Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/05/06

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Subject: [Leica] Friday night races, 4-28
From: Harvey.Arche at jp2hs.org (Arche, Harvey)
Date: Sat May 6 13:26:03 2006

I got so involved with that Sebring stuff (which isn't finished yet) that I 
put off dealing with the subject that got me started on it. I finally souped 
and scanned the film I took at the stock car races last Friday night, and 
have put together this over-long photo essay. Unfortunately, for me, stock 
cars have none of that exotic eye-pull quality that the old sports cars do. 
What draws me to these races is the face of teamwork and competition, and 
how it is presented as public entertainment.

After several hours of practicing and tune-up laps, there is a break at dusk 
before the evening's races start. This is that hour during which, in the 
South, people set on their porches.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_officials
(If you're hoping this shot sets the level for the rest of them, you're SOL. 
Geez! I wish)
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_delivery
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_lull

Prepping the cars, or, more often, making them legal, can be a frantic 
activity that goes on right up to the last minute, when cars have to be 
rolled to the pre-start grid. Everyone is involved. You can recognize the 
drivers in these shots by their fire-retardent coveralls, sometimes worn 
with the top undone and the arms tied around the waist.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_prep
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_prep_2

Nashville Motorplex, according to Wikipedia, is one of the country's oldest 
race tracks. It began as a horse track in the 1800's, and Barney Oldfield 
drove there in 1904. It was a Nascar Winston Cup track until the mid '80's, 
and the modern superspeedways started being built. Originally in the sticks, 
the city has grown up around it, and it is now closely surrounded by 
residential neighborhoods. If you know Chicago, think old Comisky park. 
Management is greatly concerned with the possibility of noise ordinances 
eventually shutting the place down, so races proceed on a clock-like 
schedule in order to be finished by 11 pm. Cars have to be in their places 
in the infield grid 15-20 minutes before race time, and cars stage in the 
open infield for the event of rolling up to the grid lane.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_rollup_1
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_rollup_2
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_rollup3

Once the cars have been pushed into position there is nothing to do for the 
next quarter hour but to wait, which the drivers do, usually with their 
crew/friends, in varying degrees of pre-race tension.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_wait_1
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_wait_2
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_wait_3
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_wait_4
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_wait_5
Guess which two pictures are of the guys who won their respective races.

During the race, focus shifts to the loop around the infield, and everyone 
stands in one spot, turning little circles, watching the cars go 'round the 
track. Its only a 1/2 mile so you can see the whole thing. Each car must 
have at least one spotter, whose job is to warn the driver of accidents out 
of his sight ahead. Crew chiefs run a constant patter of information about 
the compettition, the relative position of other cars, and obsess about the 
finer details of how the car is handling.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_spotter

Of course the punchline of the whole operation is to reach the winner's 
circle in victory lane. This is the closest the genral public comes to 
intersecting with the cars and drivers. Here's the son of one of the winning 
drivers.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_Kin
The official photographer, Miss Motorplex, and the winner, wait for the 
track announcer to arrive and make the trophy presentation.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_presentation
A young boy and the winning car.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_touch

Races are over by 11 pm, but all cars that finished in the top three must 
stand down for post-race inspection by the track officials. Owners must be 
willing to strip-down anything requested of them. Everyone still has the 
packup and trailer-drive home.
http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/4_28_final_inspection

Thanks for your persistence, 
Arche

Tech blab: M3, bugeye Summicron 35, Ilford Delta 3200 at 1600, Xtol 1:3.
The guys who won their races are in pictures 'wait 2' and 'wait 5'.


Replies: Reply from don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] Friday night races, 4-28)
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