From the archive is a series that I plan to run every week on Mondays from here on out. It will help to fill the blog when there is some down time, and also allow me to reflect on past photos or events. I thought I would start things off with a short reflection on Formula Drift at Road Atlanta as I gear up for the upcoming 2010 event this weekend. Unlike ALMS style racing, you have to pick your vantage points wisely when it comes to drifting. If you are at the wrong spot, you’ll catch the car as it transitions, wheels facing forwards instead of slanted at full lock the way they are above. You want to look for the areas that give the car time to build speed, and with it a nice smoke trail. Drifting is all about style, and the courses are setup to allow the fans a clear view of each lap. As a photographer, we have to put ourselves as close as we can, exaggerating a still image into something that is mobile the way spectators and youtubers alike will relate.

The above, and below shots were taken at the 2007 FD event. The angle of Tanner Foust’s now retired 350Z car carried on entry into the horseshoe was always a sight to behold. To capture it like this took the longest focal length I had at 280mm (the EF 70-200mm f2.8L lens with 1.4x extender), and maybe a slight crop for good measure. The idea is to compress the car’s overall length, getting it pointing head on to really see how the front wheels are pointing. It’s an angle that is typical of the Long Beach Formula Drift event as the cars launch into the sweeping left-hander past the crowd. With any luck, and a little recollection of where I stood to take this, I should be able to edge out a few more on Friday.

The second shot below is one of my other favorite areas of Road Atlanta to photograph that the general public is not allowed to see. This is the staging area at the top of the hill which leads down to turn 10, where cars start and end each run. Here you can see Ken Gushi’s old Ford Mustang lining up for one of the last practice runs for the evening. This area is different from many of the other tracks on the calendar because of its seclusion. At Wall Speedway in NJ, fans can see the cars just to the left behind a barrier as they change tires or the driver grabs a drink of water before the battle. In Atlanta it’s private, a restricted space that breeds both excitement and tension. The only sounds are the rumblings of exhausts, and the periodic burn outs the cars do to break in a set of rubber.

Stay tuned for more from the track this weekend, and keep your feeds locked in here for future ramblings in the archive series.

While I was up in New Jersey covering the Formula Drift event for Performance Auto and Sound Magazine, I was also able to get the full scoop on Kyle Mohan’s latest creation for the same publication. This past year was the debut of his new Mazda RX-8 drift car. It’s quite a beast, and the white/camo livery carries on the tradition from his previous FC nicely. Pick up the Dec. ‘09 issue (cover above), or head on over to the website to get the full story. Follow me after the jump to see more photos from the shoot, including one that nearly cost me a camera!

The only time available to photograph the car was on Friday when things had been rained out. So, I strapped the rain sleeves on my cameras and decided to make the most of it.

And here is the man himself. He and his father were very accommodating during the shoot, and didn’t mind the car getting a little wet. Apparently it helped them find a leak or two on the interior!

But, that is not where this story ends. I had my rig with me, and was eager to use it since I had lugged it on the plane all the way from Tennessee. The result was a pretty neat shot, but I had to put my camera upside down beneath a dripping awning. By the time we got the shot, a few of the buttons on my 40D had stopped functioning. Luckily, I went at it with a blow drier as soon as I got home from the track, and everything was back to normal. Phew!

I had a blast at this year’s Indianapolis 500, so much so that I’m at a loss for what to post first. I didn’t stay in my seat for very long since I was eager to explore the infield and see what other vantages I could capture the cars on track from, but I did get this panoramic view of the grid before the race.