Indy 500: Field is Full; Jimmy Kite Bumped Out in Final Qualifying

Indy 500: Field is Full; Jimmy Kite Bumped Out in Final Qualifying
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Let's go racing!



Bump Day at Indianapolis this year was anticlimactic after thousands of laps of running during two weeks of practice where less than four hours of green light time was lost to Mother Nature. Jimmy Kite was the only driver bumped out after taking a qualifying run Saturday of just more than 214, and the small PDM team had to take its beautiful car home after repairing it from a crash earlier in the week.



Phil Giebler got in the show after his Saturday crash, while Richie Hearn got the car that Jon Herb had originally crashed Tuesday of the first week of practice and was very impressive in qualifying after a minimal number of laps in his first time in a race car since the 2005 Indy 500. And wily veteran Roberto Moreno pulled a rabbit out of the hat, as the team withdrew their Saturday qualifying time and found 4 more mph to safely round out the field. I'm sure Marty Roth was happy as he ended up on the bubble with no serious challengers as Kite was stuck in the 214's and PJ Jones almost crashed twice in Turn 2 wrestling an evil handling car before calling it a month without ever presenting the car for qualifying.



So now we wait for Carb Day Friday and what many of us live for: the Greatest Spectacle in Racing this Sunday. 500 Miles at over 200 mph. 7 or 8 pit stops. Backmarkers by lap 15. Newcomers like Milka Duno who have little experience on ovals. And the juggernauts at the front: Target Ganassi, Penske and Andretti Green Racing. The winner is likely to come from one of these three teams, but again, keep an eye on Ryan Briscoe!



From the full tank runs I saw, watch for the cars bottoming out and shedding showers of sparks on full tanks and cold tires. To stay at the front, contenders will need to run consistently around 220, and there are some like Wheldon, Hornish and Kanaan who were able to rip off laps in the 224-225 range during race prep runs the last few days. So it should be another historic day Sunday. You should be here. Feel the breeze and smell the ethanol exhaust as they fly by on the opening lap. Trains of 10 cars or more rolling nose to tail. Noise like you've never heard or felt, all the way to your bones. You just can't get that on TV folks.



Of course, I'll be pulling for Sam Hornish Jr. to make it two in a row.



To see all the cars in this year's 500, go to www.flickr.com/photos/indyjay42 and enjoy.



Jay

Indy 500: Jimmy Kite Slowest with One Spot Open; Rookie Giebler Tags Turn 2 Fence

Indy 500: Jimmy Kite Slowest with One Spot Open; Rookie Giebler Tags Turn 2 Fence
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

I have to admit this was a strange but wonderful qualifying day. And I must revise my bump speed prediction dramatically downward. After today's events where rookie Phil Giebler pushed up out of the groove in Turn 2 and slapped the wall following a lap over 221 during a qualifying attempot around 5:30, veteran Jimmy Kite accepted a qualifying run of a little more than 214 for the 32nd and slowest spot in the field near closing time. So rather than squeaking in with 219's, that speed looks pretty safe right now.



With the weather forecast for Sunday including a high of around 80, teams will need to thrash to find speed. Giebler should get in easily if his care can be repaired, then Kite becomes the target for people like PJ Jones, Richie Hearn (for Hemelgarn) and maybe even Larry Foyt if AJ decides to wheel a thirf Foyt car out of the garage. So there should be some bumping this year after all just to get in the race, and you never know who's walking around Gasoline Alley with helmet in hand ready to give it a go.



While I expect the top teams to run in packs again Sunday as they did today to test race trim, now the fight is just to get in the race for the lesser teams whose year revolves around just putting a car in the show. Anyone worried about their speed will be practicing too, and with each car having three attempts tomorrow, expect it to go right down to the wire at 6:00 like so many years before.



It should be a beautiful day for motor car racing - unless the slight chance of rain becomes a reality and then all bets are off as the team managers will watch the weather radar. Then the race will be just to get through tech and make a qualifying attempt.



See you in Turn 2!



