As fun and exhilarating as it is to be a full-time Speedhunter, sometimes things can get pretty hectic. When you’re wearing that all-important media vest, there’s always a strict schedule to adhere to. This usually means extremely early morning starts, and feeling the pressure as you try and recall your mental shot-list to make sure you don’t miss a single detail. When you’re busy running frantically around a large venue or racetrack, it can even lead to injury, dehydration or heat exhaustion if you’re not careful!

Recently, the team here at Speedhunters had a thought. We’ve been professionally Speedhunting for so long, we’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to simply sit, enjoy and observe an automotive event take place as a spectator. So when our friends over at Formula Drift offered our readers some free passes to their fifth championship round in Washington, we decided to make an #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER competition out of it. We asked three spectators to take their cameras along to Evergreen Speedway, to relax, have fun and to casually document the event from their own perspectives. Seeing as Larry Chen, our FD photography expert, is taking a break at the moment to spend time with the new wee addition to his family, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Here’s what happened…

#IATS: Hi there Sean; welcome to Speedhunters! Tell us, was this your first time visiting Evergreen Speedway? What did you think of the Formula D Seattle event? 

Sean: Hello fellow Speedhunters! I hope everyone enjoys a few photos from my first trip up to the beautiful Evergreen Speedway. Being from San Diego, I’ve recently been filming with the Top Drift AM series presented by Just Drift, so I’m used to attending drift events at Willow Springs Raceway. This was a really nice change of pace for me, being in the forest instead of the desert.

#IATS: From a spectator’s point of view, was it tricky to get photos of the cars out on track? We love how you’ve used the fence to your advantage here and included this in the foreground of your image; it’s created a really neat effect. 

Sean: Evergreen Speedway as a venue was awesome for spectators, with a clear view of the entire track from any seat. I captured this moment of Vaughn Gittin Jr. on my way to the track during Friday practice.

#IATS: Can you explain what’s happening in this particular shot?

Sean: Here’s Rookie of the Year contender Matt Coffman, who was looking strong throughout Friday’s practice. He was nailing this second clipping point in his V8-powered Rocket Bunny-kitted 240SX practically every time.

Sean: Here’s another shot, this time of Brandon Wicknick blasting towards the bank in his S13 coupe; his 2JZ-GTE motor sounded amazing as it echoed through the surrounding forest!

#IATS: It looks like you were able to check out the Offset Kings showcase while you were at the event too! How many cars do you think attended this, and were there any specific trends or themes that stood out to you from the show?

Sean: The Offset Kings show presented by Fatlace never disappoints; if only they had a larger venue in Seattle to accommodate the 50-plus cars. Being so close to Canada, it was awesome to see so many real right-hand drive imports built to such a high standard. There was a bit of everything on show, but there was definitely a noticeably dominant Japanese presence.

#IATS: We’re loving this fifth gen Toyota Corona! Was there anything about this car that specifically caught your eye? 

Sean: Basset Popal’s ’77 Corona definitely looked cool sitting nice and low; I love the wide steel wheels – these were Circle Racing wheels – matched with flares on older cars like this.

#IATS: Thanks for sharing your FD adventure through your lens Sean, we really hope you enjoyed the event!

Next up, Washington local Michael Tsao shares his experience with us…

#IATS: Hey there Michael! We hear that you’re a regular at Evergreen Speedway, is that right? Which round is usually your favourite and have you attended any of the FD events outside of Washington before? 

Michael: I try to make it out to Evergreen as much as I possibly can. I enjoy all types of motorsport, so it’s great to go out and experience all the different kinds of events that are held at the track. As for drifting, I love the way Evergreen offers a great variety of high speed and tight clipping points and zones all in one run. I’ve recently started to follow the FD Europe and Asia tours as well, but I’d have to say my favorite round here in the States has to be the Throwdown in Monroe because it’s just a short drive from where I live, and I get to soak up two days worth of roaring engines and burning tires in person! Unfortunately, I’m yet to attend an FD event outside of Washington, but I’m hoping to get down to Round 6 in Texas and the final round in Irwindale this season.

#IATS: How long have you been following FD for now? What is it that you enjoy most about drifting and when/how did you first start taking an interest in it? 

Michael: Going back around three years ago I went to visit a local shop in Bellevue, and as I peered into their work bays, I noticed a guy working on a white S14. It just happened to be FD driver Chris Jeanneret, and after talking with him for a while I decided that I had to go check out what drifting was all about. Lucky for me, Formula Drift was only weeks away from making its stop in Monroe. I attended that round being a complete newbie in the drifting world, and ever since that experience, I’ve been hooked. Drifting is simply unlike any other motorsport event I have attended!

#IATS: We love the close-up shots of some of the drivers you managed to capture. It looks like our driver Charles Ng is stuck in a moment of intense concentration here; can you explain what was happening at the time you took this photo? 

Michael: This was during the Top 32 practice session. I noticed the Speedhunters livery out of the corner of my eye and thought, I have to get that! It looked as though Charles and his crew were making some final adjustments and getting his Infiniti G37 dialed in and ready, as he was about just about to head out on track. He absolutely nailed it!

#IATS: These black and white portraits have a very moody feel behind them – can you explain your exact thought process behind this image? 

Michael: I spotted Matt Field in deep concentration, almost like he was eyeing up his competition. I could see that he was having a nice calm moment inside his head, despite the madness of the event carrying on around him.

#IATS: We love how you’ve shot through the fence here and caught Fredric Aasbø and his opponent right before they disappear in front of the crowd before you. Sometimes when obstacles get in the way, it’s better to work with them than to work around them, don’t you agree? 

Michael: I completely agree! Sometimes obstacles can add a great deal of content to a photo. Sure, I love a perfect shot of a car in full drift with no distractions around so I can examine all the smallest details, but on the other hand, having other various subjects in the shot help to identify more about the mood and atmosphere that surrounds the main subject of the shot. Being in a wheelchair, spectating any motorsport event has its challenges, especially when taking photos. But I welcome those challenges because I frequently find the harder the shot is to take, the more exciting the image turns out to be!

Michael: Evergreen Speedway is awesome for spectating though, especially when it comes to drift events. Everything is in great view so you don’t miss any of the action as the cars come flying around the ⅝ bank, all the way through to the finish line.

#IATS: Another great portrait here! Care to explain what was going on at this exact moment? 

Michael: One More Time! I took this shot just as Dean Kearney and Darren McNamara solidified a vote for one more run to determine who would stand at the top of the podium. The two had a fist-clenching battle from start to finish, with Darren taking out the first place spot in Round 5!

#IATS: Thanks for sharing your FD adventure with us Michael! 

For our next and final chapter, Formula Drift newbie Ross Newsom shares his thoughts on his first ever FD event…

#IATS: Hi Ross. You’re a Washington local too, is that right? And this is the first time you’ve attended the Seattle round of Formula D? 

Ross: Hey Speedhunters! Yes, I’m a local from the Evergreen State and I live around the Tacoma area. I’ve been taking pictures for a total of two months now with my DSLR camera. I guess I got tired of using other people’s pictures and decided to make my own instead! Since I’ve been into cars I’ve attended a lot of shows, like the Stance Wars and Offset Kings events, and this was the first time I’ve ever attended an FD event! I’ve been wanting to go for a few years, and I finally made it there thanks to you guys. I was actually really surprised with the turnout – I didn’t know FD was so big in Washington state!

#IATS: Were there any specific highlights of the event for you? 

Ross: The whole event was a highlight for me, to be honest! But witnessing the battles between Fredric Aasbø and Darren ‘D-Mac’ McNamara gave me goosebumps from how close they were getting to one another while drifting – it was intense!

#IATS: As a spectator, what kind of access did you get to the competition cars at Evergreen Speedway? 

Ross: I loved that we got access to every car in the pit area. Besides going into the trailers, you could get as close as you wanted to the cars. Being able to watch the mechanics working up close was really cool!

#IATS: Judging from this photo, the stands were completely packed. What was the atmosphere like at the event – what words would you use to describe it? 

Ross: The atmosphere was electric; it was almost unreal! I met some really good people and some other photographers too. I don’t think I can even describe the event in one word, just because there so many things going on at once, it was crazy! Perhaps other people are used to it, but as a first-timer I was totally blown away. You would think the top battles were going on at the time of this picture, but believe it or not this was actually a quieter point in the competition. People were throwing paper airplanes from the very top of the stands and everyone was cheering.

#IATS: How ‘spectator friendly’ is Evergreen Speedway – was it difficult to get photos of the cars out on track? How close can you get to the cars out there? 

Ross: Overall, I’d say that FD Seattle is a very spectator-friendly event. On the first day I was able to get really close to the cars on track thanks to a friendly staff member, but on the second day I wasn’t so lucky! It was great fun, though.

#IATS: We’re glad you enjoyed your time at Formula Drift so much! Will you be going to this Round again in future, now that you know what it’s all about?

Ross: Of course! I would not miss it.

So there you have it, Formula Drift as seen through your lens. As nice as it does sound, getting to relax and participate as a spectator, we’re just not sure we could go along to an automotive event now without a camera in hand. Once you catch the photography bug, it’s simply impossible not to take your camera with you everywhere, especially when revving engines and burning tires are calling. So if you do happen to be new to photography, we hope this #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER story inspires you to get out to your local track with a camera. Whether you’re capturing a casual track day or a major motorsport festival, the most important thing is to always have fun and enjoy yourself.

Stay tuned for more Formula D coverage later on in September, when Larry returns for Round 6, The Showdown at Texas Motor Speedway!

Words and Photos by Sean Alessi, Michael Tsao and Ross Newsom.

#IATS Interview by Taryn Croucher
Instagram: taryncroucher
Twitter: @taryncroucher
taryn@speedhunters.com

About #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER

We created #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER to allow you the opportunity to share your skills and car culture experiences from around the globe with the rest of the Speedhunters audience.

How do you get involved? It’s simple…

Flickr – Join our #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER Flickr Group and share your favourite photos with us and others.

Instagram – Follow us on Instagram at @TheSpeedhunters and tag your own car culture images with #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER

Twitter – Follow us on Twitter at @SPEEDHUNTERS and share your tweets with the #IAMTHESPEEDHUNTER hashtag.

E-Mail – If you’ve been to a cool event and captured some amazing images, be sure to e-mail them to us on iamthespeedhunter@speedhunters.com and tell us a little bit about the event.