Another Independence weekend and once again the NTT INDYCAR SERIES rolls into the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course for the Honda Indy 200. Also competing are the Road to Indy ladder series, Indy NXT, USFPRO 2000, and USF 2000. As last year Pato O’Ward tops the first practice with Alex Palou close behind. If you look at the past winners of this race, it is anybody’s to win. While there there have been several multiple winners, there has not been a back to back winner since Scott Dixon in 2011 & 2012. However it turns out, it is sure to be exciting and eventful. The same holds for the other series.
While not the ultimate, I consider this image a good subject for black and white because it has only one distracting element in the background.
Once again we revisit one of my favorite subjects, Motorsports in black and white. His time we will look at subject matter. Which of the photos you have taken will look compelling in black and white. When you look at black and white photos of the past, shot by some of the greatest photographers such as Ansel Adams, Gordon Parks, and Walker Evans, you can’t help but think that the subject matter seems to have been made for the medium in which it was shot. After all color film had been around for some time, and these photographers could well have afforded to use it if they were so inclined.
Landscape, portrait, and street photography are some mediums that benefit most from black and white. Motorsports is quite a different matter. Just any old shot shot from anywhere trackside will not translate well into black and white.
As much as I like this image, the fence in the background is just a bit too much for my taste.
When I go through shots from an event, I look for certain criteria to determine if I can produce a compelling black and white image with it. The first, and most important is how many, or few distracting elements are in the foreground, but mostly in the background. Second, is it a dynamic shot that will draw peoples attention. Or will it just look like a car on a track. Third is the color, and livery on the car or bike. Wild multicolor liveries will just turn into a mess leaving the viewers eye wandering looking for a focal point which they will likely not find. So I tend to avoid these. Every so often I will look at a shot on the the cameras screen and know right away that I will convert it to black and white.
Here we have an image that I would never consider for black and white because there is just too much going on both on the track and in the background.
As with most things about photography, it’s all up to the eye, and taste of the person who presses the shutter. I can only offer my own personal views and options.
With it now being 2023, this seems like a good time to take a look back at 2022. The year was its usual mixture of both excitement and disappointment. But as I look at the overall, there was far more good than bad. I also got to make some new friends, and see some old ones I haven’t seen in awhile. What I present here are some of my favorite shots from last year, in no particular order. For photographers, what constitutes a favorite is not necessarily the most technically excellent shot, but the one that speaks to us and gives us the feeling that we accomplished something a bit little special. In most cases the average viewer may not agree, but this is why I call it favorites not best shots. As usual starting a new year I have no idea what is to come. For 2023 I will do as I always have and try to improve on what I have done in the past, and become better at my trade.
So I hope you enjoy what is presented here, and here’s to new opportunities in the future.
FANATEC GT World Challenge – Racers Edge Acura – Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayFerrari Challenge North America – Aaron Weiss – Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayMoto America – Mathew Cunha / Hunter Dunham – Road AmericaRoad to Indy, Indy Lights – Stingray Robb – Road AmericaOPC Michigan City Grand Prix – Husky Chocolate / Australian Navy – Michigan City IndianaSCCA Blakhawk Regionals – GT2 TA Mustang – Blackhawk Farms RacewayFANATEC GT World Challenge – Triarsi Ferrari 488 – Road AmericaHonda Indy Grand Prix – Josef Newgarden – Mid Ohio Race CourseFANATEC GT World Challenge – Turner Motorsports BMW – Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayTrans-AM by Pirelli – Matthew Brabham – Mid Ohio Race CourseMoto America – Richie Escalante / Suzuki – Road AmericaIMSA Lexus Grand Prix- Acura DPi – Mid Ohio Race CourseFANATEC GT World Challenge – Crowdstrike AMG – Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayLamborghini Super Trofeo – Shehan Chandrasoma – Road AmericaSonsio Indy Grand Prix – Josef Newgarden – Road AmericaWeathertech Sportscar Weekend – Pfaff Porsche – Road America
Anyone who follows IndyCar is familiar with the principal race teams as many have competed for a number of years. Names like Team Penske, Andretti Autosport, Schmidt Peterson, and Dale Coyne just to name a few, are well known to fans. For those who aren’t serious followers there are some team names that may not be as familiar. Belardi, Team Pelfrey, and Pabst are among the names you may not know unless you also follow the IndyCar ladder series.
IndyCar has one of the most clear cut and organized development series in racing, but that’s a subject we will tackle in a future article. The success of such a series much like the top tier series depends upon a consistent number of teams to develop new talent. Just as in all racing series there will always be a certain amount of attrition, and consolidation. But a solid core of existing and new teams insures that the program remains viable. What we will cover here are two teams that have been development teams and have now made the move themselves to the top tier IndyCar series.
Carlin
Carlin IndyCar on rain tires at Detroit Belle Isle.
Carlin may seem like a new team to many in the United States having come to Indy Lights in 2015, but they have existed as a winning team in Europe for over 20 years. Team principal Trevor Carlin has a solid record of success in European junior and development series. Some of the top drivers in F1 and IndyCar have passed through the doors of Carlin. Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Sebastian Vettel, and Daniel Ricardo are just a few of the top drivers who have driven for Carlin. In a conversation I had with team members at the Chris Griffis Mazda Road to Indy test session in 2015, I was told they had a two year plan to compete in Indy Lights and then move up to IndyCar. However they were unable to put together a full season plan by 2017, but were able to do so in 2018. They are fielding two cars this year driven by series veterans Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball.
Carlin 2017 Indy Lights car at Chris Griffis Mazda Road to Indy test session.
Juncos Racing:
Juncos 2018 IndyCar at road America.
Juncos Pro Mazda car at Road America.
Before moving to the United States in 2002, Ricardo Juncos from age 14 was involved in carting and Formula Renault throughout South America and in his native Argentina. Due to economic concerns he moved to the U.S. working as a mechanic for karting team in Florida. He later started his own successful karting business, earning many local and regional titles. In 2009 he entered the Star Mazda (now Pro Mazda) series. With series titles in 2014 and 2015, Juncos was later able to expanded into the Indy Lights series. They proved to be a winner there as well. With a mission to find and develop new talent, the driving roster for Juncos also looks like a who’s who of open wheel racing. Now in their first full season in IndyCar, we can see no reason why they would not be successful here also.
Juncos 2017 Indy Lights car at Chris Griffis Mazda Road to Indy test session.
For IndyCar in general these moves can only be positive. Maintaining a certain number of cars and teams, and a high level of competition is a constant struggle for all racing series. Having this level of talent in your development series, with the ability to move up to the top tier is a major plus.