Jay

Indy 500: Another Andretti for the Race; Bump Day is Sunday

Indy 500: Another Andretti for the Race; Bump Day is Sunday
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Welcome back John Andretti-



It's good to have you back again after a 13 year hiatus running everything but open wheel. Indy is the better for your return. It was sure good to see you get up to speed Thursday on a day which veterans love to hate at the Speedway: cool, overcast, low track temperatures and a gusty headwind on the backstretch. Of course you handled it just fine.



And so far it's been a typical month of May. Hot. Then cold and windy. Now it's going to get hot again for bump day Sunday. With no significant rain to wash the track green, the groove is very dark in Turn 2 so there's lots of rubber down. This could turn to grease if the temperatures get up near 80 Sunday as predicted.



It looks to me like anyone that can run 222 should be safely in the field and 221 might even get in, but I think the bump speed will end up around 221.3 so Buddy Lazier, who is currently slowest in the field, should be safe. Now that Stephane Gregoire is out with a back injury, most of the remaining drivers are struggling to get to 220, so there may be some bumping around that mark. But I would not be at all surprised to see someone squeak in at 219+ in the last few minutes Sunday. Needless to say, a couple of crashes will throw the whole mix into the blender, but that's what makes Indy so great. For teams trying to find speed, conditions Wednesday and Thursday could not have been any worse. Today was almost ideal but as the air temperature creeps up, the asphalt at IMS changes from grippy to gripless sometimes, especially when qualifying with four perfect laps demands pushing it right to the edge.



Godspeed everyone. Bring them home safely this weekend. For a full photo rundown of the 22 drivers already qualified, go to www.flickr.com/photos/indyjay42.



Jay

Indy 500: Another Penske Pole; IRL Wins with Three Tries Format

Indy 500: Another Penske Pole; IRL Wins with Three Tries Format
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Indianapolis is the mother of all race tracks and today she showed just how fickle she could be. Helio Castroneves drove a dagger through the heart of the competition today and snatched pole position in the final 15 minutes of Pole Day qualifying under the Indy Racing League's "three tries per car per day" format. The IRL must be riding high this evening as the format got its first true test after two consecutive years where weather prevented its use.



On a cloudless warm day with a tailwind on the frontstretch, Roger Penske's machine stole the pole position from the dominant team for the week: Ganassi Racing. I am certain the Chipster is not a happy camper tonight. I thought all morning that Dixon and Wheldon were sandbagging as whatever speed they had during the week was seemingly lost overnight. The Indy oval was sun baked and after more than two days of solid running, there was lots of rubber on the track, and conditions were dramatically different than Friday May 11th. As usual the gamblers and the more experienced teams stepped to the forefront and adapted as Penske and Andretti Green Racing went toe-to-toe all day. Dario Franchitti waited all afternoon to see if anyone would knock him off the pole, and Michael Andretti sweated out the last hour and a half on the 11th position bubble.



Sam Hornish had two tries and was running a pole winning speed but bobbles in each run cost him. Then Helio took another swing and was his normal emotional self after taking his second Indy pole. Franchitti's teammate Tony Kanaan almost knocked Helio off the pole in the last 5 minutes but had to settle for the middle of the front row, pushing Dario to the outside.



It was an awesome day at IMS with multiple bumps for the 11th position, and a thrilling duel for the pole among several drivers.



And how about that Ryan Briscoe and the Penske "junior" team? Didn't I tell you?



The best pole day in years in my opinion, and the first one since 2001 not effected by Mother Nature. This will be hard to top. Tomorrow we do it again for the next 11 positions and then get to rest our feet for a couple of days. Let's hope the traditional bump day next Sunday is half as exciting as today has been. See you in Turn 2!

Indy 500: Scott Dixon Fastest May 10th; Wheldon Second; Ganassi Stays Hot

Indy 500: Scott Dixon Fastest May 10th; Wheldon Second; Ganassi Stays Hot
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

On an absolutely perfect chamber of commerce day in Indianapolis, Scotty-D upstaged his Target Ganassi Racing teammate during Happy Hour at IMS today and pushed the fast time for the month to 226.47. Danny Boy was close behind at 226.39. It looks like Andretti Green is getting their act together as Danica was third quick by an eyelash at 226.35. Scheckter continues to shine for the Vision team as the 4th driver on the day over 226.



