Author: Missed Gear

Prosumer, or crossover cameras, are excellent choices to take to the races.
Prosumer, or crossover cameras, are excellent choices to take to the races.

A brand new racing season is on the starting grid and all eyes are checking out the camera section. Yes. A new season and you want to not only go to the race but also come away with some photos better than the family snaps at Christmas. You’re looking over the selections at the store trying to figure price and practicallity, function over “feel-good” and how much you can spend and still have beer money on race day. Tough one. But not as tough as you may think.

I know you see the pro race photographers with their big SLR bodies and large diameter zoom glass and think you’re out of your league showing up with your wife’s pink purse cam. Face facts. You are.

But you don’t need to be. For just a little cash you can get yourself a great camera to take to the race and have some great shots to take home. New off the shelf or even used from eBay, I can give you the options to look for and the things to avoid when getting a camera for race day action.

First – Here is what to avoid. Pocket cameras. You may already have one. These are the slim 3x zoom cams that are great at parties, family gatherings and amusement parks. There are few options. The lens is small and extremely limited and if your subject is more than 30 feet away a great picture might as well be a mile away. These things are next to useless at the track.

Step up. But that does not mean you need to go digital SLR with a bag full of lenses. You can. But the learning curve is rather large, the bankroll even larger and that big dude next to you that keeps getting elbowed while you try to frame a shot is even larger…

What you want is what is called a “prosumer” camera. These look like SLR cams but are smaller, have fixed lenses with a large zoom range (10x and larger), have all kinds of fun options to shoot fully manual, fully automatic or many between functions. First, the zoom range. What you look for is “optical” zoom. This is all in the function of the lens elements meaning that the camera does not interpret the image to increase size (digital zoom). This makes a better picture. You also want the fully manual option. It lets you fine tune the circumstance of the shot. Aperature, shutter speed, lighting compensation and more are all controlable in the manual setting. You have ISO options (like film speed for low or bright light) that greatly control the quality of the final picture. Finally, you want as many pixels as you can get. Most are above 8 megapixels now. 10 or even 12 is becoming normal and affordable.

Now, which one? Oh, the magic question which has no magic answer. Every hand, every eye, every opinion on what is important is different so there is not “one” best camera to get. Canon makes the Powershot SX110 IS (around $200), the Powershot SX100 IS (around $180) and the newer Powershot SX10 IS (around $340). The latter is a 10 megapixel, 28x zoom, hand held powerhouse!

Nikon has the Coolpix series. The P80 is around $300. However, if you can find the brand new P90 ($400) you can get 12 megapixels and a 24x zoom. That means you can be in the grandstand and get a shot of Gordon climbing into the #24 and still distinguish his DuPont freckles…

Fujifilm makes the Finepix series. The S2000HD, S8100FD, S1000FD, S8000FD, even the S700, are all fine digital cameras ranging from 7 to 10 megapixels and starting around $180.

A lot of companies make fine cameras. I mention the ones above only because I have used, or are familiar with, the brands and models. An excellent site to check out for detailed camera information is DPREVIEW. You can’t get any more detailed information on current and out of production cameras. Read up. Get a good cam and go get some shots!

You’re going to need them…
2009 is rolling forward, the pace car is about to exit and the green flag is about to wave on the Daytona 500. We’ve already seen the ROLEX 24 roar over Daytona, now it is time for the Stock Cars to take their turn at the high bank opening of the NASCAR season. There are, however, a few notes we should all review before we sit down with the pizza and a few cold ones. There are some changes that will confuse the casual observer.

2009 DuPont #24
2009 DuPont #24

Not only will many of the cars sport new colors, as in the #24 DuPont Chevy carrying black on the rear panel instead of the blue, but a bunch of the numbers will sport different names over the window nets. This is, by no means, to be a complete list but a “primer” to get you started.

Wood Brothers #21 Ford Fusion
Wood Brothers #21 Ford Fusion

Starting close to home, the brothers from Stuart (Woods Brothers) are currently set on a partial schedule as sponsors are hard to come by and when you find one you have to distract them as they sign the contracts. Motorcraft is on board and we can assume Bill Elliott will be inside.

