1966 No.2 Ford GT40 MKII-A P/1046
Ryan Mcintosh, Business Development Manager at Lime Rock Park, gave me a call while I was knee-deep in edits. With an excited tone, he exclaimed, "You wouldn’t believe what is showing up this week!" Intrigued by his enthusiasm, I eagerly anticipated the beauty I was about to witness. Whatever it was, I knew it would be spectacular given Ryan's excitement. It turned out to be the 1966 Ford GT40 that Bruce McLaren drove to victory in the 1966 24-hour Le Mans, securing the 1-2-3 finish.
The purpose was to use this car to illustrate Ford's dominance in racing against its rival, Ferrari. Ryan wanted me to capture this magnificent piece of automotive history through my lens. He didn’t need to convince me; I was more than eager, and you could have seen me in my office, pumping my fists in the air, absolutely ecstatic about this incredible opportunity. I delved into researching the car for further details and then headed down to the basement to fire up the Xbox and take virtual photos in Forza Motorsport 6. I downloaded the No. 2 Ford GT40 MK II-A P/1046 livery and began scouting locations at Lime Rock Park. There was one shot I nailed in the game and I was determined to make it a reality the next morning.
As you may be aware, Lime Rock Park is one of the tracks featured on Forza. This gives me an advantage in figuring out the angles and locations of shots, making me more efficient with my time on the actual track. Once again, I found myself embarking on that long 3-hour drive to my favorite track in Lime Rock, CT. About 30 minutes out, I gave Ryan a call to let him know of my imminent arrival. He then informed me that Daniel Byrne from Automobile Magazine and Erik Fuller from Octane Magazine would also be there, working on features about the GT40. He gave me the heads up that they had full access and priority over the car, and if there was time, I could be squeezed in for some one-on-one photo time.
I was taken aback and instantly nervous because now there was limited if any, time with the car alone and a strict schedule to adhere to. I had to work alongside these two photographers with no clue about how receptive they would be to me tagging along. I also wanted to be respectful of their work and time with the car. Deciding to make this more about the behind-the-scenes of these major publications was the best decision at this point. I followed them and captured their process of photographing the GT40. It was enlightening to see how they approached photography and their unique style. Learning from others' work is crucial in any profession.
When we arrived at the paddock, there was a flat-colored trailer sitting along the back wall. The door opened, and there sat dormant this rare panther of a car, caged up, waiting to stretch its legs and let out a piercing growl. The GT40 was exquisite and iconic. Mark Allin from Rare Drive and his team had fully restored this vehicle to its exact specifications.
As I admired the magnificent beast of a car, I noticed a very familiar BMW X5 roll up. It was Daniel Oliveras, a fellow photographer/videographer whom I had met at Monticello for the Guardian Angel Motorsports charity event. He told me he was just finishing up a video series and was on his last day of shooting. After Dan interviewed the owner of the GT40, the other photographers arrived. Needing the shot I had created in Forza, I quickly introduced myself, making it known that I would like to squeeze in some time.
Dan Byrne said to hop in his car with his assistant and drive around the track looking for locations. He liked my idea and added it to his shot list. Excellent! Daniel Oliveras and his assistant, Axel Del Cid, had me sit in the bed of the pickup truck with them to grab a few rolling shots. What a perfect vantage point to capture a behind-the-scenes shot of the two of them holding the gimbal over the tailgate with the GT40 trailing close behind.
After Dan was all set, we pulled into the pits to unload, and Daniel Byrne instantly took off in his car, hanging out of the liftgate to capture some low rollers. After two laps, I saw them stop at the bottom of the downhill. I asked Axel to drive me down the front straight in the cart right away. The cart was very slow, so I jumped out and started running full force as I didn’t want to miss my opportunity. As I was running, I looked back and noticed the cart right behind me, so I jumped back in. Gasping for air, we arrived, and I was able to grab a relatively close shot as the lighting and car position were different than my vision.
At the end of the session, I got to sit on the downhill as the car was able to do a few hot laps at its full potential. What a beautiful sound that comes screaming from the twin pipes in the rear! To be able to see it on the track, racing loudly, was pure enjoyment. Keeping it to the details. Dans Video Series: GT40 Videos