And what did I tell you about Ryan Briscoe? He couldn't have been any closer to 226 and was 5th fastest at 225.99. Marco Andretti seems to have regained his 06 Indy form to run 6th after abysmal showings on IRL ovals so far this season; he was closely followed by Helio, Hornish, Vitor and Kosuke, as those clocking 6th through 10th were all over 225. And with another full day on Fast Friday May 11th ahead to tweak their cars, the pole and Top 11 position shootout should be awesome Saturday once everyone drops their Honda qualifying engines in.



From my vantage point inside Turn 2 today, it looks like JR and Unser Sr. need to do some more coaching with Ms. Duno, as she never seemed to run the same line two laps in a row. And I still think it's weird to see an Unser driving for Foyt, and a Foyt driving for Tony George. Ad next week, it looks like we may have another Andretti try to qualify: cousin John. Welcome back!



More to follow here on Friday's action and I hope to have shots up on my flickr pager (www.flickr.com/photos/indyjay42) of every car that has been on the track so far this month.

Indy 500: Wheldon Rules for Ganassi Racing; Continues Indy Racing League Hot Streak

Since the veterans were only allowed on the track Tuesday May 8th for the first time - and then for only six hours - and with practice starting late yesterday due to a rain delay which provided barely two more hours of green light time, everyone has taken notice of the fast times put in by Ganassi's lead driver Dan Wheldon. Already with two wins out of four races this season, Danny-boy was the only driver over 225 Tuesday and the only one over 226 yesterday. The rest of the top 5 is rotating among Andretti Green, Penske, and even Vision Racing. It looks to me like Wheldon has them covered so far as he's gotten up to speed quickly and easily.

Of course his advantage could all go out the window Saturday if the IRL's Pole Day "three tries" rule gets its first true test. The weather forecast looks favorable, albeit a bit warm for early May, so it could be quite a shoot-out among the top teams.

Don't rule out Ryan Briscoe either. He's driving for Roger Penske's son Jay in a "separate" team, and I'm sure Ryan would love to show everyone his true mettle after his horrific Chicagoland crash a couple of years ago. I'm sure he's an excellent sports car driver, but c'mon - this is the Indy 500.

Naturally I'm pulling for Sam Hornish Jr. and the Captain to pull a rabbit out of the hat and take pole again. With Penske's resources, Rick Mears' coaching and Sam's famous smooth, hard charging style, I'd bet that a pole would go a long way to salve his Busch series wounds where results have not been to Sam's liking.

Go fast, turn left, boys. Bring it home Saturday then let's gear up for May 27th. I'll be there for the race again to keep my personal string alive since 1976, and if you've only seen Indy on TV, get off the couch and get to 16th & Georgetown. It's a whole different deal live and in person - television just does not do the race justice. Come smell the sweet ethanol in the breeze with us and someday you too can tell your grandkids that you were there when...

...another legend was made. Only at the Indy 500.

Dan Wheldon at 2007 Indy 500 by Jay Alley

Dan Wheldon in Turn 1 at Indianapolis during practice (May 8, 2007)

NASCAR Race Attendance & TV Ratings: Downward Trend or Fed Up Fans?

NASCAR Race Attendance & TV Ratings: Downward Trend or Fed Up Fans?
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Hello again from Indy race fans-



Every now and then someone writes in the MSM or TV's talking heads rattle on about the lack of butts in the seats at NASCAR races or a decline in TV ratings. I have my own theory and wonder whether it is even a real issue, or whether it falls into the Barnum category of any publicity is good publicity. My observation, from personal experience at the Brickyard and from watching races on TV, is that race tracks are not selling out like they used to and it may or may not be about the NASCAR product. The photo with this article is in Turn 1 at the 2006 Brickyard and there were actually more empty seats there this year than for the Indy 500 for the first time in my recollection.



