January 21, 2013
In June of 1990, the CART Indy Cars came to the Milwaukee Mile for their traditional visit the weekend after the Indy 500. The cars in 1990 were full of horsepower and had a sexier look compared to those of today. The helmets were also very different back then and this was before the now manditory HANS device for neck support. Back then, drivers simply used a foam donut collar for support!!
Emerson Fittipaldi was, and still is, my favorite race car driver. In 1990 he had the number 1 on his car after winning the Indy Car Championship the year before. He had won in Formula One cars, retired and then came back in winning form with Roger Penske's racing team. Emerson raced for a few more years and even tried being an Indy car team owner with Tiago Montiero as a driver for a year. I miss seeing Emerson drive these days because he really had determination to win whenever he was in the race car.
Attached are a few photographs from the race at the Milwaukee Mile in 1990 and a photo of the qualifying speeds on the board that was used that day. This was still a time when we just had a board instead of computer screens everywhere with information for us all to see!!
All blog photographs are for sale at a special price of $30.00 for a limited edition 8 X 10 or 8 1/2 X 11 gloss print which includes shipping in the U.S.. This sale is just during the week of the featured blog. Contact us soon.
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Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
December 17, 2012
A.J. Foyt has driven just about every type of race car. His specialty and love has always been Indy Cars, either old roadster type or the present day rear engine car.
He is now a team owner in the IRL Indy Car series, but in 1990, as we see here, he was racing in the CART series against Mario Andretti and others. The images attached are from the 1990 season at the Milwaukee Mile and Elkhart Lake's, Road America, where A.J. had his terrible accident going off in Turn 1 and really damaging his feet.
The rivalry between he and Mario was made for television and it brought crowds to the race track. However, it has been said that they were never really friends. In two of the pictures attached here of A. J. and Mario, I would really like to know what they are saying to each other!
A.J. has had some coarse relationships with his drivers but that is because of his love of racing I think. Tony Stewart is the one driver that had a great time with A.J. and when Tony won the NASCAR championship a while ago A.J. was the first phone call Tony got to congratulate him!
We need more racers like A.J. Foyt and Mario that live for Indy Car racing.
Attached are a few photographs from the race that day for you to enjoy.
All blog photographs are for sale at a special price of $30.00 for a limited edition 8 X 10 or 8 1/2 X 11 gloss print which includes shipping in the U.S.. This sale is just during the week of the featured blog. Contact us soon.
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Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
October 22,, 2012
It was a hot day on June 7th 1987 when I went to the Milwaukee Mile to see the CART Indy cars race. I have always loved Indy cars but had not been to a race in years because I was too busy trying to make a career as a rock 'n' roll photographer!
I took my Nikon camera and sat in the grandstands with some friends who were there to cheer for Rick Mears. It was hard for me to just sit there in my seat! I wanted to be closer to the action to get a better photograph with all the colors of the cars. The best I could do was walk down to the fence and try to shoot through it, or somehow use the fence in the photograph.
Rock 'n' roll photography was going to the back seat for a while because now I wanted to be an Indy car racing photographer for a magazine or the Milwaukee Mile or anyone!
The race itself that day was a good one with Michael Andretti, the son of Mario Andretti, starting fourth and winning the race in his Kraco car. Roberto Guerreo started on the pole in his True Value car but finished 16th. Bobby Rahal in his Red Roof Inns car started second and finished second. Derek Daly came in third and then went on to become an announcer. He has a son, Conor, who races just like Bobby Rahal's son Graham races, Arie Luyendyk's son, Arie Jr., and Michael Andretti's son, Marco! Rick Mears did not finish the race that day. He crashed. Many fans at the race came to see Arie Luyendyk who was living not far from the track and was sponsored by the local company Provimi Veal. Arie started sixth and finished fourth.
Attached are a few photographs from the race that day for you to enjoy.
All blog photographs are for sale at a special price of $30.00 for a limited edition 8 X 10 or 8 1/2 X 11 gloss print which includes shipping in the U.S.. This sale is just during the week of the featured blog. Contact us soon.
Please visit me on Facebook or Twitter @ richzimmermann.com
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
July 9, 2012
Marco Andretti is the first Indy car driver that I have photographed exclusively with digital equipment!
Marco started his rookie year in 2006 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway where he started 13th, broke a halfshaft during a pit stop, ending his race that day. At the Indy 500 in 2006, he became the third Andretti to finish in the top five. It was his first Indy 500 appearance. He finished second to Sam Hornish Jr. in the second closest finish in Indy history (0.0635), joining his father Michael (5th in 1984) and his grandfather Mario (3rd in 1965 and first in 1969).
On August 27, 2006 Marco became the youngest winner (19 years, 5 months, 14 days) of an Indy car race with his victory at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. That race, not far from grandfather Mario's winery, made Marco the 2006 IRL Bombardier Rookie of the Year.
Driving for his father Michael Andretti and Andretti Autosport, Marco has teamed up with some very good talent in Ryan Hunter Reay and James Hinchcliff.
Enjoy these photographs of Marco.
All blog photographs are for sale at a special price of $30.00 for a limited edition 8 X 10 or 8 1/2 X 11 gloss print which includes shipping in the U.S.. This sale is just during the week of the featured blog. Contact us soon.
Please visit me on Facebook or Twitter @ richzimmermann.com
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
March 18, 2012
In 1998 at the Milwaukee Mile I had the pleasure of chatting with Greg Moore who was one of the nicest racers I have ever known. He was always very calm it seemed when he was going to his Indy Car office. He was one of those guys that went into his car and just did it. Greg made it look very easy to go so fast and he was always very fast. At the time, I was a bass tournament fisherman and an Indy Car photographer. I don't remember exactly what shirt I was wearing that day pictured here, which was a Friday practice, but as I was talking with Greg on pit lane he noticed my fishing shirt. We got to talking about fishing and found out that he loved to fish too! I told him that I lived on Pewaukee Lake which was 25 minutes from the Milwaukee Mile and it was full of bass and muskies and he said he would love to fish it sometime with me in the future.
In October of 1999 we lost Greg Moore in a race in California. In 2000 he was to be driving for Team Penske which was the seat to have at the time. Team Penske instead of Greg, hired Helio Castroneves which is another whole story of another favorite race car driver. As we are about to start a new Indy Car and fishing season Greg has been on my mind. I don't know if he would like the new Indy Car we are about to see but I think he would. It's a whole new safer car and if it is faster than the old one I really think he would like it!
Greg and I still have a date to go fishing someday upstairs. We miss you Greg. Tell me what you think on my Facebook or Twitter page.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
