The overwhelming smell of race gas. Technicians tinkering with last minute adjustments before heading out on the track. Hot rubber, exhaust pipes kicking up dust, and thunderous engine notes reverberating within your ribcage. These are just a few of my favorite things about shooting in the paddocks on race day. If you've followed my work over the last couple of years, you've likely seen that I frequent Laguna Seca Raceway for a handful of vintage racing events each year.
For this photo essay, I teamed up with Turtle Wax for a social media takeover to share what Saturday looked like during this year's Spring Classic Showcasing Nitro Revival. The social media aspect of this project was fun (check out my post on Turtle Wax's IG channel here), and below, you'll find a large gallery featuring the day through my lens. Paddock life during race weekend is exciting in the way of being able to watch human-machine interaction on a very personal level. I do my best to document drivers, technicians, and everyone in between, because they are the ones who make it possible for us to enjoy these amazing cars. This year's race was a bit different than usual, as there was a huge hot rod presence, as well as a variety of nitro fueled dragsters. I hope you enjoy this essay. Did you attend the race this year? If so, did you have a favorite car (or two)? Leave me a comment or send me a message with your thoughts!
