Beer Baron's Japan Photo Diary

[Beer Baron]

OMFG I couldn't be more jealous! Seriously, are you willing to take some other Nismo enthusiasts with you next time? *drool*

Unbelievable once-in-a-lifetime pics! Keep them coming!

p.s. I can't believe the RB26 is running internal wastegate turbos .... I guess they are limited somewhat by factory specs ....

happy to give some advice etc to people wanting to go to japan, but most of the stuff I have been able to do I wouldn't be able to bring others with me. lot's of these opportunities are best handled solo. but none of you guys need me to have a good time in japan.

internal wastegate turbos are there as it's the best package for circuit. they can pretty much run whatever they like they aren't limited by factory spec at all. (remember 3.5l V6 in a car that came out with a 2.6 inline...). hardly a single factory part on that RB26. dry sump, GT block, GT crank, GT pistons, GT spec turbos, etc etc.

[Beer Baron]

all the best action was in the pits

This is a great pic. Love it.

Everybody love the ol 32.

not much beats a GT car doing a burnout just meters from where you are standing. check out the rear tyres. noice. some of the drivers were kind enough to do nice burnouts and fishies up the pit straight.

how's that for a nice line up?!

[Beer Baron]

at it again

standing on the grid on the main straight is exhilariting to say the least. for one there are tens of thousands of people in the main stand on one side, and above the pits on the other side. and you can hear the cars tearing around the track on their warm up. but nothing prepares you for when they come in to their grid spots pretty rapidly. it was surreal.

now, for some dumb reason I thought the nismo GT car was the first row. you can see in this pic I'm standing just in front of the next grid slot,

well I took a few steps forward for the next shots

right about now I realise the LM car is coming straight for me, and he's not exactly idleing his way into his slot either. so I had to jump out of the way and get off the track onto the grass before I get mowed down my a nismo LM car (still not a bad way to die).

Here it is, the car that tried to kill me for standing smack in the middle of his grid spot. having never had anyone silly enough to allow me onto a live grid before when racers are gridding up I had NFI what I was doing. They make it look easy on F1!

[Butler]

awesome photos richard. each of them is making it harder and harder to wait for my j-trip in may!

[Mr. Keets]

Cheers BB...we eagerly await the next installment of the diary. Have you bought a new camera?

[DRD-00F]

LOVE your work Baron, Please keep em coming

I love showing this kind of stuff to all the V8 fanatics in this office

[NISMO]

Baron, can you stop!

Pitching tents aint the best look at work. And I'm scared stage 2 will hit which means wet spots.

[Beer Baron]

ok, more coming.

[DRD-00F]

lol, nice pun

[Beer Baron]

love this girl. supaa kawaii desu ne!!

oh yeah!

she has nice taste in head wear.

also, she kept looking over to me on the side whilst she and her little pal were supposed to be looking in the same direction. what can I say? beer baron is a machine. lol

she even threw me a sly little wink, which I must say didn't work out well for either of us

ok, just one more cause she is so cute.

more cars in a min.

[DRD-00F]

MUAHAHA Baron is in lurve!

And I don't blame him!

[Beer Baron]

panning shots are tough on cars that are flying down a straight over 1km long

Good to see some group A GTRs on the track getting punished. one got pushed to breaking point!

got to love being in the pits when a limping GTR comes in. looks like it simply overheated for some reason.

trying to capture one of these suckers in frame whilst belting down the straight was like trying to catch a flying with chopsticks. not easy, but not impossible.

[adznight]

Is this festival on each year?

PS - Soooo jealous

[djr81]

Baron have any detail photos of the cold air induction on the Calsonic R32?

[Beer Baron]

yeah it's a yearly thing. beats the hell out of tokyo auto salon i reckon.

[Beer Baron]

some more old school.

This thing was an animal.

as was this one...

drivers coming back through the pits after a race.

This is it. one of the famous cars that was used to test and set times at the nurburgring. still complete with camo, and all the other gear.

as soon as they opened the boot there was a massive media scrum. I didn't see what was in there, but i'm fairly sure they were either handing out ichi-man yen notes, or there was a naked, teenage japanese virgin stashed in there. either way it was pretty funny, so I just had to get into the mosh pit for myself.

I think that's it for today. tomorrow I will finish off nismo festival, then get onto Tsukuba Time Attack.

[DRD-00F]

sooo... WTF was in the boot?

[Beer Baron]

lol, I honestly don't know. I just took some pics so I'd fit in. hehe.

[Beer Baron]

Cheers BB...we eagerly await the next installment of the diary. Have you bought a new camera?

nah I was going to buy a new 40D. I think I might do in Jan. I currently have a Canon 400D (only about 10 months old) and a couple of canon lenses. 18-55m and 55-200mm. I really need to switch to a 15-85mm and a 85 or so - 300mm as 200mm is no where near enough range for motorsport shots.

I did buy a Canon IXY 10 too as the SLR is too big to take out sometimes.

so I guess if anyone is after a cheap 400D in about a months time give me a yell. It's a pretty decent camera for a cheap-ish DSLR and once you get used to using it very easy to use and adjust.

[GTS-t VSPEC]

Wow, there some of the best pics I've seen :drool: