Sebring 12 Hours - Full Photography Coverage

Sebring 12 Hours - one of the most powerful phrases in the automotive dictionary.


Sebring - this single word alone has the potential to evoke feelings of automotive euphoria. Millions of car enthusiasts across the world, myself included, can't help but associate Sebring with thoughts of lightning quick race cars buzzing around the torturous race track better known as Sebring International Raceway.

I just happen to be one of the die-hard racing enthusiasts that is lucky enough to photograph these race cars up close and personal. At times, almost too personal, as I barely escaped making friends with the tires and under body of the Corvette C6R in the pits this weekend.

I consider myself highly fortunate to share with others, through my eyes and photography, these magnificently sexy pieces of machinery, technology, brute power, and love as they seem to effortlessly hover around Sebring's jagged 3.7 mile long, 17 turn track.

Going back two months in time, I sent in my media credential application to ALMS, more specifically Sebring, requesting a media credential for myself to photograph the 12 Hours Race. Having photographed it last year, I quickly jumped on the opportunity to hopefully photograph it again in 2009.

I rented an RV with some of my best friends and arrived at Sebring early Friday afternoon. The race wasn't until Saturday morning but I didn't want to miss a thing!

I went to will call immediately upon my arrival at the track and sheepishly asked if there was a media credential behind the counter for "Chris Grosser" - the kind lady working there replied with, "Here you go, Chris Grosser from TeamSpeed ... enjoy the race."

This was the single greatest sentence I had heard in months. Sebring doesn't inform you prior to the race if your application was accepted or denied. Apparently, I did something right because within a minute I was signing my life and insurance information for potential injuries away! Say no more, I was on my way, two camera bodies in hand, 30 pounds of camera gear and lenses in my backpack, and ready to go hiking around Sebring track side.

Early the next morning, I went to the mandatory media and photographer meeting at 6:45am, which was a bit rough to say the least. I proceeded to check in, picked up my photo vest and ended up photographing for about 8 hours in total throughout the day. It's not too hard to do when my first picture taken that day was at 6:00am in the pits.

There is definitely a reason why they make you sign your life away prior to the track giving you your photography credentials. I think it may have something to do with being encouraged and given access to photograph within 5 feet of race cars passing you in excess of 150+mph. It almost.... just almost, makes me question my sanity but I love it and wouldn't trade it for the world.

Fifteen hundred photos later, yes, you read that right, 1,500 photos!

The fruition of my labor can be found below:

The official link to the gallery on my website with ALL of my photos from Sebring can be located here:

http://chrisgrosserphotography.com/gallery.php?ID=5&subID=92#imagelist


Race day - this is what the track looks like at 6:00am. I was on my way to the media meeting:


Welcome to Sebring!


Beginning of the race:

The main attraction, media was ALL over this car - myself included.

Audi R15 - the eventual winner of the race as well.


Driver's view:

Hanging out on the track prior to the race:

Up close and personal:

Right before I was nearly run over:

Flying Lizard:


Again, please check out the gallery on my website for all of the official pictures. There are another 50 or so photos up on my website that I did not post on here, it's well worth the click!

Chris Grosser Photography


Next photography pit stops for me:

Ultra Music Festival Miami - March 27-28th

St. Pete Honda Grand Prix - April 3-5th


Many more photos coming up in the near future, check back frequently!

- Chris

200MPH - The New Standard?

The full gallery of photos from this event can be located by clicking the link provided below:

Runway Meet 2009: Dade-Collier Airstrip


Location: Ochopee, Florida – at a rented 2 mile long aviation runway

Date: 2/23/2009

Time: 7am-7pm

Goal: Super car top speed runs in a controlled environment

The sounds of cars flying by like rocket jets in excess of 200 miles per hour was nothing short of astonishing at yesterday's 2 miles long open runway event located at Ochopee, Florida.

The super car lineup consisted of automobiles that most people, like myself, can only dream of owning. Twin turbo 1000+ horsepower Lamborghini Murcielagos and Gallardos filled the arena early in the morning while being unloaded from trailers at the venue.

A Saleen S7 brought massive amounts of attention from the fans. It's not an everyday occurrence to view such cars in the wild, much less out on an endlessly long runway being pushed to their limits. It's a thing of sheer beauty to view a car like the S7 being run to its full potential and not just sitting near a glass showcase or behind velvet ropes like a coveted piece of art.

Two Robinson R44 helicopters even made brief appearances. Other visits from curious planes in the area made flybys to view the tens of millions of dollars in super cars from around the country.

Having been fortunate enough to take a quick ride in my good friend's Bentley Continental GT and quickly surpassing the 175mph mark - the 200mph barrier in cars such as the Saleen S7, Twin turbo Murcielago, Lamborghini LP640, Ford GT, or Twin Turbo "Underground Racing" 1300 horsepower Gallardo seems shockingly feasible.

Feasible is merely an understatement as new speed records were approached and surpassed throughout the day. Two hundred miles per hour quickly became the new "standard" for the super cars to strive for and many did just that.

