Countyline Dragway (too close for comfort)

[MarcoCanon]

Hey everyone, I took some pics at a local 1/8 drag strip if it can even be called that. This track is never prepped and there isn't much safety equipment ether, they don't even have a town vehicle!!!

Any how, there was an orange camaro that lost control and almost took me out. I was standing about 100ft from the staging lane and this car came straight at me, I'll let the pics tell the story but it was a little to close for comfort. At least the barrier did its job, if not I might have been the hood ornament of that car. Some of the accident pics might not be very sharp cause I had a prime lens and he was heading straight at me, and at one point I even ran for cover.

This is were the fun begins.
Burn out
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SvenxnaAsNI/AAAAAAAAA6k/hEU8-gkT-6Y/s720/IMG_7021.JPG

Purge
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/Sven3uKOynI/AAAAAAAAA6w/XtoMBUvryVo/s720/IMG_7023.JPG

Off the line
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/Sven5j62i2I/AAAAAAAAA60/LlVFg3Q0CZM/s720/IMG_7030.JPG

already out of shape
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoBPrXD-I/AAAAAAAAA68/2DKN6HvfV5A/s720/IMG_7032.JPG

Had already missed 2 shots and only took pics of the wall since he did not go stright down the track and then got this on the following shot.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoEGe_R8I/AAAAAAAAA7A/lcadSXU56DE/s720/IMG_7036.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoEGe_R8I/AAAAAAAAA7A/lcadSXU56DE/s720/IMG_7036.JPG
car hittin the barrier and the reaction of the crowd.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoG6i4CHI/AAAAAAAAA7I/IFDNZIUzi-I/s720/IMG_7038.JPG

BTW, this is my first post.

[MarcoCanon]

Hell broke loose.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoIZTVeLI/AAAAAAAAA7M/KxcKLYtj7qg/s720/IMG_7039.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoJZ8AskI/AAAAAAAAA7Q/ZHXsE2FB36I/s720/IMG_7040.JPG

Car was pretty high in the air.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoLLy7FGI/AAAAAAAAA7U/jcqaOdEUeAs/s720/IMG_7041.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoMrHZoPI/AAAAAAAAA7Y/c0DqjrAeBQM/s720/IMG_7042.JPG

Then I ran for cover since there were car parts flying everywhere, specially towards me, and this are the pics of the aftermath.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoQyU5--I/AAAAAAAAA7g/bNQ-7irMbQU/s720/IMG_7049.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveoZSzr88I/AAAAAAAAA7s/PFtHjk4eDPQ/s720/IMG_7058.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/Sveoal-xr1I/AAAAAAAAA7w/jDepGELXsUo/s720/IMG_7059.JPG

I was standing were the lady with the black shirt is.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveockHoazI/AAAAAAAAA70/e3WUbSrW610/s720/IMG_7060.JPG

[MarcoCanon]

More damage
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SveohRxlHfI/AAAAAAAAA78/CZ5-we5VFxs/s720/IMG_7062.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/Sveor7mtUqI/AAAAAAAAA8Q/J3CCh27vkuE/s720/IMG_7071.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/Sveo4huCBYI/AAAAAAAAA8c/ejCIoGPWBS8/s720/IMG_7086.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/Sveo1OJjLuI/AAAAAAAAA8Y/7YSopkOmd1w/s720/IMG_7080.JPG

Also any CC would be appreciated, these pics were taken with my 50D paired with the 300 or the 24-70 straight out of the camera.
I think after the accident I forgot to change any setting on the camera, but any how.
Enjoy...

sorry for the lengthy post but I thought some info would help. And the Driver walked out.

[ManuGD]

Wow, impressive, I hope you're OK!

[BOSS]

Great captures given the circumstance,lucky for you that wall was there.

[MarcoCanon]

No one was hurt, but it was a close call.
Thanks for asking.

[BOSS]

Did you send them into one of the drag magazines??
They could be worth a bit with a story.

[jimken61]

I bet you had to clean your pants out after that one..lol! I think I would have been in evacuation mode when I saw him turning my way. Glad your ok. Very interesting series of pics, hope I never get any like that.

[Jim M]

I think that's the first time I've seen a concrete barrier knocked over. And that car sure got airborne. Be glad you were across the fence instead of standing trackside. I'm always amazed at how quickly things happen when they go wrong. I rarely get the picture because I'm ducking. Glad you're OK.

[kauffman v36]

you're risking your life everytime you stand close to the barrier at countyline, been there done that. its a nice track for low power cars but not these high power cars. nice sequence, i can imagine how nervous you were. its like 10 feet from the fence to the barrier, not good, lol.

[MarcoCanon]

That track is not mean for high horse power cars, but in that event that is all they had. It was grudge racing day (no times posted) and there were some nice/fast cars out there, but that was by far the nicest car out there.

It all happened so quick that no one notice I was on that side of the track, my buddies flipped when the saw the pics.
I'll see if i'll contact a magazine about the pics, never thought about it thanks for the tip BOSS.

Here are some more pics of the event.
ISO: 400 Exposure: 1/5000 sec Aperture: 4.0, 300mm
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SvenHwfYvHI/AAAAAAAAA58/SI8Vi08k60Y/s720/IMG_6898.JPG

ISO: 400 Exposure: 1/1000 sec, Aperture: 8.0, 300mm
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_MAqAmRuVdD0/SvenO4dGp3I/AAAAAAAAA6A/Qqq1GxgkNdE/s720/IMG_6936.JPG

[996c2]

I think the phrase is ' motorsport is dangerous! ' . Looks like you held your bottle pretty well though !:)