIVATE test session. Keeping in mind, this is my job, as a professional, I scrutinized my roll as it applied to the situation and made sure I conducted myself accordingly.

Applying the premise that this is where I make my living... and, given the fact I have a hard card credential that was issued with the expectation that I'll conduct myself safely, professionally and, as a media representative, I know to hold the privacy of other members of the community in confidence when requested.

Pretty simple... at least that's what I thought.

As the owner of this and other race related sites, I'd love to share the photos, the stories and events of the past few days. However, and as stated above, I feel obliged to respect the privacy of others.

Now it seems, photos of the most recent PRIVATE test, have been distributed by other media outlets. To me, this is in direct contrast of what I feel is professional behavior... let alone a total disregard for the individual teams and participants portrayed in the images. This was a private test and I can assure you, the majority of the participants DID NOT want photos distributed.

How do I know? I asked. Before I walked on track with a camera (which I was hired to do), I spoke to each team, informed them of my reason for being there. This was a simple step... a courteous step.. and a step I feel should be expected of someone carrying a IMSA annual credential. After all, it's a privilege.

A few teams had no problem. Several teams ask that I HOLD OFF publishing images until the week of Sebring, as they didn't want them out there. One team manager gave me a very incredulous stare and said... "well, this is a PRIVATE test." Smiling, I explained, "that's why I'm asking."

So, while I apologize to our readers for not "sharing." I would hope that most of you appreciate and recognize why this site is taking the high road.... and making an effort to conduct ourselves with a reasonable level of professionalism. And, after all, I gave people my word. Expect that to continue.

We respect our credentials.. the sanctioning body, the teams and their partners and even... believe it or not, other members of the media. At least, those who conduct themselves similarly.

JT

Confession time: I am a geek.

I am fascinated by the Apollo space program. Unfortunately I was born too late, I missed it. I was born into a world where man had already walked on the moon, and hasn't returned as long as I've been alive. Bummer.

I'm not sure where I got the fascination, but there is something epic, noble, courageous, bold, and maybe a even a little romantic about exploring new and beautiful places. I believe it's good for the spirit, good for the soul............

JFK May 25, 1961:
"I therefore ask the Congress, above and beyond the increases I have earlier requested for space activities, to provide the funds which are needed to meet the following national goals:

First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."

Followed up by JFK at Rice University on September 12, 1962:
"We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours.

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation many never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?

We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.
...........................................

Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, "Because it is there."

Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."



Seriously!............ Who writes this stuff?!

Anyway, because my parents apparently took their sweet time getting hitched and subsequently "getting it on", I missed out on the first hand experience of the time, and, as a result have been forced to get my fix from books, movies and documentaries.

Which brings me to last Wednesday night.

On my weekly trip to the DVD section of Best Buy, I stumbled on a documentary on the moon missions called "In the Shadow of the Moon : Remember When The Whole World Looked Up?", directed by fellow moon-geek Ron Howard, who also directed the Hollywood blockbuster "Apollo 13".

If you are even remotely interested in this time in our history I highly suggest either buying or renting this documentary. Extraordinary stuff.

The movie consists of archival photo's, videos, and interviews with many of the principals involved. Names like Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, and Jim Lovell. The only dissapointment is the lack of an appearance by Neil Armstrong, who has become somewhat of a recluse over the years.

The documentary covers the Apollo 1 tragedy, moves to Apollo 8, which was one of the few bright spots of a very turbulent 1968. And it of course covers the Apollo 11 moon landing in-depth.

Among the many things discussed, the one thing that struck me the most was the unity of the world..... The Americans didn't do it... WE did it. Mankind. WE landed on the moon, not just America. As someone who grew up during the later years of the Cold-War, and the first Gulf War. Not to mention 9/11 and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, this worldwide "unity" was astounding to see. African villagers jumping up and down in celebration, Europeans cheering in the streets, ALL of us celebrating. WE did it. Mankind.

The history of mankind is written on a timeline of exploration.

I wonder....... where will we go next?...... And when will that be?

Studies Say Biofuels Worse Than Gasoline
This, according to a recent article in Wired Magazine.. (or is it on?) taking from a study published in SCIENCE magazine.