The most obvious culprit is the economy. Corporate ticket buying undoubtedly has come down as mergers and acquisitions squeeze marketing budgets. A side effect is people are scared of losing their jobs; if they are not comfortable that their company is going to be there next week, or are afraid of getting downsized in a cost cutting spree, then people naturally are going to keep their money in the bank and stay home and couch race.



I don't believe that is the real issue however. What I believe is happening is a function of a personal decision whether or not to be a race fan. Race fans are a special breed of sports fan, braving ridiculous traffic in and out of tracks. Getting there early for a good parking space. Waiting hours and hours for the race to start. Drying out after rain delays and more waiting. Dealing with drunks and expensive concessions and souvenirs. Long lines at restrooms. Surviving extreme heat in aluminum bleachers in the summer. Dragging coolers, cameras, kids, and other gear miles to seats, only to wait some more. Hurry up and wait all day. Then the reverse pilgrimage back to the car when the race is over. More drunks. More ridiculous traffic. Tired, hot, short tempered, and dreading the next day's alarm clock to go back to the workday grind.



Who in their right mind would put up with that? True race fans, that's who. The ones that deal with all the above and can't wait to tell their friends. Or who call their friends while the cars are on the track just to be able to share the noise with someone who can't attend. The ones who have their year planned out around which races to attend.



That's the personal decision I'm talking about. And I think that lots of people become NASCAR fans from the marketing juggernaut that is Nextel Cup, and from watching the races on TV. So maybe they decide to go see a race. What happens? They can't stand the crowds, or the waiting, or decide that couch racing is infinitely easier, especially when they can TIVO the whole thing and watch at their leisure. It's just too damn much trouble for most normal people to put up with.



But then no one ever accused race fans of being normal. I know I certainly am not, and have not. Will I see you at the race track?

Helio Rules at St. Pete in Indy Racing League Round 2

Helio Rules at St. Pete in Indy Racing League Round 2
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Helio, Helio, wherefor art thou Helio?



In the lead on the temporary circuit in St. Petersburg, Florida.



Where else would he be? At least it seems that way with the way he has controlled these St. Pete events, and not even consistent pressure from Scott Dixon could force him off his line. Penske precision in the pits got Helio in and out unscathed every time and he never put a wheel wrong all day. The same could not be said for teammate Sam Hornish, Jr., however as he drifted wide in Turn 1 and lost three spots in one corner. It's tough to drive with one eye in the mirrors but Helio seems to have mastered it.



With the deadline for Indy entries coming up soon and two oval tracks up next on the schedule, could Helio just be practicing his fence climbing for 500 win #3? And how many pit stops will it take to finish Indy now with the smaller fuel cell? Nine or 10 minimum would be my guess, so now there's even less margin for error on pit road than ever before, and everyone knows the margin is razor thin on the race track at Indy anyway.



Is it May yet?



Jay

Dan Weldon Smokes Competition at Indy Racing League Opener

Dan Weldon Smokes Competition at Indy Racing League Opener
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

The IRL weekend at Homestead was a mixed bag of results for Ganassi Racing. They put a rocket ship under Dan Weldon who was untouchable the whole race and would have probably led every lap if the team hadn't had a miscue on pit lane. For a moment, I thought 2006 pit problems were going to bite Danny-boy again, but a fast car and Weldon's aggressiveness in traffic prevailed. Ninth to first in 11 laps was very impressive. The downside of the weekend was the severe leg injuries suffered by Ganassi's rookie Indy Pro Series driver, Argentinian Pablo Perez. Godspeed and get well soon.



I must say I was not very impressed by the IRL's new wing rule. If it was supposed to pack up the field for closer racing, it didn't appear to be working, until late in the race once everyone had a chance to make adjustments following the Jeff Simmons crash. I'd say it's debatable whether the wing had any effect at all. I don't think anyone wants to see the pack racing the way it was in Atlanta a few years ago, but there definitely needs to be more of the side by side action the IRL has become famous for on the mile-and-a-half tracks.