My Sebring Adventures!

My camera bag sits in the back of my closet like a toy that's quickly lost its shine and appeal a couple weeks after Christmas morning. I have enough money invested in camera gear to put a nice down payment on a zippy little sports car and enough cobwebs on my cameras and lenses that I'd like to think most people would quickly assume I've probably never used them before. In more simplistic terms, it was time for me to get to work, immediately.

I just about damn near forgot how to turn on my camera or how to switch lenses. I can say it's been a solid 1.5 months since I've touched my camera gear. Ridiculous, right? It was a nice needed break but the photography bug hit me.... hard.

I gave my good buddy Kevin a ring the other day asking him about Sebring and he told me that he was planning on heading to the Sebring preseason testing session...... by himself.

"Sebring racing you say? As in ridiculously beautiful race cars buzzing around a track like their ass is engulfed in flames?!"

Say no more.

I did like any good fellow friend and automotive enthusiast would: I woke up early the upcoming day, yawned, threw my camera bag over my shoulder, started up my car, plugged in the GPS coordinates, and headed to the track!

I got to the track in about 1.5 hours and felt as if I had somehow miraculously driven to my own judgment day and amazingly, apparently, I did remarkably well on my life quest. Awesome! I was welcomed with open arms into the gates of heaven.... well, just the entrance to pay for my entry ticket for the day but if that's what heaven consists of for us car fanatics, I'm in! Amen!

Apparently, I had done something right in my short time on this earth to be able to witness such splendor in the form of slick aerodynamics and brute engines tucked away so precisely and methodically. These machines exemplify such unprecedented aesthetic appeal that words simply cannot do them justice. Luckily, I'm quite active with my camera as well! ;)

The harmonious tones that were being ejected from these magnificent pieces of racing grandeur to be enjoyed by our auditory perception was nothing short of heaven on earth.

Let me put this into full perspective for you:

It's a gorgeous 70 degree Florida morning, your pores are absorbing every glimmer and ray that the sun deems worthy of sending your way: You come rolling around to the track with your windows down when your ears quickly begin to become overwhelmed by the aura of an angelic and euphoric team of fully prepped race cars that send their frequencies ricocheting off every nook and cranny of the track. Their high revving engines drone out anything else within a 5 mile radius. It is a thing of sheer beauty. Everything encompasses you simultaneously while providing you with such glee that you secretly crack a smile to yourself from ear to shining ear without even being aware of it.

Welcome to Sebring!

I park my car, pop the trunk and scurry to pick up my backpack filled with 30 pounds of cameras, lenses, filters, and anything else I could fit into my gear bag.

Sadly enough, I didn't prepare or apply for credentials prior to attending which inevitably, highly inhibited where I could and couldn't go on the track. I was stuck in a guarded area like a dog put in its pen for misbehaving. I suppose that's what I get for not doing my homework ahead of time but regardless, it was a spur of the moment idea to head out to the track and I fully intended to make the best of this terrible situation that I had put myself in. This "terrible" situation would apparently carry over to later that day, which in fact, wasn't really at all that terrible to begin with!

Somewhere between getting far too caught up in chatting with friends, snapping some 800 pictures, getting dizzy watching the cars fly by, or borrowing Kevin's $4000 lens to tinker around with for a while, I managed to entirely forget about my math course at the university later that day. The situation I encountered after rushing back the 1.5 hours to Tampa fully exhausted was probably an even better ending to the day than I could ever have dreamt up if I had tried.

I finally hustle into my math course 45 minutes late which in all honesty, isn't all that bad, right? Well, my class is only a little over an hour. You do the math.

I quickly slither like a snake into the lecture hall in attempt to not make myself too conspicuous or disrupt the professor too much - I failed terribly. It's a tough feat when you open the lecture door to a room full of 125 giggling college kids pointing and staring at you. In better explanation, I was then better referred to and became, "That Kid" for that particular day - or in definition - "That Kid" - a student that arrives so late to lecture that it makes you chuckle and wonder why the hell they would even bother coming to class at all!

I run to the first seat I find available as close to the front of the room as I could, brace myself, pray the teacher doesn't comment on my tardiness, and settle for the normal remainder 25 minutes left of lecture....

"Thanks for attending today students, class is dismissed! Prep for your test on Monday and don't be late!"

The joke was definitely on me.

In short, I got to attend a full day of watching race cars at Sebring, partake in my beloved photography for a day, hangout with some great friends, and miss my math class ALL in one day? Epic success!


The official link to my Sebring gallery from that day can be located here:


http://chrisgrosserphotography.com/gallery.php?ID=5&subID=87#imagelist


- Chris

Welcome to my Blog!

My blog will allow me to share my photography work and my accompanying commentary for the different events, venues, and companies that I photograph for.

I will be sharing my stories, experiences, and opportunities while also explaining the ones I wished never happened as well.

Enjoy the ride, I know I have! ;)

On the runway:


In Alaska on a glacier:


In a Lamborghini Murcielago:


In a helicopter:


In a magazine: