IndyCar at Infineon Raceway 2009

This year marked the first time since its inception that Victoria and I didn’t get to go to the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma. My brother’s wedding in Germany was a tad bit more important Through a DVR glitch (okay, I just forgot to set the recording) we didn’t get to see the telecast, either, but I dug up the final few laps on YouTube. And damn, this actually looked like a fun race! A year after a sleep-inducing pole -> victory lane routine by Helio Castroneves, this race actually had some drama and fun racing action! If you didn’t look towards the very front, that is… Dario Franchitti, uhm, won the race from the pole. Still, a step in the right direction, and a lot better than any Formula 1 racing I’ve seen recently. The “overtake button” adds some much needed action.

While we’re at it, here’s the web trailer I created for the raceway a few weeks before the event. Click to see the 720p version.

NASCAR in Sonoma 2008

Just like every year, we’re getting closer to the anual Toyota/Savemart 350 at Infineon Raceway. And even though life has been busy and  I’ve been laying off the video editing for several months, I haven’t been able to resist NASCAR’s call:

Here’s a new video with footage from the 2008 event. It’s rough around the edges, and several shots could use some better timing. But it gets my adrenaline going… Enjoy!

NASCAR Hauler Timelapse

Now that the 2009 NASCAR season is officially underway, I want to kick off my own season by posting the 2nd timelapse that I recorded when NASCAR was at Infineon Raceway in 2008.

This took about an hour in realtime.You can watch the other timelapse (filmed concurrently on the dragstrip) here.

NCK Road Race

Every year, on the weekend after Thanksgiving, the Northern California Karters hold their season closing race at Infineon Raceway. This event hold a special place in my heart for two reasons: in 2004, this is where I first met Victoria’s family, when she brought me to watch her dad Michael race. That day also marked my first ever visit to the racetrack, which has developed into a pretty intimate affair. This year, two of Victoria’s aunts and five cousins were in town for the race. And Missy upheld the tradition by introducing her boyfriend to the track to the meet the family for his first time.

I made a pretty elaborate music video of the entire day of 2007. This year, I didn’t have as much time, so I just filmed some racing action from good shooting spots (having a hard card for the track and having filmed the 2008 NASCAR and IndyCar races certainly helped!), and edited it into a small montage. Enjoy! These guys easily reach over 100mph in their little karts as they race down the esses. Most impressive, and always a lot of fun to watch. Just as impressive: Michael got first place in his class!

IndyCar Test Session

The Indy Racing League allowed teams another test session at Infineon Raceway yesterday and today, in preparation for next weekend’s race. I had the day off, so I headed down the racetrack to shoot the press conference and some b-roll. Here’s the video I quickly edited together tonight.

NHRA Promo Trailer

Another promo trailer for the local racetrack. This one is really quick and dirty, did it in 3 hours or so. But I think it works well enough.

Infineon Raceway Timelapse

Testing a WordPress video player. This is a timelapse I recorded at Infineon Raceway when NASCAR was in town last June. The team haulers are lined up on the drag strip, waiting to park in the garage area. This took ~45 minutes in realtime.

AMA Superbike 2008 Video

I have posted my music video from the AMA Superbike event at Infineon Raceway this May. Enjoy your daily dose of Tainted Love!  

Toyota/Savemart 350 Promo

This is a promo video I created for the official Infineon Raceway website. This was fun because I’d never made a fast-paced, high-energy commercial video before. And even though the final result is pretty damn crude and basic I learned a ton.

40 Years on the Red Line

My latest video is now online! This year Infineon Raceway is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and I made a “short history” of the racetrack for the official webpage. I’m really happy with the final result, and have grown a lot as a “filmmaker” (I don’t know if this term applies yet). Filtering through several hours of material encompassing 40 years, wriggling that material down to 8 minutes, and then have everything line up with the interview portions that I shot for the documentary was a nice challenge.

Watch the video on Youtube or go to the Infineon Raceway webpage!