The RACER Mailbag, March 25

Welcome to the RACER Mailbag. Questions for any of RACER’s writers can be sent to mailbag@racer.com. We love hearing your comments and opinions, but letters that include a question are more likely to be published. Questions received after 3pm ET each Monday will be saved for the following week.

Q: I know you're a Sebring fanatic, and probably the most iconic photo of the track is looking down the pit straight west into the sunset late on Saturday as the cars race towards you. There are many photos out there. Have you taken that shot, and can you share it and the details of your camera setup?

Jeff, Colorado

MARSHALL PRUETT: Yes, but that’s my second favorite Sebring sunset shot. My friend Bob Chapman, who shoots for many teams and manufacturers, grew tired of being one of dozens to take the same Turn 1 shot year after year, so around 2010, he said he wanted to try something different – to experiment – at Turn 13, aka "Tower Turn," which also looks back at the sun.

It’s the only other accessible vantage point for that into-the-sunset shot, so we hopped on my golf cart and blasted over to see what it offered. And Lord, was Bob onto something; the closer proximity of the cars and trees behind them made for a much better and more intimate shot. The sun was no longer a distant member of the framing which requires a wider look to capture the car and the sun at the same time.

Once those shots were posted, a lot of the other shooters asked where they were taken, and the following year, we were no longer the only lunatics out there; probably had five or six join in. That tripled the next year and before long, it was a case of getting out to Turn 13 nice and early to make sure you weren’t stuck shooting behind two or three rows of people. If it wasn’t for Bob and his curiosity, I wouldn’t have thought to trade Turn 1 for the farthest and least convenient spot at the track to attempt something different.

As for settings, it’s hard to answer since it’s dependent on the DSLR body, lens, and the quality of both. For the photo I’ve supplied below from 2011 that I took in portrait with an RLL BMW M3, it was with a Canon 7D, Canon 500m lens, at 1/320, F5, and ISO 100.

Q: I have a few questions regarding logistics for the D.C. street race. I would be happy with an answer to any of them. One of them is just because of my inability to find the specific rule regarding engine allotments: Is the addition of a new race going to lead to issues with engine mileage and penalties for replacement down the line (more than usual, anyway)? 

My other questions all have to do with the logistics for hosting a race in downtown D.C., specifically. I've read a couple studies about the impact of high amplitude-low frequency sound on building structures, and the area surrounding the track contains several older buildings and sculpture gardens. Is the sound of an IndyCar (especially as it drives away) a concern? I like physics, but I don't know much about street circuit planning, unfortunately.

What kind of coordination is going on between the surrounding museums and Penske Entertainment? Since the Smithsonian Institution is technically not part of any of the three branches of government and the executive order placed the burden on the Department of the Interior, I was wondering if that has presented a challenge.

This is more minor and more general, but I expect the weather to be nasty. D.C. in August is humid and features a ridiculously strong thunderstorm three or four times a week. What are the contingencies if race day stormed through? Like I said, more general, but a point of curiosity for a younger fan nonetheless.

Any help understanding is greatly appreciated.

Hope R, Lexington, KY and Annandale, VA

MP: Here we go: On engines, it’s four per lease for the season, and as we wrote in a "What we know so far" story after the announcement, Chevy and Honda expect to accommodate the extra race without charging more or tripping into mileage penalties. The four are meant to go a combined 10,000 miles. If D.C. pushes anyone over that limit, I can’t see IndyCar making a fuss about it.

I’ve yet to year about sound being a concern, either through intensity or frequencies. It doesn’t mean there would be no problems, for my first thought went to the Dali Museum, aka St. Petersburg Turn 10, which gets rattled aplenty by all kinds of race cars – IndyCar, NASCAR Trucks, and more – without the works of art crumbling. Again, I’m not saying St. Pete is a guide to what would or wouldn’t happen in D.C., but there is a precedent.

On the Smithsonian, in a general sense, I’m unaware of any pushback towards the Freedom 250 by government/non-government entities that would prevent the race from happening as scheduled. There are obviously a number of folks who don’t want the race to happen, but none, to my knowledge, possess the authority to stop the event from going forward.

As for conditions, most racing series make every effort to put on a motor race. I can’t imaging that same intent would be different with D.C. The expectation is for stifling heat, and if that’s the case, the focus will be on driver health and safety behind the aeroscreen. And if it’s an epic shower, Firestone makes rain tires and the series will need to see what’s possible. Considering the energy we’ve seen being demonstrated from the White House and the D.C. Mayor to put on the race, a weather delay to Monday – if such a thing happened – would be the domain of the President, Secretary of Transportation, and the Mayor, I’d imagine.

Otherwise, it’s hard to provide specifics in uncharted territory for a one-off race on the country’s 250th birthday.