Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/04/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]OK, so I was born very much to the South, and my parents made going to the races at Sebring an annual get-away-from-the-kids event (a sign of coming of age was when I got to go along) and I've always loved fast cars. Now I'm sitting on an AARP card. You'd think that surely at some point in time I'd been to a stock car race, but no, I've always snooted it. Until last Friday night. Music City Motorplex. This is sub-Busch league, mom & pop, inner city, 1/2 mile oval racing, and it was fantastic - I kid you negative. Even to a first time visitor, there is an immediate impression of community. Whole multi-generational families, and parents dropping of groups of pre-teens with no worry that anything might happen to them. People all seemed to know each other. And everyone was extremely welcoming, accomodating to a newcomer with explanations, and open in conversation without being condescending, even though I obviously didn't fit the pattern. Hell, the track announcer came up and introduced myself to me, but that might have been because of the German jewelry. I haven't tried narrative reportage before, so here are two brief stories. The first is self-explanatory: a young man's first win; http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/first_win http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/hug http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/the_goods http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/interview http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/the_sponser The second could use some backstory. The fellow who won this race has been doing it for longer, but not as long as his 65 year old Dad, who came in second. Dad had kicked Jr.'s butt in the qualifying race. http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/congrats http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/luckycharm http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/runnerup http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/dad http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/the_moment http://gallery.leica-users.org/album404/afterwards Picks, pans, and editing advice? I think I'll be going back. Arche Tech Blab: M2, 35 summicron w/bugeyes, neopan 1600