While in Vegas for the SEMA show earlier this month, we were blessed with even more crazy car action. Walking around all day seeing the craziest builds SEMA has to offer was awesome, but when I heard Global Rally Cross’ season ender was there again this year, I had to be there! The event was being held across the street from our hotel – the MGM Grand – so it meant a quick Monorail ride from the Las Vegas Convention Center to our room where I picked up my long lens. The walk from our hotel to the event, not that it was a long one, was filled with sounds of the high strung turbo motors being bagged on by their respective drivers.
The guys I was with got in quick and easy, but for me to gain media access was sort of a pain in my ass. First, I had to walk all the way around the entire fenced-off area to the back of the event, where I was hoping my name would be on the list. After a quick bag check, I found myself waiting for the lady with the list to get back to her office. And once she did, my name was nowhere to be found. Luckily she was nice enough to give me a new pass after looking at our website to make sure I was legit.
With the whole media credential nightmare over, I barely had enough time to set up on the final corner before the supercars started running. In GRC terms, in case you were wondering, ‘supercars’ refers to the 600HP cars driven by Ken Block, Tanner Foust and the like.
I have to tell ya, it’s one thing to be in the stands watching something like this, but being on the very outside of a highspeed corner being spit on with race fuel and having back fires directed straight into your ear drums is something completely different. It is loud and dirty, but would I have it any other way? No. Fucking. Way.
It feels very weird shooting from the outside of a corner; I’m so used to being on the inside panning on drifters! Nonetheless I was able to capture some cool shots to share with you guys. Here’s what I found to be a cool picture of Sverre Isachsen and his Subaru STI chasing Guilherme Spinelli in his Mitsubishi Evolution.
Here is Tanner Foust and his Ford Fiesta ST taking flight with my lens at full length.
#67 Rhys Millen and his Hyundai Veloster flying high. If you don’t know who he is, you can watch him take the world record on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with a time of 9:46.164 last year!
A different view of Sverre on the track, this time with a little elevation change.
Guilherme flying high.
This year GRC really stepped their visual stimulation game up with fire works and pyrotechnics! I wasn’t expecting it and I have a feeling no one else really was either. I don’t think anyone in the course of history has complained about something like that though; who doesn’t like fire works and pyro?! The only downfall was when me and all the other media guys were under those flames taking pictures and interviewing the guys on the podium, we – along with our cameras and equipment – got covered in the dust!
Tanner Foust took 2nd in the event and 2nd overall behind Toomas Heikkinen. Last year it was a battle between him and Ken Block, and when Tanner came out on top this year it was the opposite. There’s nothing like a good rivalry and I’m anxious to see what the finale next year will look like! Let us cross our fingers it will happen during SEMA again!
This year Ken Block’s car didn’t start on fire mid-lap and he was driving like a beast, allowing him to take the top podium spot. It was the first event he was able to take 1st in all season but he still managed to take 3rd overall.