Now it's on to St. Pete. Don't expect Marco to have a bad handling car this weekend folks! And I doubt Weldon will run into anyone under yellow this year. Hopefully Sarah Fisher and AJ IV will be able to adapt and not effect the outcome. Welcome back Sarah BTW. It's good to see you on track again.



Jay

IRL Indy Racing League - Real Racin'

IRL Indy Racing League - Real Racin'
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Winter is finally over and the real racing season begins this weekend at Homestead when the Indy Racing League takes the fastest show on wheels to the banked oval in South Florida. Some folks say rubbin' is racin' but I say it ain't - especially in the IRL. Just ask Kenny Brack. You won't find any better, closer, wheel to wheel excitement than at an IRL event. Get out and see for yourself. Television does not do justice to the awesome speed and competitiveness of this series.



And since we're racing at Homestead, that means the opening of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway isn't far off. By the time the teams get to Indy, we should know pretty well who the title contenders are going to be, but you can bet Penske, Ganassi and Andretti-Green will be at the point of the field in every race. Now there are three women in the series as well so ladies grab your Danika gear and get to the racetrack. My personal favorite to win the season title is Sam Hornish Jr. of course but Marco Andretti will probably do it this year. He's fast and fearless and he needs a title before Honda will get him onto an F1 seat.



I was at the ethanol test at the Speedway last fall where this shot of Weldon in the south chute was taken and you will notice a distinctive sweet smell to the IRL exhaust this year as the series goes to 100% ethanol fuel. I used to say there's nothing better than the smell of methanol in the morning but now I will have to amend that.



As the commercial for Indiana Beach Amusement Park goes, "There's more than corn in Indiana." But nothing has ever smelled sweeter at the track.



Except maybe a stack of hot tires after a mid race pit stop. Go fast. Turn left. Bring it home safely.

ROLEX Grand Am Series & IMSA History

ROLEX Grand Am Series & IMSA History
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

The Gainsco team with Alex Gurney put together an awesome drive in Mexico City and somehow managed to force Mad Max Papis to make a mistake while leading late in the race. Gurney's charge was nothing short of spectacular, coming from more than 12 seconds behind to take the lead, then losing it in traffic, and then regrouping to pressure Papis into the weeds for the win. This photo is from the EMCO Gears Challenge at Mid Ohio in June 2006.



These Rolex cars are some of the most beautiful race machines in the world IMO. Full fields of prototypes, a variety of engine and chassis manufacturers, spectacular road course backdrops and a bevy of talented up & coming drivers challenge the established guard at every race. Back in the 80's after Can AM had died and IMSA was king of sports car racing in the U.S., I had the same feel for the series that I do now. It's really too bad that the American LeMans series and the Rolex guys can't get it together as it would be awesome to see the new Acura machines, the Penske Porsche's and the other class entrants all running together in one big show. Unfortunately, like the IRL-Champ Car split, my guess is that ne'er the twain shall meet and that is really a shame for fans of sports car road racing in America.



Jay

Heritage Christian Girls Repeat as Class 2A BAsketball Champs

Heritage Christian Girls Repeat as Class 2A BAsketball Champs
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

With super sophomore Kelly Faris displaying her usual all-around brilliance, the Eagles claimed their second consecutive Class 2A basketball state title this past Saturday. With her leadership and the other young players on that team, it's conceivable they could win the next two also and make Indiana high school basketball history. I had the pleasure of seeing Heritage play a few times this season and it is clear that Kelly could score a lot more points than she does. In fact, I think she could score anytime she wants to. But her team is so disciplined and balanced that she knows she does not need to do that for them to win. It looks to me like the Indiana Miss Basketball race is shaping up between Kelly and fellow sophomore Skylar Diggins of South Bend Washington for 2009 and it will be fun to see how these ladies perform the next two seasons. Unfortunately, a dream matchup between their teams can't occur in the tourney under the multi-class format and that is really too

bad for girls basketball fans in the hoosier state.



