During the weekend of June 28 and 29, I attended the Houston Grand Prix - an IndyCar "double header" with races on both Saturday and Sunday using a short road course (1.7 miles) laid out on the vast parking lots surrounding the Astrodome, NRG stadium and Reliant Arena. Saturday's race, held with intermittent showers throughout, was a slippery-slidey affair ultimately won by one Carlos Huertas - his first IndyCar victory. In contrast, Sunday dawned as a mostly-sunny scorcher so hot that I abandoned my plans to lug around my DSLR and thus armed myself with my little Panasonic LX-5 which I used only for a few minutes at the beginning of the race.

Jer

In the lead, Helio Castroneves (yellow no. 3) is closely followed by Simon Pagenaud (orange no. 77), who ended up the winner after Castroneves slipped into the wall that sort of bisects this photo:



We sat right at Turn 6, allowing us to peer up one of the few places on the track that passing was possible; as a consequence, we saw a lot of action:





The winning car:

[wtlwdwgn]

Nice shooting even with the doggone fence. Just a fact of life in racing these days. I remember shooting sports cars behind (or in front of!) hay bales in the '60s.

[Michael Piziak]

very nice action photos. what shutter speed ?

[Bob Harris]

That must drive some of the drivers nuts being on a road course like this being unable to pass except at a few corners. I love the F1 cars but they don't race much in the US anymore. Nice action photos buddy, did you wear ear plugs?

[wtlwdwgn]

That must drive some of the drivers nuts being on a road course like this being unable to pass except at a few corners. I love the F1 cars but they don't race much in the US anymore. Nice action photos buddy, did you wear ear plugs?

F1 is back in the US on a new purpose built circuit in Austin, TX. Thankfully they schedule it in November!

[dcmsox2004]

great series jer !..... i can almost hear those roaring engines from hear.... dave m

[Heinrich Lohmann]

Jer, "you done good", I haven't been to ANY car race in years but the noise and the smells are still in my head.

[rbefly]

Jer, you really froze those cars, great shooting!
TFP,
Ron

[daacon]

Hey I thought you would be driving - nice shots my friend.

[Sailor]

Nice shooting even with the doggone fence. Just a fact of life in racing these days. I remember shooting sports cars behind (or in front of!) hay bales in the '60s.

Thanks, Steve. Even with the fences, a few spectators were slightly injured from flying debris when Dario Franchitti crashed at last year's Houston Grand Prix.

Jer

very nice action photos. what shutter speed ?

Thanks, Michael - 1/2000 sec.

Jer

That must drive some of the drivers nuts being on a road course like this being unable to pass except at a few corners. I love the F1 cars but they don't race much in the US anymore. Nice action photos buddy, did you wear ear plugs?

Hey, buddy, I appreciate it. Just to be clear, these were IndyCars - not as sexy as F1. I didn't wear earplugs, but I should have!

Jer

great series jer !..... i can almost hear those roaring engines from hear.... dave m

Dave, thanks much. Yup - they were loud, loud and LOUD!

Jer

Jer, "you done good", I haven't been to ANY car race in years but the noise and the smells are still in my head.

Thank you, Heinrich. Prior to last year's Houston Grand Prix, I hadn't been to an auto race since the mid-'60s - I don't follow racing very closely, but I do enjoy the action, noise and feel of the Grand Prix here in Houston.

Jer

Jer, you really froze those cars, great shooting!
TFP,
Ron

Thanks for the very kind words, Ron.

Jer

Hey I thought you would be driving - nice shots my friend.

Naw, Dave, they wouldn't let me drive - my car's too fast . Thanks for looking, old buddy.

Jer