#43 Dodge with the new Richard Petty Motorsports. Air Force is 1 of 3 sponsors
#43 Dodge with the new Petty organization. Air Force is 1 of 3 sponsors

Petty Enterprises has merged with Gillett Evernham Racing to form Richard Petty Motorsports. That means two things. First, the “Petty” name has new life jolted back into it after struggling on Richard’s momentum for quite some time. Yes, the Petty family has endured tragedy and hardship beyond the point where weaker bonds would be shattered.
This merger rebuilds the Petty engine form the outside in. Elliott Sadler (#19) and Kasey Kahne (#9) will now be team mates with Reed Sorenson in the #43 Air Force Dodge and AJ Allmendinger in the #44.
Dale Earnhardt Inc. plans to use driver Aric Almirola full time this year after splitting time in the #8 last year with Mark Martin. Not only that, but DEI and Ganassi are forming up a four team cooperative with Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex, Jr., Almirola and a mystery person in the #41. They should have it figured out by Daytona, you would think. After all, there are drivers out there looking for seat time.

If Almirola is in the #8 full time, where does that leave Mark Martin? What if I told you Martin is set to join the Hendrick Motorsports stable and take over duties in the #5 Chevy? Well, that’s what I’m telling you. Martin wil share garage space with Johnson, Gordon and Earnhardt, Jr.

Yes, that means Casey Mears gets shuffled in the deck and comes away dealt into the hand of Richard Childress Racing joining Harvick, Burton and Bowyer. It looks like we’ll see Mears in the #07 Jack Daniels Chevrolet.

TRG Motorsports enters the Sprint Cup with Mike Wallace in the #71
TRG Motorsports enters the Sprint Cup with Mike Wallace in the #71

TRG Motorsports is coming into NASCAR Sprint Cup contention and putting Mike Wallace in the new #71 trying to qualify for Daytona. TRG has had some luck with the Trucks, which is now the “Camping World” Series, by the way. TRG is also known for sports car racing coming away with a Porsche win in the GT class of the ROLEX 24 which just ran at Daytona.

 

Tony Stewart's new Chevy. New make, number and sponsors for 2009
Tony Stewart's new Chevy. New make, number and sponsors for 2009
The #20 Home Depot Toyota has been handed over to teenager Joey Logano. They must think he can not only make laps with it, but they must have some confidence he can win with it. And then we come to Tony Stewart as he vacates the #20 to his new team (Stewart-Haas Racing). He should ask Dale Jr. what its like to see his old number, one that has some history, from the cockpit of another car… 

Stewart fans will be happy to see him back in a Chevrolet. Will Tony cut the #20 any slack for old time sake…? Don’t count on it. Granted, Tony may just be walking across the lot to “Office” Depot, but he won’t think twice about mixing red with orange if thats what it takes to win.

Ryan Newman comes to Daytona as the defending 2008 winner, but does so without the Alltel Dodge. (Or is it Verizon now…?) Newman takes charge of the #39 US Army Chevrolet as Stewart’s team mate. Newman in a new ride, US Army sporting a new number, blue is black, orange is red… 

Yeah – we’re going to need to study up a bit.

Ryan Newman joins Tony at Stewart-Haas Racing in the #39 Chevy
Ryan Newman joins Tony at Stewart-Haas Racing in the #39 Chevy

Rousch-Fenway runs in 2009 with Biffle, Kenseth, Ragan and McMurray. Waltrip is hanging around. Penske Racing is still in it to win it.  Gibbs may have lost Tony, but Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin will roll with the rookie Logano.

Don’t even try to get all the Camping World (formerly Craftsman) Trucks and Nationwide Series drivers and changes figured out just yet. The deck is probably still being shuffled to a degree. Just watch and pick up what you can. Its all racin’ and its all good.

