5 P1's and 1 Incredible Experience!
The call from Evan Cygler of McLaren Greenwich set the stage for a change in my plans for the upcoming day. He extended an invite to a private event at Monticello Motor Club exclusively for McLaren owners. While I don't own a McLaren myself, my photography skills with McLarens have garnered attention. A 650S and MP4-12C were confirmed to be there, their sheer elegance already piquing my interest. Then, Evan mentioned the magic words - he was working on securing a McLaren F1, a personal favorite of mine. This rare car, with its iconic gull-wing doors and unique three-seater layout, sealed my plans for the next day. I hoped Evan would succeed in bringing this extraordinary vehicle to the event.
As a child, I had a framed picture of the McLaren F1 LM above my bed, surrounded by countless other images of exotics, classics, and racers. Among them all, the McLaren F1 was my favorite, hands down. I used to daydream about piloting the orange F1 from my wall, racing it faster and faster around the tracks. So when Evan presented me with this opportunity, it was like revisiting that childhood spot and being ready to add to it. The GTLM, now at the top of my bucket list, is a car I am eager to photograph.
After the 4-hour drive down, I could sense I was getting close. Approaching the event and checking in with security, I was buzzing with energy. This pre-event excitement is typical for car events, but with the prospect of the F1, my anticipation was off the charts. I parked and grabbed my gear, walking briskly to the check-in area. There, I was assigned a golf cart for the day, a welcome relief for my back. With access to all areas of the track and behind-the-scenes, I felt fortunate and wasted no time finding cars to shoot. I quickly noticed that Monticello was more relaxed with rules, giving me more opportunities to capture the shots I wanted. Driving around, it was evident they took great pride in their lawns and landscaping, which allowed them to be more selective with their events.
While scouting the cars, my eyes landed on a Volcano Red P1. The instructor kindly offered to take me for a ride. I requested that he drive as fast as possible—I wanted to experience the full hype surrounding the P1. As we hit 180+ mph on the backstretch, that hype was not just felt but fully appreciated. The only time he slowed down was when we approached another car. When it came time to pass, the other car seemed almost stationary as we zoomed by with incredible speed. It felt like something out of a Star Wars film, hitting warp speed.
The launch was incredibly impressive, and I found myself with a permanent smile on my face even after we exited the car. The McLaren P1 is a high-horsepower hybrid that embodies all the specs and features a hypercar should have. Switching it into race mode lowers the car and raises the spoiler, giving it an even more aggressive stance. Affording one of these beasts is one thing, but handling its power is a whole other challenge. Steve, however, had the handling down pat.
I met Chris Petruccio, a fellow photographer/videographer, and we had a great chat about cars and photography. When he mentioned his site was Krispy, I couldn't help but chuckle. I've been a fan of his work for a while, so meeting him was a real pleasure. We teamed up and hopped into the bed of the Pace truck with our gear to capture some rolling shots. As we cruised around the track, we took turns photographing four P1s closely following behind. We even lowered the tailgate of the truck to get different and lower angles, all the while making sure we were both safe.
Although the F1 wasn’t able to make it that day, the experience was still a success. The shots of the P1s turned out amazing, and it was a memorable experience for me.