Jay

Brebeuf Jesuit - Indiana 3A Girls Basketball Champs

Brebeuf Jesuit - Indiana 3A Girls Basketball Champs
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Congratulations to Ta'Shia Phillips and her Brebeuf Braves' teammates for winning the Class 3A title in girls high school basketball this past weekend. Her performance carried the team until late in the game when others stepped up. She was just unstoppable with her size. She is not the typical tall girls basketball player either - tall and skinny; she has size and takes up space in the lane with strength to spare. She should be a dominant force in women's college basketball wherever she decides to play. There probably has never been a player like her in Indiana girls high school basketball and the Brebeuf game plan was well executed throughout. Good job ladies.



Ta'Shia gets my vote for Miss Basketball this year and should be the top player on the Indiana All Stars. She has the capability to dominate the game on both ends of the court and I doubt there's another high school girl in Indiana or Kentucky who can match her skills, size and strength. Looks like an Indiana sweep is in the offing for this June. Get the brooms out folks.



Jay

NASCAR & Juan Pablo Montoya

NASCAR & Juan Pablo Montoya
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Say it ain't so Juan!



I remember excitedly watching the Ganassi press conference last summer when it was announced that JPM was coming back to the USA to race stock cars. For all the hoo-ha about "steep learning curve" I hope the bump and run in Mexico City taught those taxicab folks a thing or two about JPM's car control and desire to win. He was simply awesome in 2000 winning the Indy 500 and I have never seen anyone stick a car in turn 3 the way he did to run away with the show - and I was pulling for Buddy Lazier that year! And Juan did it as a rookie. You know I've said it here before - anyone that runs Indy is going to get my support, and if Tony Stewart can't win, then I'm pulling for JPM to smoke them and win Rookie of the Year. I think he may win as many as 5 races this season in Nextel Cup.



I think perhaps the folks that have the steep learning curve is the team at Ganassi Racing as Juan cannot be a savior if the team doesn't put a good machine in his hands. Look at the last few years - what has Ganassi done? Not much. Juan can overcome a lot with his innate skills but the crew has to do their work too. Can't wait to see him at Bristol.



Can't say I'm surprised by Chip's reaction to the win either. He's got a major investment to recoup and I'll bet Havoline sold a lot of oil in Mexico today. Too bad for Scott Pruett though - he's been a favorite of mine too since he mortgaged everything he owned to race Indy Cars and out-dueled Al Unser Jr. in the '89 Michigan 500 with a high side pass on the last lap to win. I don't blame Scott for being pissed off, but he could have given Juan a little room too as he had the inside line for the next corner and might have been able to hold him off for another lap or so. But Juan was going to get him - no doubt about that. It doesn't do any good to whine once the checkers fly.



Jay

Tony Stewart Fans Unite

Tony Stewart Fans Unite
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Tony Stewart still seems to be the one NASCAR star that fans either love or hate. Personally, I love him and have been a fan for years, simply because he drives the wheels off of anything he races and doesn't take second place lightly. After all, I heard him say once that "Second Place is the first loser." Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyjay42/ for some vintage Tony pix in dirt cars and at Indy.



My hope is that when Tony has had enough of WW-Nascar, he will come back to win the Indy 500. Other than perhaps LeMans, it's just about the only major race he hasn't won and I know Indy is still a sore spot for him. Too bad daylight savings time has robbed him of the opportunity to do the double with Charlotte. Do you remember the day he ran 1096 miles? I sure do. No one else could do that today, especially not most of the politically correct guys wheeling the taxicabs. Maybe Honda will follow Toyota into Nascar and then Tony can get a plum ride in the 500 and the 600 - no more sponsor conflicts like a couple of years ago when he showed up on Bump Day and toyed with the idea of jumping in one Of AJ Foyt's Toyota-powered cars. Great show that day for Tony Stewart fans like me.



Give 'em hell Tony. Say what you want about him, but he's a racer's racer and he's still the same guy who used to wax them at IRP, DuQuoin and the Indiana State Fairgrounds.



Go Tony go!

USAC Dirt Racing

USAC Dirt Racing
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Back in the 90's, I shot a lot of different kinds of racing and one of my goals for this blog is to scan and resurrect as many of those old film based images as possible to get them out for people to see. Many of my favorite drivers are guys from those days - at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, or Duquoin, or Indianapolis Raceway Park. The cars still look about the same, at least in the alternate series for older silver crown cars, and sprints and midgets haven't changed much either. This one is Jeff Swindell slideways at the Fairgrounds in Indy in 91 or 92 in a car whose sponsor has been on sprints for years with many famous drivers: Terre Haute 1st National Bank.



But there's something special about standing next to the guardrail with the cars close enough you could reach out and touch them, blasting your left eardrum, and using the camera to shield your face from dirt and rocks. Thankfully I was never injured but part of the thrill as a racing photographer is knowing something could happen at any time. The cardinal rule I learned early on was don't ever turn your back on the cars. Of course this limited view of a very small portion of a race track might not be interesting to some people since sitting in the stands and seeing the whole track is nice for that overview as a spectator. But the only way to get any closer to the action is to sit behind the wheel.



I'll take my spot on the guardrail, thank you very much. The best part now with digital photography is you don't have to wonder if you got the picture or not while waiting for the film to be souped. Thank goodness the technology is so advanced now. Anyone want some old Canon film cameras? They make good doorstops nowadays, and maybe someday they will be museum pieces.



Jay

Michael McDowell, Eddie Sharp Racing, ARCA Star

Michael McDowell, Eddie Sharp Racing, ARCA Star
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Here's a young driver to keep an eye on: Michael McDowell. He's running the full ARCA circuit in 2007 for Eddie Sharp Racing and has already had an impressive 10th place at the Daytona 200. My pix are from the Eddie Gilstrap Fall Classic at Salem (Indiana) Speedway in September 2006 where I first met him and had the pleasure of providing photos for his website, http://mmcdowell.com and other uses. He also ran the Rolex 24 Hours this year for Finlay Motorsports and helped the team to a 10th place finish in the top sports car prototype class. The team had all kinds of problems but had a strong driver lineup where Michael teamed up with Bobby Labonte, Michael Valiente and Rob Finlay. For a guy who came up through road racing to adapt to the ARCA stock cars on ovals as quickly as Michael has is very impressive and I would expect him to land a ride in Busch or Nextel Cup in the next year or so. He surely knows how to go fast, and he's proving he can turn left (as well as right).



Watch for him!

Dilbert - More on Taming the Wild Photographer

Dilbert - More on Taming the Wild Photographer
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

Here's another panel from Scott Adams' sequence about photographers adapting to corporate life. It's probably my favorite, with the guy wearing a ubiquitous photographer's vest and the cattle roping analogy. Strapping the personnel manual on the poor guy's back is a touch of genius. As if the photog will absorb the info somehow by mere physical contact. There's another panel with a panda reference which is pretty funny too but I won't post it unless someone asks me too. It's all about cube life sapping one's will to live which, come to think of it, is a recurring theme in Dilbert.



It's not really that bad out there. Maybe you feel differently.

Dilbert

Dilbert
Originally uploaded by indyjay42.

One of my favorite newspaper comics has always been Dilbert. Who hasn't been in situations like those described in the strip at one time or another? If you've ever worked in a corporate environment, then I'll bet you can relate too. Then there's Blondie, but that's another story...



This panel was one of a sequence that I would send out to photog friends. Taming the wild photographer was such a goofy concept that I had to laugh and share it with others. Photography can be a lonely job with lots of pressure, since you either get the shot or you don't, and it's your hands and eyes at work. There's no one else to blame when things go wrong. And they inevitably do go wrong. The motor drive doesn't advance. Somehow the camera settings have been bumped off the optimal and you didn't notice. The camera batteries suddenly just crap out. You see the shot but spectate instead of shooting. You miss the start of the Brickyard. You don't get back to your spot in time and someone hits the wall right in front of you. Your flash charger fries itself. I could go on and on.



But you get the idea. The lessons come in waves and can be painful, just as Dilbert's new photographer colleague discovers in the cube farm world.



Jay