Today’s Post by John Larsen
I was fortunate enough again to obtain media credentials and take photos at the 2019 Detroit Grand Prix. This is the only event on the Indycar schedule that includes two races in the same weekend!
My brother and I had been monitoring the weather forecast and radar in the morning to see if it would affect the first race on Saturday. Shortly before the scheduled start time the organizers made it clear that severe weather was imminent and spectators were to immediately seek shelter. The remainder of the day’s events were placed on hold. The wind and rain picked up quickly and lightning was in the area. Wisely the organizers provided access to the Media Center allowing families with children and volunteers to go inside.
Eventually the storm cleared, and an announcement was made that the first Indycar race of the weekend would start shortly. After looking at the radar and determining that there would not likely be any more rain, I decided that I could indeed take my better camera and lens combination trackside. I very much enjoy watching racing in the rain as I feel that it is an equalizer. This probably goes back to the days when my Dad would take my brother and I to Watkins Glen annually for the US Grand Prix there. It rained almost every time we went.
The photos in this post were all taken at corner seven using a Canon EOS 7D and an EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. There are a few openings in the fencing to allow for photos around this corner. I was fascinated watching the gloved hands of the drivers wrestle their steering wheels as they exited this corner and headed for the next turn and tried to capture it. This was not an easy task and many of the images were not usable. I felt the natural reflections in the puddles of water were a unique addition to both panning and the rain lights on the back of the cars.
Note: All photos were taken with trackside photo credentials.
John Larsen is located in the Greater Toronto Area, whose PhotoGraffics website contains samples of motorsports and hot air balloon photography from numerous Canadian balloon festivals.