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Night racing can be a great thing - especially if it is done right. However, when done wrong, it can turn out less than spectacular. This is one thing I've seen a few too many times from the television side of things.
Camera angles are important. Granted, that during the day, people will want to see some head on shots of the cars racing forward. That is all perfectly fine. During the day the cars can easily be seen and identified. During the night is a different story. It is nice to see some wide shots from the side or top of the vehicles as well. From head on, all the viewer sees is headlights - not all that entertaining. Also, a running leader board is important. There have been too many times I've asked myself, 'Okay, so who is leading in GT?'. I hadn't seen the list of leaders in a good half an hour. Either by mistake, or technical error, it was still something that did not help the program. Being able to watch the race live at the track is a different story all together. It's a tremendous experience. You get to see the glowing brakes streak by, the flames spewing out of the exhaust pipes and the sparks as the cars bottom out on the surface of the track, and bump and grind against each other. Plus, with the position lights on the side of the cars, everyone that can see the vehicles will be able to identify the top three running cars in each class. That said, the night races, especially during the transition period from light to dark (and vice versa) can bring poor visibility. This can lead to issues about safety. At times there isn't enough light, other times, as the sun is lowering upon the horizon, there can be too much. Accidents are bound to happen during this period of transition. Luckily for everyone involved, the drivers of the American Le Mans Series are no strangers to night racing. Though none of the drivers have driven the course at Monterey in the darkness, they have experienced it through other races, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Petit Le Mans. All said and done, I believe that a night race is a great way to finish off the season. It will be a new experience for the fans and should be full of excitement. After all, it's the last race of the season, so everyone will be pushing hard. The American Le Mans Series is for the fans, and so is, I believe, night racing. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Night Racing: For the Fans? in Sports Car Racing is owned by . Permission to republish Night Racing: For the Fans? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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