November 20, 2023

One of the best things to have happened recently was the announcement that the Indy Car series is coming back to the Milwaukee Mile in 2024! They will be in Milwaukee on August 31, 2024 for one race and then following day September 2 for another race.

So happy to see that they are bringing the Indy Cars back to the historic Milwaukee Mile. On the morning of October 18th I got to see some of the improvements that are being done to the track and facility.

Firestone also ran a tire test at the Milwaukee Mile and Will Power ran the first laps in 8 years of an Indy Car. Will Power and Team Penske were ready to go at 10am on the dot.

The Team Ganassi car of Linus Lundquist came out a little while later.

Enjoy a look at the first lap and laps of an Indy Car with Will Power at the Milwaukee Mile since the 2015 ABC Supply Wisconsin 250.

Sebastian Bourdais won the race in 2015 but Will Power won it in 2014. Will sure looked as if he enjoyed being back at the Milwaukee Mile.

Go get some tickets and join us August 31st and September 1, 2024 at the Milwaukee Mile.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

November 6, 2023

Hope everyone had a fun Halloween! Two inches of snow here and no trick or treaters.

This blog is about Scott Brayton who was an Indy Car, CART and IRL racer in the 1990's. He passed away tragically on May 17, 1996 at age 37.

A tire blew in practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500 and Scott was killed instantly after hitting the wall. Sad story of too many racers I've known through the years in Indy Cars.

It's a crazy business and you know the hazards going in but it's a heartbreak every time we lose someone for the family and our racing community.

I met Scott Brayton only one time.  It was at the Milwaukee Mile and then I photographed him at Road America in 1993.

He was such a nice guy.  I recently realized that on Facebook we have a mutual friend!

We miss you Scott.  Here are some pictures from 1993 of Scott in a beautiful Indy Car.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

October 23, 2023

Been a bit of a crazy summer medically for me and I missed a lot of things going on, both good and bad.

I didn't realize that Gary Wright had passed at 80 years old on September 4, 2023.

Gary was born in New Jersey and started as a child actor at age 7 on television, and then started acting on Broadway before being cast on the Brady Bunch for several years.

He was a musician from an early age and decided to back up that career by becoming a doctor! He then went to Germany to study and specialize in psychology.

All this time he was in many bands and the most notable was Spooky Tooth. He also played on former Beatle George Harrison's album, All Things Must Pass. He even went to India with George for some musical events.

In the 1970's he went solo and his most famous song is probably Dream Weaver in 1975.

I had the pleasure of photographing him in 1977. It was a nice show with great lighting and numerous fog machines. It made for good photos!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

October 9, 2023

March 20th, 1976 I was in my apartment on 45th and North Avenue when I heard sirens and smelled smoke.

Looking outside, a block away I saw a fire taking over a house and first responders arriving at the scene.

Being a photographer working for the Bugle American newspaper in Milwaukee at the time, I grabbed the camera and went to check it out.

This was a full blown house fire and Milwaukee firefighters were setting up hoses and blasting the fire with water. 

I came across this old film a while ago and it shows our incredible first responders of the Milwaukee Fire Department in action. Many thanks to them for what they do daily!

There is fire coming out of the windows and water is coming out of the doorways to the sidewalk. Firefighters wearing all their gear went inside to check for any person or animal that needed rescuing.

Take a look at the photo of the fire truck and check out all the gear they are using. Shows us how much improvement has been made to equipment for fire departments and first responders. They undoubtedly require the best we can give them.

Also notice a couple of television journalist friends filming away for the evening news report.

This gives you an idea of how photojournalists also risk their lives with the work they do.  For me I can think of two situations where it got very dangerous.

First would be when I was almost squished to death with a general admission audience for The Who waiting to be let into a show in Madison, Wisconsin at the Dane County Coliseum. A security friend got me through the door before mayhem happened. A moving crowd wanted to get in through the glass doors NOW!!!  I almost broke through the glass door because of people pushing and shoving me as I was right up front at the door.

Another time, I was in pit lane at the Milwaukee Mile. Marco Andretti missed his pit spot during practice and I thought for sure he was aiming for me!

As a rock'n 'roll and auto racing photojournalist since 1971 I have to keep my eyes open for anything and I thought I'd seen it all but still get surprised every now and then.

Enjoy a look at the Milwaukee Fire Department doing what they do best.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Great day of racing at the Milwaukee Mile on August 27th, 2023.

September 25, 2023

It's been a very busy summer as I haven't done a blog in a month!

My stage 2 bladder cancer is so far under control after the right kidney was removed on July 24th.  I feel almost normal again!  Another CT scan in a little over a month to check things out.