What does it all mean for 2009? It means we need some knew hats and some new shirts and our hands on the qualifying and entry list for the Sprint Cup Daytona 500 so we can figure out just who the hell we’re supposed to be yelling at and cheering for. It means a lot of us may be watching the first few races like we’re in a game of CLUE. Mark Martin did it in the Chevy with Kellogg’s…. or was it Allmendinger in the Dodge with the rope? Dammit – Give me the list again…

It seems the “greendiot” agenda trumps reality yet again. I can only imagine Barbara Boxer (D-Calif) dancing on a bark covered pole…
What I’m referring to is the direction by President Obama to the EPA to “review” the ruling during the Bush Administration to not allow California and other states to put their own vehicle emission standards in place. The “standards” are so strict it would force auto makers to essentially create two different vehicles to sell in these states and elsewhere. Of course, the “greendiots” are dancing in the streets.

“On Monday, Obama ordered the EPA to review the rejection of the waiver — a move expected to eventually clear the way for states to set their own emissions standards.

“The federal government must work with, not against, the states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Obama said, less than a week after taking office. “The days of Washington dragging its heels are over. My administration will not deny facts; we will be guided by them.”

Obama also directed his administration to accelerate development of new fuel-efficiency guidelines so 2011 model-year cars will be covered. In 2007, Congress required that new cars and trucks achieve a 35-mile-to-the gallon standard by 2020, a 40 percent increase over fuel-economy standards. The Bush administration had not developed regulations and estimated the new standards could cost the auto industry more than $100 billion to implement.” full article here: McClatchy

They want to increase fuel and emission standards which then must be swallowed by the public and the manufacturers. On the surface one may think “what a great idea”. If one is a “greendiot”, it is a great idea. “Greendiots” are uninterested in anything that does not fit within their myopic view of what the world, humanity and the environment should be. Any information that is counter to their “green at all costs” viewpoint is immediately attacked, not on point or fact, but on emotional ploy and deception. It is “junk science” or “faulty methodology” or “right wing propoganda” if the information does not fit the “green” agenda.

Back to the EPA standards… This government can’t issue a toothbrush to a U.S. Army Private without red tape. It is full of people who are beholden to, and profiting from, the “green agenda”. These EPA standards are, at best, arbitrary. They are based on desire and “green” wishes and have little to do with reality of just what may be involved in meeting these “standards”. Take a look at Detroit today. The U.S. auto industry is in tatters. Why? There aren’t enough fingers to point them all out. However, one of them is an industry trying to meet consumer demand with mandated fleets of vehicles with government restrictions adding costs to every vehicle off the line.

Now look at what our government just did… They gave these companies millions of dollars to get out of the hole they are in. Now, the government wants to make it even more difficult to climb out of the hole they just gave them money to get out of. Part of that bailout money better go to stock up on aspirin…

You might as well go bail out a farmer with aid because the dam you built is making his cattle die of thirst. Then, after giving him the money, build another dam further upstream so the water is even further away.

We can’t make progress and keep cowering to the “greendiots”. Should we be aware of the environment? Yes. Should we protect it? Of course. Should we throw our entire civilization out to pasture? No. The “greendiots” would love us all to melt the cars and make garden tools and grow our own food in our own little patch and be content with the 10 square miles around our place of birth. It is frightening to think there are actually people so engrossed in the philosophy that they have removed themselves from rational discussion on the issue. It is even more frightening that there are people making lots of money because of it. The latter group now has their claws in our government and are in it for their pocketbook and the “green” agenda is simply their meal ticket. Don’t believe it? Just look at how they live and listen to how they want you to live. That should be all you need.

735 laps. The last hour held the possibility of a win for four cars. A Lexus, two Porsches and a Ford. Ford had a rough 24 hours as the Suntrust Ford was the last one remaining even if it did shine on the lead lap. Juan Pablo Montoya had the lead up to the last pit stop when a fresh driver and tires in the #58 Brumos Porsche put him hard on the defensive. The Ganassi team with the Lexus was looking for a fourth straigh Rolex 24 win. However, the Brumos team and the #58 had history and heritage driving them as David Donahue passed Montoya shortly after the last pit. In the end, passing GT traffic and holding Montoya in the mirror, the Porsche crossed the line to victory. The #59 Brumos Porsche drove in 3rd behind Montoya.

Brumos Racing #58 Porsche driven to win the ROLEX 24
Brumos Racing #58 Porsche driven to win the ROLEX 24

See complete results and more photos at the ROLEX / Grand-Am website.
The GT class had yet another Porsche victory with the #67 from TRG Motorsports. The GT winning drivers managed 695 laps in the 24 hours. TRG is also noted as moving somewhat out of the driver’s seat of the Porsche and running a Sprint Cup entry for 2009. Don’t worry, TRG hasn’t garaged their Porsche fleet as there is a full Grand-Am season on the way starting back in April at Virginia International Raceway. However, they will be back at Daytona in a few weeks for the Daytona 500 attempting to qualify their #71 Chevrolet with NASCAR veteran Mike Wallace at the wheel.

TRG Motorsports #67 Porsche takes first spot in the GT Class of the Rolex 24
TRG Motorsports #67 Porsche takes first spot in the GT Class of the Rolex 24

Over the course of 24 hours their were broken engines, transmissions and brakes. Pit stop mistakes and an oil fire. A number of spins and taps and bumps. Close racing and wheel to wheel driving. Everything you would want to see in an automobile race… So why didn’t you watch? FOX and SPEED had 15 hours of live coverage. Is it too unfamiliar? A number of NASCAR drivers were in the cars including Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Petty, Casey Mears and a few more. Would you watch if Gordon or Earnhardt, Jr. were in it? Are left turns all you can handle? Open up a little. These cars fast. These cars are cool and there is more variety. Pontiac, Mazda, Porsche, Lexus, Ferrari, BMW and Corvettes and Mustangs. How cool is that? Plus – the drivers aren’t known for rushing past when you want an autograph.

The Grand-Am Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal Cask no16 is off to a nice start with a full season ahead. NASCAR is cranking up to go green. Teams are in garages around the world preparing for racing. Open your horizons a little and check out some of the other series of racing. What else are you going to watch…? Baseball…? C’mon! Nobody needs to be that bored.

The auto industry is in some kind of strange, financial black hole… NASCAR is shuffling teams… Race sponsors are holding close to the chest… What does it all mean to the rest of us that just like to watch’em race? Well… It means we have to step up. It means that we have to keep buying tickets even though our driver or team may be under different colors or even in a different car altogether. It means we have to expand our horizons and realize that the sport of auto racing is more than NASCAR on a Sunday. Indy, Formula 1, Grand-Am and all the series in between right down to the Saturday night race at the local track need as much support as we can throw at them.  …read more…  (more…)

2009 Detroit Auto Show
2009 Detroit Auto Show

January not only turns the calendar forward, it also opens the doors on what is on the horizon for the automotive industry. Of course, Detroit is weighing heavily on it’s own existence and needs to outsell by a large margin the European and Japanese vehicles also available within our borders. Nevermind that the largess of their profits go to employee subsidees becuase the unions have practically bargained their employers to the table of bankruptcy… Oh… Sorry… Did that already.

So, how does the future look for the “Big 3″…? It looks good… Not THAT good. But good. Will they pull enough numbers from the imports to turn a profit? The short answer is “no”. Will their workforce capitulate to reality and accept some concessions so they have a company to work for in three years? Damn… Sorry… …read more… (more…)

intersect1 Uncertainty… That’s what best describes the upcoming auto racing season. The Detroit auto makers are scrambling and in doing so they are also examining, while the bureaucracy of Washington looks on, their spending and investments. How much goes to support of the racing teams? How much goes to support the infrastructure that maintains the facilities, the shows and the fan support? What is the sideshow of the “carnival midway” next to the track on race day without the Chevrolet display or any other auto show display? Nevermind that this money is some of the best they ever spend in respect to return on investment. What else will they do with it…? Give it to some Union retiree who hasn’t lifted a finger to build a car in 20 years? …read more… (more…)