Momo Ferrari Behind The Scenes Motorsports Photos PWC
Michael ONeill Photographer Writer Motorcyclist Adventurer
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Momo Ferrari Behind The Scenes Motorsports Photos PWC

One of the best pieces of advice I can offer to any aspiring motorsports photographer is to not spend too much time on the track. I know that sounds like a bit of a paradox. Let me explain. Racing, in any form, is about more than just the drivers of the cars or the riders of the motorcycles on the course. There is a great big machine behind the fast one on the track. Every successful motorsports team is made up of the pilots, their crew chiefs and tacticians, the pit crew, engine and suspension tuners, engine builders, chassis builders and on and on. Outside the race shop there is a huge support network. The drivers of the team’s haulers, motorhomes and midway merchandise trailers. Countless office people handle all the details of operating a race team. Logistics. Accounting. Human resources. Purchasing and receivables. The list is endless but it needs to be known that every one of these people plays a part in the race team’s success. The editors of the magazines and the owners of the race teams I shoot for love the fact that I always make it a point to capture some of the people on the team that are not in the limelight. People want to get a behind-the-scenes look at their hero’s operation. Teams want their sponsors to be seen as the integral part of the operation that they are. The VIP guests in a race team’s garage love the recognition of being a special part of the race team. Besides, it’s just fun to see the professionalism that exists outside of the race car. Check out this image of the Momo Ferrari’s team garage at the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) held at beautiful Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut. Everything from the awning "roof" to the beautiful non-skid floor is set up and torn down at every single racing event. Many teams set up a second pavilion just for hospitality…a place to entertain their fans, their VIP guests and so forth. There is nothing quite like watching an NHRA Mello Yello drag racing series Top Fuel or Funny Car team tear down and rebuild an engine between rounds. These things are all part of the racing experience and it is the professional racing photographer’s duty to document it. The fans want to see it. The magazine’s readership wants to see it. Give it to them.