Back in '02 &'03 I was a volunteer worker at the Cleveland Grand Prix auto race held at Burke Lakefront Airport. I believe the organization was called CART at the time. They have since merged with the Indy car organization. The was no race at Cleveland last year. I don't know if there is one scheduled for this summer or not.
I took these photos on turn 8. Turn 8 is a 90 degree left hand turn into the straight away in front of the grand stands. One has to know the right people to get into that area. For once in my life I knew the right people. I was able to get within 4 or 5 feet of the cars. I didn't stay long due to the noise. Those cars don't spend much time at the muffler shops, if you know what I mean. There was a flag crew down there, too. They had to be using very heavy duty ear protection and be able to hear their radios too. I took these photos with my Mavica FD-forgot the number a long time ago digital camera. That camera was a monster. It was large and heavy. It had a 14X optical lens. I have always been partial to zoom lenses on digital cameras. It saved 6 or 7 and sometime 8 photos to a 3-1/4" floppy disk--remember them?? So one had to carry a pocket full of them too. Resolution on that camera was less than one megapixel. Digitals have come a long way in just a few years.
There was a hole cut in the fence for photographers. I had a photographer pass, so I was able to get in line to use the hole. All that separated me from the race track was the cherry wall. It is the same type of wall that is used in highway construction to separate the workers from the traffic lanes.
This car was more into the turn when I pressed the button. I caught a little air under the front tire. The "groove" that most of the drivers hit going around the turn seemed to be about 2 feet or less from the wall. That takes skill, endurance and concentration to do that for a full race in the heat and humidity of July.
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