Lateral Science Inverted Three months in Australia 31st March '06

The 2006 Melbourne Grand Prix. I didn't want to go to the race on Sunday because I don't like crowds, but the practice session on the Friday gave me a taster. Unfortunately I had a bit of a run-in with security.

The first car past me made me realise I'd forgotten something. Ear plugs. I'd never heard F1 cars before, previous motorsports experiences being Isle of Man TT, Indy cars at the Long Beach Grand Prix and Drag racing at Pomona Speedway. The Californian racing was way back in the mid-eighties. Power outputs then of methanol fueled Indy cars and nitromethane fueled dragsters was greater than F1s. But the exhaust frequency of these F1s is much higher and dB level well past the threshold of pain.

So, with hurtin' lugs, I started taking a few foties and vids. I quickly became pissed off with the digital Olympus. Taking a pic of one of these cars rushing past at 170mph entailed pressing the "shutter" button about a second before it operated, to let the microprocessor do it's stuff. Success rate of 1 in 17 to actually capture a car in frame. Also it focused on the chain link fence in front of me. Jumping a barrier got me an unobstructed view of the track through a gap, see below, but security personnel were understandably unimpressed.

There follows a series of pics that are probably underwhelming, even if you're a motorsports enthusiast. I don't care, I'm putting them on me site 'cos they undoubtedly caused me hearing loss, cost me $55 and a severe reprimand!

Camera problems, chain link fence & sore lugs cause Mad Rog grumpiness

These bods don't seem to have seen me, just get over this little barrier...

Back to photos through chain link

 My response to the marshals (.wav sound file)

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