ZMAX Top Fuel and Funny Cars, Charlotte, NC

[EVANDIXONdotCOM]

First drag race, and first time photographing it. Used my 70-200 2.8L IS with my new 50D. Framerate rocks on this camera versus the XTi.



1. Historic 4-wide Funny Car Exhibition Race
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/3940884561_bb44e44264_b.jpg



2. Historic 4-Wide Top Fuel Exhibition Race (wish it was a little wider to get the full length of all 4 cars)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3940889741_e348f1dd24_b.jpg



3. 4-wide drivers (wish there was not a pole in the shot....)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2663/3941676912_202ba2f6f6_b.jpg



4. Top Fuel Burnout
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3941733770_53c052b3ed_b.jpg



5. Top Fuel Launch
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2578/3941740766_48baf848b1_b.jpg



6. Cylinder heads/exhaust in pits
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3418/3940981995_9d521a5b72_b.jpg



7. Pro Stock Cycle Launch
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3941807220_c9808aa92c_b.jpg



8. Wheelie
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3601/3941033139_c580c3283d_b.jpg



C&C, advice, etc. please!

[chopperdave]

love love love the 4 wide shots I wish I could have been there to experience that!

[EVANDIXONdotCOM]

love love love the 4 wide shots I wish I could have been there to experience that!

Thanks man. It was quite an amazing experience, and I am especially glad to be able to say I saw it and got picture to prove it! Any C&C...please?

[promod]

nitro is great , and to be there for the four car field , WOW ......... now I also love those stockers ...... why the bleachers clear out after the pro's is beyond me ....... s/gas and s/comp you can keep .. great pictures .......

[chris2683]

Those are some great shots!

What aperture and shutter speeds were you using?

[pastanley]

Evan- did you use any protective filters on your lens? I know the air gets dirty when the fuel cars run. Just curious because Im going to Indy next year and need advice on that. Did your lens get dirty?

[EVANDIXONdotCOM]

I shot in AV mode with Aperture set at 5.6. Mode 2 IS for panning was on.

That gave me pretty high shutter speeds (~1/1000), which, looking back, may have been a bit overkill. I was please overall with my first shoot though.

Full set on Flickr here (EXIF data available): http://www.flickr.com/photos/epdixon/sets/72157622301156269/

I had a Tiffen CPL on the lens, only because I lost my UV filter on a boat a few weeks back and I didn't want to leave it unprotected. Glad I shot in raw so I could boost the brightness/exposure a bit.

Thanks everybody!

[24alpha]

4 wide....there should be more of this! I like it. Thanks for sharing.

[EVANDIXONdotCOM]

The dragway here in Chralotte is perfect for it. Safety really wasnt even an issue. Seeing how they treed 4 at a time was interesting, but they had a good system. Crazy to think there was 32,000 horsepower running in that one race.

[jlozano180]

Great shots, what shutter speed were you using?

[EVANDIXONdotCOM]

At or around 1/1000. I shot in Av mode at f5.6 with CPL attached.

[interface]

I saw that on tv! That was really cool! Nice shots!

[EVANDIXONdotCOM]

Very memorable experience. Proud to say I was there for it. I know on TV it may be a much more visually awesome experience (camera angles), but the sound, smell, and chest-thumping awesomeness is incomparable.