On August 27th at the Milwaukee Mile, NASCAR came back to town! Last visit for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was in 2009. They ran for 15 straight years starting in 1995 at the Mile.

"The Clean Harbors 175" NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race ran along with the "Sprechers 150" ARCA Menards Series race. It was a beautiful day for racing and a great crowd showed up at race time.

Bonnie Blair our Milwaukee multiple Olympic gold medal skater was the Grand Marshall for the Craftsman Truck Series race which was very nice. Plus, we got a flyover with a C-130 and two F-35 fighter jets! Always love flyovers and the pilots need the practice and hours.

A few Wisconsin drivers were participating most notably Ty Majeski from Seymour, WI. who had just won the previous race, the Lucas Oil IRP.  Other Wisconsin drivers were Josh Bilicki, Dexter Bean and Derek Kraus.

Ty Majeski qualified second but was penalized after a right rear tire was confiscated during a pre-qualifying inspection.  I actually saw being done Sunday morning when I walked by the inspection area.

He qualified second but the penalty put him to 13th for the race and the crazy day saw him finishing seventh. The was docked 75 points as well as five playoff points. Crew chief Joe Shear was suspended for the next four races and fined $25,000. That's racing folks!

Friend and racer Josh Bilicki who we had big hopes for had a tire issue that put him out early and the race was won by rookie Grant Enfinger.

On another note,  Hailie Deegan finished 13th for a pretty good day.

Grant also raced the ARCA Menards race but William Sawalich won the ARCA race at 16 years old after a great last restart and race with Joel Love.

Great weekend of racing at the Milwaukee Mile.  Enjoy some photos!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

August 7, 2023

I've had the privilege to photograph a lot of different things in my life and I never take it for granted.

This year at Gathering on the Green I photographed Rise and Shine In The Park on Sunday July 16th at Mequon Rotary Park.  Wisconsin's Frankie Moscato and the national act ,Cain, also performed.

That was a unique experience like I've never witnessed, and was good to see people having fun with religion and music together. There was also a live painting being done as the show was going on for charity.

Frankie Moscato is a young American Idol contestant. The band Cain is a brother with his two sisters performing. It was great music and fun on a really windy day. Frankie lost her hat at the beginning of the first song and I even retrieved it for her! You can see it on top of the piano as she didn't wear it for the rest of the set.

Saturday night July 15th was the rock night with the bands Starship featuring old friend Mickey Thomas and Ann Wilson from the band Heart.  Guitars for Vets, contests and raffles were also going on.

I've known Mickey Thomas since his days with Elvin Bishop in 1977 at Milwaukee's Summerfest and again in 1979. I photographed a meet and greet with Mickey and Starship singer Cian Coey. We talked a bunch before the show about the old days. Included here is a meet and greet photo with me in it!!

Mickey is probably most famous for his song "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" from the Elvin Bishop days and he ended his show dedicating the song to me!! Very cool and appreciated Mickey!

Ann Wilson from Heart played after Starship and it was good to hear some old tunes and a few new ones.

Guitars for Vets opened up the night with a nice set.

WAMI and Guitars for Vets have been around for a few years and it was cool to see veterans having fun! Plus, they are great musicians doing it all for a very worthy cause. 

Enjoy a look at a fun filled weekend for me!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

July 23, 2023

This blog is a day early because of a little procedure I'm having on Monday July 24th.  After a physical and many tests, I learned that I have Stage 1 urothelial cancer.

So I'm having surgery to remove my right kidney. I'm glad we have two kidneys. Everybody, get your annual physical done!  I would have never have known this without that routine physical because I feel fine. So happy we caught this early.

In the blog this week we have the 2023 Weathertech Brian Redman International Challenge at Road America. There was also a wonderful Ferrari reunion going on also.

After the 7:30am photo meeting I got to photograph a few classes of cars before the photo that I actually came up to Road America to do. That is the Ferrari grid photo.

Went up on a lift at noon Friday in a bucket lift/cherry picker. The shot is a classic Ferrari grid photo of 15 beautiful Ferraris and then I had to leave. Because of that, I missed photographing many of the car classes and friends cars but can't be in two places at once!

Saturday and Sunday was the annual Gathering on the Green in Mequon, Wisconsin. They had alot of great music there this year.

Enjoy a look at the morning of race cars and the Ferrari grid photo with perfect weather.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

A few photos of the Road America fun on July 14th, 2023.  Could only stay until noon with a busy weekend of photography.

The Vintage Indy Registry cars at Road America on June 18th, 2023.