Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]If the shots are great, never mind the grain. http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/car_driver2 http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/noise http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/night2 I'd used a slower shutter speed at this one: http://gallery.leica- users.org/album404/start1 Great series, again. Thanks for showing, Philippe Op 22-jun-06, om 00:05 heeft Arche, Harvey het volgende geschreven: > Of all the various paid sporting events I?ve ever been to, the drag > races have absolutely the least separation between spectators and > participants, at this track anyway. There is a small parking lot > for fans right next to the stands, for convenience, but you can > park wherever you want. At the drag strip there is no ?pit? area, > just big parking lots on either side of the track. This is where > the racers line up their trucks and trailers, and unload the cars. > Any mechanical work takes place here, as well as warm-up driving. > Everyone is walking around visiting and checking out the > competition. The only parking rules are custom and courtesy. > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/parking_pits > At this track there is a broad lane from the parking lots, along > back of the stands, leading to the bottom of the track. This is > where the racers queue up waiting their turns to run. The fences > are present only to define lanes, and there is no avoiding moving > in and through the mass of cars and drivers. > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/lane > Even though the line moves fairly quickly (each race only lasts > seconds), there is still a lot of standing around and waiting, > trash talking, haranguing the officials, and running to the > concession stand for snacks (send the spouse or kid). > Interestingly, to me anyway, there is a much higher proportion of > black participation in drag racing, by far, than any of the other > motor sports I?ve witnessed. > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/car_driver1 > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/car_driver2 > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/car_driver3 > The concession stand sells sodas, junk food, and earplugs (but this > evening the sign said: ?No Earplugs tonight - Don?t even ask?). The > noise can be shattering. Small boys stick their fingers in their ears > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/noise > and grown men shelter behind their spit cups. > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/burnout > This is the ?burnout? at the bottom end of the track, when drivers > spin their wheels on water-slicked pavement in order to get the > wheels hot so that they become soft and offer better traction. > Immediately after this the cars come up to the starting line, and > usually there is no more than 10-20 seconds between the burnout and > the actual race. > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/downthetrack > All the watchable action is at the starting end of the track, and > spectators are separated from the cars only by a chain-link and a > low wall. This is where most of the crowd is all evening. This > Toyota truck stomped that Camaro turning in a time of 6.99 seconds > for the quarter mile. > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/start1 > Then again, that Toyota truck is a Toyota truck like I?m Arnold > Schwarzenegger. Wait - I?ve got that backwards. > Time trials take up most of the daylight, and actual races begin in > the evening. One of my students, whose dad races a Chevelle here, > tells me they?ll run races, sometimes, until 3 in the morning. As > the wind dies, the pall of tire-smoke hangs at the starting line. > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/night1 > http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/night2 > Still smelling of burnt rubber, > Arche > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >