Ed Justice Jr. Weblog

A true legend

2008-11-29T04:34:46Z

I don't remember when my dad first introduced me to Mickey Thompson, because he was always just there. By being just there I mean Mickey Thompson was everywhere. His name was associated with Bonneville and breaking speed records. For a young guy in my age group, the CHALLENGER streamliner was big stuff. To put it in perspective, Mickey was breaking speed records in the CHALLENGER on the ground, at the same time that the legendary X-15 was breaking speed records in the sky and space. I built the plastic model of it with my dad. I like many other guys my age knew every inch of this car. This was an incredible time in U.S.A. history. Then there was Mickey at Indy with the coolest cars of the time. They were low, wide and very different. Mickey ran Buick engines, he ran Pontiac engines. What a different time. Don't forget Mickey at the drag races, Mickey in off-road, Mickey at boat races. As I said, he was everywhere!]]>

My dad and I would run into Mickey at the races, the hardware store, a friends house, the camera store, the SEMA Show and just about anywhere else. Every meeting brought a new memory. Let's take the time we ran into he and his wife Trudy at the hardware store. They were a couple of people ahead of us in the checkout line. They spotted us and we spotted them. When they were done checking out, they waited for us to get through the checkout line also. Once we were done Mickey proceded to tell us about a new idea he had for an easily portable barrier that he designed for the stadium off-road races he was promoting at the time. He said he had also talked to the secret service and they were interested in the idea for use in protecting the President in quick motorcade routes. Mickey was always thinking, always working on the next idea. Anyway his idea of plastic barriers that mimic the "K" rail walls on highways that were lighter and then could be filled with water to give them bulk, happened. They were produced and were used all over the place. This was a big difference between Mickey Thompson and many "idea" guys I've met in my life. His ideas became reality.

Mickey's incredible life is now available in a "just out" book by Erik Arneson. Well researched, Erik talked to most if not all of the main players in Mickey's life. Performing the job of bringing all of these facts, stories and remebrances together is no small job. It's done beautifully in Mickey Thompson: The Fast Life and Tragic Death of a Racing Legend. This is not the first book written on Mickey Thompson. The book titled CHALLENGER by Mickey and Griff Borgeson was written back in 1964. While a great book and a very interesting read, so much more happened in Mickey's life after 1964. This new book cover everything before the original book and everything after. It's a good book and deserves your serious attention, if you want to learn more about a true racing legend. I highly recommend it.

So it is. . .

2008-07-14T00:41:19Z

This is a story I think you'll really understand and appreciate if your into old things that are starting to sell for a lot of money, like vintage cars & motorcycles.

A fellow was over visiting his friend, when his friend said "Follow me I'd like to show you something I just got."

]]> He followed him until they ended up in a dimly lit room with a magnificient glass case on one wall that had a spotlight pointed on it, showcasing what look to be a hatchet proped upon a clear piece of lucite.

Let's listen into their conversation. . .

Guest - "Hey what's the story behind that hatchet?"

Hatchet owner - "Oh that's George Washingtons hatchet."

Guest - "You mean the hatchet that he cut the cherry tree down with?"

Hatchet owner - "Yes, THE ACTUAL HATCHET that he cut the cherry tree down with."

Guest - "Wow, where did you find it?"

Hatchet owner - "Oh, they were diggin around his childhood home and believe it or not, they came upon it."

Guest - "That's an incredible story. The blade on the hatchet looks like new."

Hatchet owner - "Let me tell you about that. When they dug it up after being under the ground for over 200 years the metal was severly pitted and the rust was unbelievable. It was in such bad shape we had to replace the blade. But that IS THE HATCHET!"

Guest - "Wow, what a find. It's incredible, the handle is in almost perfect shape."

Hatchet owner - "Yea, you know being under the ground that long, the wood had cracked from the moisture, the termites almost ate half of the handle plus the remainder had some really bad rot. Because of this we had to replace the handle. But that IS THE HATCHET."

This above story my friends, pretty much describes the state of some of the auto & motorcycle restoration that goes on today and the vehicles that result from it.

Start your engines!

2008-06-27T02:01:28Z

It seems appropriate to explain the BIG picture when it comes to the significance of the Indianapolis 500 to the world of racing since it just ran a few weeks back. Also since SPORTS ILLUSTRATED referred to it as "the race that was once America's most watched and celebrated". Now their statement could be a matter of semantics, but it definately got me thinking as to the real significance of the Indianapolis 500.]]> OK let's deal with this subject with straight forward facts. In the world of auto racing there is no autorace that has been around as long as the Indianapolis 500. Starting in 1911, it has been through both World Wars and is nearing 100 years old. Here are the facts on some of the world's other very siginificant races. The 24 Hours of LeMans, started in 1923; the Monaco Grand Prix, started in 1929; the Daytona 500, started in 1959. Two of these had to deal with World War II, but not World War I. The Daytona 500 did not have to deal with either. In this crowd, the Daytona 500 is a relatively new race. Only Indianapolis stands alone in the racing world as having been around for both World Wars. This alone is one of the reasons why winning the Indy 500 is a major event in any drivers life. Actually if you accept SPORTS ILLUSTRATED's opinion, it would more accuratly be stated "the race that was once the world's most watched and celebrated". My change is in bold type and is "the world's" instead of "America's". In case you may not realize it, Peugeot, Mercedes, Fiat, Opel and a few other "foriegn" car makers were involved in the race from virtually the beginning. And these "foreign" cars included many "foreign" drivers.

This was a significant event to the world from the beginning.

Yes I understand that many are trying to trivialize the significance of the Indy 500, now. Look very close and you'll find that these opinions and statements are motivated by reasons of biased competition from other forms of racing or for reasons of profit and dollars. Here's a fact about Indianapolis that is lost by even those that drive in it today.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the longest running and oldest surviving purpose-built racetrack in the world.

Read the last sentence again. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is hallowed ground for ANY fan of speed and racing. It's not just a mass of steel, asphalt and cement in the heatland of America known as Speedway, Indiana. And since 1911 it has held the Indianapolis 500, the longest running speed contest testing man and machine at the limit.

I stood next to Jackie Stewart, Formula 1 world champion and former Indy 500 competitor, right before the start of the race one year while he described what Indianapolis is, to a group of guests. We were standing on the track next to the cars, minutes before "Gentlemen start your engines". He told everyone that in his life he had been able to witness many exciting events, which included non-racing events, like seeing the Pope in Vatican Square. He said that witnessing the Indy 500 was as thrilling and exciting as any of these. I'm sure he didn't mean that the Indy 500 is a religious experience, but if you have been to Indy, you'll understand what he means.

Now I know there will be some out there that will say that the old statement that the best drivers in the world compete in the Indy 500, is far from true. Realistically if you're looking at the whole field, I agree with that. But I will also agree with the fact that the same is true for Formula 1. It's been this way for both, since the beginning. Formula 1 has had it's share of "sportsmen" racers since the beginning that have "bought" their way into the competition, and so has the Indy 500.

Yes Indy's luster has been tarnished by 13 years of fighting between two sanctioning groups, but it's still the Indy 500. Just sit back and watch in the coming years. And to those of us who love racing, we owe it to ourselves, whether we be stock car fans, drag racing fans, dirt track fans, road racing fans or open wheel fans to honor such an important part of racing history.

New Directions

2008-05-16T01:21:10Z

There probably isn't a day that goes by where you might read or hear news about some new alternative fuel powered motor vehicle. Flex-Fuel, Bio-Fuel, Hydrogen, Compressed Natural Gas, Electric, etc. On one day it might be considered the next great thing and then a few days later, some major flaw is found with this particular new form of power.]]> One that you'll hear about is Hydrogen power. It's what some people feel is darn near perfect, due to it's virtual lack of emissions. There are 2 forms of hydrogen powered vehicles that are being talked about and shown right now. The Hydrogen internal combustion engine powered vehicle and the Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered vehicle.

BMW has built a number of what are called Hydrogen 7 vehicles. These are based on their top tier 7 series sedan. In the back, the vehicle has a fuel tank that holds liquid hydrogen at about -414 degrees Farenheit. This vehicle also has a fuel tank for gasoline and with the simple push of a button it can be switched from gasoline to hydrogen. Truthfully when you do this during driving, you can't tell any difference.

Chevrolet on the other hand has built a few Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered Equinox SUV's. Like the BMW above, they are not for sale. These vehicles are to let people get familiar with this new technology. This Chevrolet as mentioned has a hydrogen fuel cell instead of the internal combustion engine. It replaces the conventional engine. They've tested both liquid and compressed hydrogen for the fuel source. Some would argue there are significant differences between the safety of the two different forms. We're not going to discuss that here. At this time, I haven't had a chance to drive one of the Equinox's yet, so I can't tell you what they're like.

It is possible for you to learn more about hydrogen powered vehicles in a more hands-on way and never drive either of these 2 cars. How? By owning your own Hydrogen Fuel Cell powered vehicle. In fact you can even build it in a matter of a hour or two. It's not one you can sit-in, but it will run. It's called the HRacer and it's made by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. You can visit their website at www.horizonfuelcell.com. Look in the educational products category and click on HRacer. The photo above has the car pictured. It also comes with your own little hydrogen manufacturing aparatus that can be solar powered or battery powered. If you're one of those people (like me) that likes to see how things actually work and/or stay up with the future, this is for you. They're working with the people at Corgi and will be introducing a hydrogen powered radio-controlled car. Check it out, it's a great project to do with the kids.

A different viewpoint

2008-03-07T02:32:39Z

Automotive history means a lot to me. I love it! I’ve had the chance to meet most of the significant players in the automotive and racing world that have had an effect in at least the last 70 years. You probably know that my dad and uncles, were deeply involved in racing of all types since before World War II. When it comes to stock car racing, they were involved with it well before the formation of NASCAR.

]]> They started with sponsoring cars and teams before the formation of NASCAR. Then becoming the first sponsors in NASCAR with numerous photos documenting their presence and participation. In addition, they created the first team uniforms in the history of NASCAR when they paid for the creation of over 500 shirts for almost every driver and crewmember in the inagural 1950 Southern 500. This was NASCAR’s first super speedway race and also the first 500 mile race for stock car racing, which was held at Darlington race track in Darlington, South Carolina. (I hope to tell the shirt story in an upcoming Weblog) The only teams that did not wear their shirts, were those of the Fabulous Hudson Hornets. They were sponsord by PURE Oil, a somewhat competitor at that time to my dad and uncles. These shirts can be seen in many of the photos of the early NASCAR heros, like the Flock Brothers; Fonty Bob & Tim, Red Vogt, Lee Petty, Buck Baker, Ed Samples, Joe Eubanks, Rex White, Buckshot Morris, Herb Thomas, Johnny Thompson, Frank Mundy, Johnny Mantz, Buddy Shuman, Red Byron, Curtis Turner, Fireball Roberts, Jack Smith, and numerous others.

I guess after reading the above, I really shouldn’t have to say that I am a supporter of stock car racing and most that comes with it. That’s why when I voice my observations below; it is with the respect of the tremendous history that my family has with NASCAR and the sport of stock car racing.

When it comes to discussing the significance of the Daytona 500, it should be pretty obvious that the Daytona 500 is one of a few truly significant events in the world of auto racing that is known the world over. While Bill France is given a lot of credit for things in NASCAR that maybe others were responsible for, when it comes to putting his future on the line in the building of the Daytona Motor Speedway, he deserves the credit for his guts and vision and drive to build this monument to stock car racing. Similar to Walt Disney and his roll-of-the-dice when building Disneyland, both projects are part of what defined the men behind them.

A lot is said about the siginificance of winning the Daytona 500 for a stock car competitor. This has now expanded into the siginifcance of winning the Daytona 500 for race drivers in general. So much so, that similar to the old adage of retired race drivers “The older we get, the faster we went”. Much said about Daytona now exceeds the realistic belief of any educated racing competitor, serious race fan or historian. Some in the media have stretched the siginificance of winning the Daytona 500 way beyond reason and now put it into an area where its image starts to border on the absurd.

What exactly am I talking about? In specific, two statements made in NASCAR ILLUSTRATED’s March 2008 issue. The article titled, THE MAIN EVENT, which talks about the significance of the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500, states in its subhead, “Nothing comes close to matching the Daytona 500’s 50-year run” (page 60). This statement goes up against almost 100 years of the Indy 500, the over 80 years of the 24 Hours of LeMans, or the almost 80 year history of the Monaco Grand Prix. This statement put in another context would be similar to saying “Nothing comes close to matching the construction of the Empire State Building”. You would have to ask, "What about the pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China or a number of other milestone feats of construction by man".

In this article, a caption for the Harley J. Earl Trophy that is presented to each Daytona 500 winner states, “For a driver, nothing compares to having your name added to the Harley J. Earl trophy” (page 64). Again, winning the Daytona 500 is a major milestone for any driver and as stated above one of the few races that is recognized around the world. But if you were to ask Mario Andretti or A.J. Foyt if nothing else in there driving career compares to winning the Daytona 500 (they both are winners), it shouldn’t shock you if they didn’t agree with this. After all they are both Indy 500 winners (A.J. with 4, Mario with 1), and Mario is a World Formula 1 champion (1 of 2 American’s to do this) and A.J. is the winner of the 24 hours of LeMans to just begin to scratch the surface of records in their amazing careers.

So what’s the point? The point is excessive hyperbole and gross exageration is not necessary to bolster stock car racing and the siginificance of the Daytona 500. What matters is what happens on the track. If the racing is bad, hollow claims will not prop up the events or race series. If the racing is good, people will come and have a great time sharing in the experience.

And by the way, Darlington, NASCAR’s first superspeedway track and home to the Southern 500 which was NASCAR’s first significant pavement race celebrated its 50th year back in 1999. Of course, this race ended a few years later due to NASCAR’s removal of its date to Southern California. A situation that still grates both the competitors and fans that really care about stock car racing and feel you shouldn’t touch or mess with its rich history.

As my friend Ed Pink, the engine builder once said about a situations like this, “Ed, those who matter know, and those that don’t know, don’t matter”.

Which are you?

Dan Gurney's Eagle Racing Cars

2007-10-26T01:41:31Z

I have to admit the cars that Dan Gurney built in his shop are some of my favorite race cars that have ever rolled onto a race track. The 1972 Eagle would have to be near the top of my all-time list when it comes to legendary and revolutionary race cars.

But this is only part of the story. . .

]]> ,The other part of the story is that the cars that came out of Dan Gurney's All American Racers shop cannot be forgotten because of their incredible performance. In addition they were innovative. The Gurney Flap, the Banana wing, the ground effects of the 1981 Gurney Eagle are a few of the many innovations that were developed and showcased on the Gurney Eagles.

I've already mentioned that the 1972 is one of my all time favorites. Next on the list would be the 1981 Gurney Eagle Indy Car. Here's a couple of quick reasons why this car is on my list. A good friend of mine Rocky Moran almost had his break-out Indy Car victory at Watkins Glen driving this car for Dan Gurney. A fueling mishap ended his incredible run that day and the victory. This was against Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, AJ Foyt and the rest of the top flight drivers of the day. The second reason is for the mere fact that the car was fast and DIFFERENT! A completely different approach compared to every other car in the field. Something that is sorely missed in todays open wheel racing.

The author John Zimmermann did a great job of recording the history of Dan Gurney's Racing Eagles. John was a perfect choice for this book. He is a former editor of RACER magazine and in addition his dad was a former member of the Kurtis-Kraft race shop. Let's just say that John has been in this field all of his life and understands the subject matter very well. Numerous hours spent and interviews with Dan Gurney captured historical items that answered more than one question I've had over the years.

When it comes to photography, this book is loaded with gems. Numerous photos of behind the scenes development of the cars and additional photos of the cars on the tracks. When you finish with this book, you'll realize that Dan Gurney and his All American Racers built more cars than you probably remember.

Dan Gurney's stature as one of America's top drivers is guaranteed. After reading this book you'll realize race car builder is part of that legacy. The combination of top driver and top race car builder puts him in some very select and limited company. Dan Gurneys Eagle Racing Cars. Don't pass this book up. A necessary addition to any serious automotive library.

What it took to sponsor the 1950 Indy 500 winner

2007-09-17T02:49:22Z

It's no secret that today's auto racing is expensive no matter what series type you may be talking about; Formula 1, NASCAR, IRL, Champ Car, ALMS, NHRA, Grand Am, SCORE off-road, etc. Pick up a number of the current magazines, ROAD & TRACK included and you'll find articles about the cost of today's racing.

With that in mind,I'm going to talk about what it took to win the Indy 500 in 1950 as the main sponsor, a experience that my family lived first hand.

]]> In December of 1949 Frank Kurtis wrote a letter to my uncle Lawrence 'Zeke' Justice presenting the opportunity for the Justice Brothers to sponsor his main car driven by Johnnie Parsons for the 1950 Indy car season, including the Indy 500. Johnnie and Frank were the reigning series champions for 1950, earning the coveted No. 1 during the 1949 season. While the letter is pictured in the photo above, it's too small to read so I'll quote it verbatim here:

Dear Zeke:

I'm very sorry that I did not see you before I left. I have a deal on for several cars in Mexico.

In regards to a sponsor, we have several companies interested, but would much prefer to have Wynn's, inasmuch as we are spending a great deal of money in advertising our Sport Car, and having two cars for next season, we can tie in the whole combination and I'm sure the results should be gratifying.

We have set a price of $5,000.00 for the season, which might appear high, however, considering the potential results you will find that it is not out of reason.

I will send you more information on the Sport Car very shortly and hope you all have a very prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,

Kurtis-Kraft, Inc.
Frank Kurtis

This letter was sent December 29, 1949. To fill in some of the blanks and history of how this came to this point, I'll start by giving the background of my uncle Zeke's and my dad Ed's relationship with Frank Kurtis. Zeke went to work for Joel Thorne (a multi-millionaire before the age of 21, he was an heir to Chase Manhattan Bank/Pullman Railroad fortunes) before World War II. It was at Joel's shop that he met Frank Kurtis. Frank rented an upstairs space in Joel's shop, where he did his work.

When the war was over and Frank had decided to start Kurtis-Kraft he asked Zeke to be his first employee. When my dad Ed came home from his military service in Europe after WWII, Frank offered him a job at Kurtis-Kraft also. They both worked there with the other (now legendary, Emil Diedt, Quinn Epperly and others) members of the Kurtis-Kraft race shop, fabricating bodywork out of aluminum sheet, fabricating headers and all of the related types of racecar parts. In addition my dad ended up painting quite a few of the Kurtis-Kraft midgets coming out of the shop, including one for Sam Hanks (the 1957 Indy 500 winner).

Because my dad and Zeke had a close relationship with Frank Kurtis, when my dad and uncles decided to go into the oil business, Frank was very open and helpful about it. (Many years later in the 1960's and 70's he would stop by our offices on a regular basis to say hello and to check on his former employees. I got to spend a great bit of time with him, a true racing legend.) This was not your typical employer/employee relationship. So when Zeke called to talk with Frank to find out what might be able to be put together for the 1950 season, Frank responded. Zeke had also mentioned to Frank that things were very tough in selling their new product and they needed to get the product name better known.

Down South, where the Justice Brothers lived at the time, they had every major stock car driver using the product and running decals on their cars. And because of this they became the first contingency sponsor in NASCAR history. But they still needed more; they needed a major presence at the biggest race in the word, the Indy 500. The previous 4 years my dad and uncles had sponsored cars at Indy, starting with Bayliss Levrett in 1946, but none that would equal the national champion and favored team of Kurtis-Kraft.

After receiving the above letter, Zeke let Frank know that no matter what they had to do, they would come up with the $5,000.00 for the sponsorship. It's obvious that $5000.00 was a sizeable amount of money in 1950. They scraped the money together and Frank did indeed throw in a second car with Freddie Agabashian as its driver. Freddie was a very well known and respected driver from Central California and a contemporary of the legendary Indy 500 winner, Bill Vukovich.

The end of the story is that Johnnie Parsons did win the race in Frank Kurtis's car and the Justice Brothers celebrated their first win as sponsors. As hoped, the win did bring the needed recognition to the products and the rest as they say is history. They would also pick up a second 2 years later in 1952 with the sponsorship of Jim Rathmann driving the Granatelli Brothers entry.

An interesting side note to this story is that Frank had sold the racecar that Johnnie won in before the race to Marshall Robbins. So when Marshall took delivery of the car it was now the 1950 Indy 500 winner. He entered it in next years 500 and it finished 2nd with the same motor (obviously rebuilt). The car had finished 2nd in 1949 also.

Early NASCAR history - uncovered and revealed!

2007-09-03T03:16:28Z

I know when you mention NASCAR you can get some real mixed reactions. From "I love it, the competition is the best" to "Are you kidding, I just don't see the appeal". I don't plan on settling that argument here, but I do think what I'm going to discuss might appeal to anyone interested in any form of racing. But first a little background on my families history. My dad Ed and his brothers Zeke and Gus, were there for the formation of NASCAR. . .

]]> . . .and in fact sold 'Big' Bill France their oil products when he ran an Amoco Service Station in Daytona Beach, Florida long before NASCAR was formed. Bill's Service Station became the unofficial race headquarters in Daytona Beach. I've often called my dad and my uncles the "Forrest Gumps" of auto racing. What do I mean by this? Well you might remember in the movie FORREST GUMP that Forrest ends up in the middle of multiple historic occurrences.

For the Justice Brothers, the number of times they intersected significant history in auto racing is unbelievable and impressive. As I just mentioned they were there for the very formation of NASCAR and in fact were the first contingency sponsor in the history of NASCAR. They were heavily involved in NASCAR's first super speedway race at Darlington, South Carolina in 1950. Known then as the Southern 500, they supplied each and every team with race shirts that had the product logo of the products that the Justice Brothers were selling on the back, and they embroidered the team name, etc. above the logo. They also supplied pith helmets to each member of the team, the track officials and the NASCAR officials. You don't have to take my word for it; photographers like Tom Kirkland and others recorded the evidence of this extensively.

The very founders 'in spirit' of NASCAR are people like Raymond Parks, Red Vogt (pronounced like vote), Red Byron, Lloyd Seay, and Roy Hall. These are the people that I listened to numerous stories from my dad and uncles as I grew up. Stories that included the early politics of NASCAR, the fixed races, the partying and the antics of the star drivers of the time. The fact that my uncle Zeke met 'Red' Vogt at the Indianapolis 500 as a fellow mechanic years before our family moved to Jacksonville, Florida and ended up selling 'Red' products in his 24 hour garage in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the very garage that the top moonshiners had their engines built and at the same time the government revenue agents had their engines 'souped' up.

If any of this type of racing history interests you, your going to love a book I just finished called, Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR by Neal Thompson. This is one of the most comprehensively researched tomes on this subject matter you'll ever find. The author, Neal Thompson, did his homework and did not cut corners. There are at least 29 pages of notes referencing his sources, interviews, etc. and actually might lead you to some other books you might like to add to your collection. DRIVING WITH THE DEVIL is a book that needed to be written in the overhyped and big money world of today's NASCAR.

OK why if your one of those that hates NASCAR would you be interested in reading this book? Well for starters it reports an incredible history of Ford's importance in auto racing. You might think you know it, but I think this book will surprise most if not all, other than the most ardent Ford fan. This book is also light years away from the NASCAR we know today. It is a great book on racing the way it was, a great book on history other than racing, which includes a healthy dose of World War II history and a great book about American history from the south, namely moonshiners and the southern lifestyle of the time. My friend Brock Yates placed it in the #1 position on his list of the 'Five Best Books on Auto Racing'. I agree with Brock and I highly recommend it!

One word of advice, you might want to buy the hardbound book if want a long term 'keeper'. When this book goes out of print, it wouldn't surprise me if the value went up over time. The hardbound is about $6.00 more than the paperback, when you click on the link above for Amazon.

Making the move from film to digital

2007-08-19T02:25:45Z

I'm still asked questions by fellow photographers about making the transistion from film to the digital world of photography. There are a number of questions that come up and it shows that their still is a little confusion about this subject.

]]> First some answers to some more general questions. Since most professionals use either Nikon or Canon, I'm going to limit it to these two makes of cameras. I shoot Nikon; I have for almost 40 years. When I bought my first Nikon, Canon was really not even on the radar screen. Today Canon is a major player in the pro world. Whichever you choose, you can shoot both bad pictures and good pictures. Ultimately it is up to you, the photographer, more than the equipment in many cases.

Should I shoot my photos in a RAW format or JPEG or both?
There is no real right answer to this. I know pros that shoot in RAW only, JPEG only and RAW and JPEG at the same time. This is really your call. I will give you some points to consider in making your own decision. The RAW format, when 'developed' can result in better pictures because there is more to manipulate than with the JPEG image. Don't take my opinion alone, read any of the pro level photo magazines, there are repeated articles showing the advantages of shooting in the RAW format. The JPEG format is quick and ready, meaning in many cases you can use it straight out of the camera with a little manipulation. This is why many use it. This doesn't mean, by any chance that the images are as good as a properly 'developed' RAW image. But if time is more of a factor and you’re satisfied with the result you get with JPEG, it might be your choice. This is why some, including myself, shoot in both RAW and JPEG format much of the time. You get the benefits of both. Again, I know the best pro's that shoot in all 3 modes. A drawback of shooting in both modes at the same time is it reduces the amount of images you'll be able to fit on your memory card. I guess this would be a good time to say, your memory cards can never be too big for a pro.

Does viewing a JPEG file reduce its quality?
Viewing alone will not reduce a JPEG's quality. You have to re-write the images file to compress it again. So if you open up a JPEG in Photoshop and 'tune-it up' then save it as a JPEG, you are losing some of the image quality by re-compressing it. So how do you get around it? Re-save the image when you are done as a TIFF, and never re-save it as a JPEG. You can re-save TIFF's as many times as you want with no negative results. Every time you re-save a JPEG file you are losing some of the image quality.

Will my old lenses work on the new digital camera?
In most cases yes. You may not have auto focus and auto exposure, etc. but if you don't mind shooting 'old school' fashion, many times you can make the old stuff work. You need to check this out at your local camera shop to make sure.

Do I need to buy a $4,000 plus digital camera to make this change?
I personally don't think you do. I own a Nikon D200 (actually more than one) and I think this camera does a great job of recording images. I also own a Nikon D1, their first 'factory' attempt of a completely Nikon camera for digital. The D200 blows-away the D1. You can own two D200's for the price of one D2x and have some change left over. So am I saying that there is no difference between the D200 and the D2x other than price? No that's not what I saying at all. What I'm saying is that the D200 is a fully capable camera for shooting images of race cars, etc. that can be published in any magazine or book. The same comparisons hold true for Canon and some of their cameras.

Can my old flash unit be used on my new digital camera?
Unfortunately this is a question that I can't really give a definite answer to. In many cases you might be able to use your old flash unit, but I also have to tell you that there are some big benefits to upgrading to a 'matched' flash unit for your new camera. This falls under the category of checking this out at your local camera store.

By no means do I think that I have answered all the questions that can come up, but I have answered some of the most common. Again, what appears above is my opinion and is meant as a guide to you making your own decision. If other questions seem to be hanging around, I'll address those in the future.

Rapid Fire Sequence Photography - very common today. . .

2007-08-10T02:32:54Z

. . .but years back it was something special to own a camera that was capable of shooting a rapid fire sequence of racing action. The original cameras that racing photographers would use to capture this type of photography came out of aerial reconnaissance in World War II. I've always understood that one of the first sports sequences ever published was the horrific fatal crash sequence of Rex Mays (an Indy 500 standout of his time) at the Del Mar racetrack in 1949. If it wasn't the first sports sequence published it might have been the first auto racing sequence published. It ended up being used as a 2 page spread in LIFE magazine.

]]> A rapid fire sequence camera is by loose definition in between a still camera and a movie camera. A typical movie camera shoots 24 frames per second or as they say in the industry 24p. Traditional video cameras shoot at 30 frames per second or 30p. The photo pictured above shows a World War II recon camera in the hands of a (unfortunately unknown) photographer that captured an incredible sequence of an early NASCAR driver by the name of Russ Truelove. Russ had a spectacular crash about halfway through the 1956 Daytona Beach race. (This race was on the beach, 3 years before the Daytona International Speedway was done in 1959 and ran it’s first race.) Anyway, back in the day, a photographer would have to lug around a big ole' camera like that pictured to shoot still photo sequences.

In 1970, at the early part of my photo career, I bought a Nikon Photomic Tn with a motor drive unit. This was the first factory motor driven camera by Nikon. It was supposed to list for about $817.00, but I was able to buy it for $613.75. A sizeable sum of money for a 15 year old boy. (Maybe in a later blog I tell the complete story of how I paid for it and other details).

This camera was able to shoot at a maximum speed of 3 frames per second. A very impressive speed for that time and still respectable today, but Canon just released a new professional level digital camera that will shoot at 10 frames per second! Of course it's not uncommon today to find your average Joe with a camera that can shoot rapid fire shots. It's just another example of how technology has brought what was once only available to a few and placed into the hands of many and at a much lower cost too!

So if you're lucky enough to own a camera that is capable of shooting sequences, give a nod to those before that didn't have it quite so easy.

Shutter Speed & f-stops (Aperture) – still important in this automatic camera age!

2007-08-01T02:10:20Z

Cameras are so good today, that many if not most people set them on automatic and get shooting. I admit that I do my share of that type of shooting, but it’s not when I’m at a race track. For general snapshots of the family, the auto setting is fine and a true miracle of modern technology.

If you have any desire to learn how to shoot racing photographs at a higher, more professional level you need to spend the time to learn about Shutter Speed, f-stops (Aperture) and their effect on the photos you’re taking. It’s not just a good idea, but mandatory. Don’t let the confusing numbers, etc. scare you off. It’s really not that hard to understand if you just spend a little time at it.

]]> Here’s a basic explanation. This is not meant to be your only source on this. Keep working at it and reading more, if needed, until you really understand it. You might even consider buying a book or two. I’ll give you a few suggestions later. Also this pertains to a camera that has adjustable settings, something like a SLR with changable lenses. In the digital world there are some great ones being sold today for some pretty cheap prices.

Shutter Speed & f-stops (Aperture) are all about exposure. Exposure is the amount of light needed to properly expose your digital image sensor or film. A favorite analogy for exposure is to use the filling of a bucket of water.

The bucket is a fixed size and needs a certain amount of water to fill it, just like film, which is of a set film speed and needs a certain amount of light to capture an image. In digital photography film speed is still used even though you’re not shooting film! To fill your bucket, you can pour a small stream of water for a long time or a fast stream of water for a short time. Either way, you end up with the same amount of water. With photography, the size of the stream of the water is comparable to the f/stop, the length of time you pour is comparable to the shutter speed, and the size of the bucket is comparable to the film speed. Strictly speaking, from the bucket's point of view, it doesn't matter which combination of stream size and length of time you choose as long as the right amount of water ends up coming in. Film (or a digital image) is the same; within limits, it is indifferent to the combination of time and amount of light as long as the right amount of light eventually arrives. This situation described is a great thing, because it allows you the photographer the freedom in choosing the combination to use. Depending on the combination, you could end up with a photograph where the car your shooting is going 100mph and looks like it is standing still or the car your shooting is going 50mph and looks like it is going 100mph. You the photographer choose the outcome by using different combinations of Shutter Speeds & f-stops (Aperture).

If your confused at this point, have faith this subject is one of those things that all of a sudden it clicks and becomes clear. It will come, just don't give up.

SHUTTER SPEED
Longer shutter speeds = more light
Shorter shutter speeds = less light
The larger the shutter speed number is, the shorter the amount of time that the shutter is open. To stop a higher speed object like a race car and have the least amount of blur, you need to use a higher shutter speed number so the shutter is open shorter, thereby lessening the amount of time the subject could blur. That’s one long sentence and definitely not good English, but you get the picture. Read it over and over. If you use a smaller shutter speed number, the shutter will be open longer and the subject you're shooting will be more susceptible to blurring.

F-STOP (APERTURE)
Smaller f-stop number = larger opening
Larger f-stop number = smaller opening
The larger the f-stop (Aperture) number the greater the range of objects in focus. With a larger f-stop (Aperture) number objects might be in focus from 10 feet to 40 feet. The smaller the f-stop (Aperture) number the shorter the range of object in focus. With a smaller f-stop (Aperture) number objects might be in focus from 10 feet to 15 feet.

Here's a little something to help you remember one of the confusing points about Shutter Speeds & f-stops (Aperture). The larger the number on both means less. Less time and less light. The smaller the number on both means more. More time and more light. Their both opposite of what might seem logical to you.

A typical bright summer day will produce an exposure of 1/500th shutter speed at f16 for the f-stop (Aperture). This is with 400 speed (ASA/ISO) film. Many of the black & white photographs you see on my website were shot with TRI-X, a Kodak film with a film speed (ASA/ISO) of 400. It should be understood that not all motorsports photographs are shot this way, but if you’re beginning I suggest you set your camera with a shutter speed of 1/500th and if your camera is able to, let it control the f-stop (Aperture). Later when you get more proficient, you can set both if you want to. To increase your percentage of “good” shots when you start out use at least 1/500th shutter speed. Later when you develop your skills you can experiment with slower shutter speeds. Don’t forget if you’re shooting a car going by (a very typical and common shot) you need to pan with the car, hopefully at the same speed of the car. I might cover panning on another posting.

Here are a couple of books that would help to further your understanding of the subject of exposure.

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)

Exposure and Lighting for Digital Photographers Only (For Only)

A new must-have book for any Drag Racing fan!

2007-07-31T03:29:32Z

A project that I was made aware of over 1 year ago is finished and now available for your enjoyment.

]]> Fuel and Guts: The Birth of Top Fuel Drag Racing by my good friend Tom Madigan (we've known each other for about 40 years!). He was selected by the publishing house Motorbooks to write this long overdue addition to the recorded history of drag racing. A short while ago he wrote another book, Edelbrock: Made in USA and won just about every award that an automotive author can. I own this and a copy of another book he wrote back in 1984 about Bill Stroppe called Boss: The Bill Stroppe Story. This book has been long out-of-print and sells for over $100.00 now. Pretty amazing when you consider it originally sold for $13.95 and it's a paperback book. FUEL & GUTS: THE BIRTH OF TOP FUEL DRAG RACING is not the first book on drag racing that Tom has written. The loner: the story of a drag racer which was about Tony Nancy, a well-known and well-loved early drag racer. This book is available on the second-hand market, but again it goes for as high as $180.00! Bottom line, Motorbooks picked the perfect guy to write on the subject of Top Fuel Drag Racing because he was THERE! In addition, it's obvious that people put a great deal of value in his work.

So the question is how do I fit into this? Well, Tom contacted me and asked that I contribute some of my early drag racing photography to this book. I was very excited to work with my friend, knowing that saying yes was easier than going through thousands of negatives looking for shots. You have to realize that I have not looked at some of these negatives in 20 years. I honestly have been just too busy running Justice Brothers and shooting current racing. Long story short, I printed up some shots and sent them to Tom in the nick-of-time, about nine months after his first request. The cover of the finished product pictured here is the result of Tom's efforts, with a small amount of help from me and a whole lot of our friends. Guys like Steve Reyes, Don Brown, Jere Alhadeff, Bob McClurg, Eric 'Ric' Rickman, Ralph Guldahl, Jr., Dave Wallace, Jr. and a whole lot more. I understand there is a very nice credit list at the back of the book. The few I've listed here are a few of the guys I shot with on a weekly basis at tracks in Southern California.

I'm really proud of Tom's finished product and am really excited that this history was recorded and now can be enjoyed by anyone who gets a copy of the book. The period covered in this book was an incredible time and none of us really knew what we were witnessing. I'm sure glad I got to be there!

This book is a real keeper for the serious drag racing fan!

Welcome to my Weblog!

2007-07-04T23:19:44Z

Hello, over time I hope to post up some tips on taking better photographs, some interesting stories on different photographs I've shot over the past 40 years and maybe some interesting stories on racing in general. Check back often and thanks!