​I have attended at least one day at the Australian GP ever since 2007.  One highlight early, although not so much now was getting and reading the Race Program.  Now, they lack information and colourful infographics with teams history and a full detailed entrant list.  As a young F1 fan, something I never understood was that when a team changed names, their statistics would be put back to 0.  Also, history would barely mention previous teams names from the same factory, but would mention Renault being around in the 80’s, whilst having no mention of Benetton or Toleman, even though they were teams from the same base.  Another example is the team from Faenza Italy.  The outfit originally called Minardi has two home gp wins, yet neither under Minardi statistics.  One under Toro Rosso and the with Alpha Tauri.  I have found some websites that will combine the two teams’ stats, but it’s not always the case.  Also, when Hamilton left for Mercedes for the start of 2013, no one thought he would ever win, even though they had dominated the championship in 2009 with barely any resources.  Yet, it was a different team name, so everyone had seemed to have forgotten about Brawn GP.  And don’t get me started on the Force India and Racing Point fiasco either!

So, to get it off my chest, I decided to compile all the stats from each team on the grid, including all their name changes.  For simplicity, we’ll start off with the four teams who have never had a name change.  Please note these statistics are as of the 2022 French GP

First up, we have Ferrari and McLaren, the two most successful teams in F1 History and long-lasting teams in the sport.  Ferrari have won 16 Team championships, the last time being in 2008, and 15 driver's titles, the last being in 2007 with Kimi Raikkonen.  They have competed in over 1000 races, and has been one of the most dominant teams in parts of history, including six straight team championships in-between 1999 and 2004.  Ferrari is more than a team, it expands into the spiritual significance of Formula1.  I don't think anyone can imagine F1 without the Scuderia. 
​McLaren was began by the New Zealand driver Bruce McLaren, who early in his F1 career drove for Cooper.  He would compete under his own team from 1966, and the team has been around the paddock ever since.

Another mammoth team is Williams.  After two unsuccessful attempts at starting a team, Frank Williams moved to Didcot and was joined by Patrick Head to create Williams Grand Prix Engineering in 1977.  Although they were the butt of the joke in the paddock, that all changed when they won the championship in 1980.  Williams would have plenty more success in the 1990's, being at the front of car design for a large portion of the decade. However, since then, they have become a midfield back marker team, scrapping for points. Their last win was the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix, which came as such a surprise, that the Williams garage caught fire afterwards.
Haas is the newest team to join the F1 grid (and has no relation to Haas-Lola of the mid-eighties). Started by NASCAR team owner Gene Haas, and led by Guenther Steiner, the team has had a tumultuous history in F1 so far.  Straight out of the gate however, they had quite a quick midfield car. However would be marred by inconsistency and bad luck over time, seeing them become a backpacker team.  What certainly didn't help was when Rich Energy pulled their sponsorship, a sponsor that was and still is littered with red flags.  In 2021, Haas was struggling very much financially, and had the slowest car on the grid by some margin.  At the start of 2022, Haas terminated its sponsorship from Russian company Uralkali and dropped Russian driver Nikita Mazepin due to the war in Ukraine. This year, Haas have returned to the points on multiple occasions. Nothing can seem to stop this team.

​​Mercedes have been the most dominant team in recent history, scoring 8 team championships and 7 drivers titles in a row.  However, they began as Tyrrell in 1970.  Jackie Stewart would win two of his championship in 1971 and 1973.  Eventually, the team was bought and renamed British American Racing for the 1999 season.  A lot of money was thrown around and a lot of hype was created by the team.  They even predicted to win from pole on the first race of the season.  However, they had a woeful first season, with a terribly unreliable car. In coming years, the team would get better, eventually scoring 15 podiums.  In 2006, Honda took over, and despite getting one win, by 2008 unreliability and inconsistency had struck the team again, and Honda pulled out.  Ross Brawn bought the team, worked his magic with the new technical regulations of 2009, stuck a Mercedes engine in the back and ended up winning both championships in strong fashion.  Mercedes took over the team in 2010, and the rest is history.

​In 1997, Jackie and Paul Stewart entered Stewart Grand Prix onto the Formula 1 grid.  Although their first two years they struggled with reliability, it would be in 1999 where they would grab multiple podiums and even a win at the European GP.  For the 2000 season, Ford bought the company and renamed it Jaguar.  Throughout 2000-2004, they only scored two podiums, then was bought by energy drinks giant Red Bull.  Overtime, Red Bull slowly improved until 2009 when they had their breakout season thanks to Adrian Newey's brilliant car designs.  They would finish second in the teams championship, then would have a run of 4 straight team and driver championships with Sebastian Vettel.  From then on, they would be known as one of the big three teams, and last year won their fifth drivers championship with Max Verstappen, and are looking to repeat their success again this year.  

​​The team we now know as Aston Martin love a name change.  The team began as Jordan in 1991, and would score a handful of points in their first season. Despite a few seasons of reliability woes, they would score their first podium in 1994.  Jordan's best season came in 1999, scoring multiple wins and finishing third in the teams championship.  Despite a few more podiums in the coming years, by 2006 the team would be bought by Midland.  And they scored... nothing.  For 2007, the team was ran by Spyker, and despite having an awesome livery, they only scored a single point.  The following year the team would change hands and names again, this time to Force India.  Giancarlo Fiscichella would score their first pole at the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix, and the team would  slowly rise from back marker to a strong midfield team.  In 2018, the team was in serious debt.  Lawrence Stroll came to the rescue and bought the team, however because he wanted a name change, the team was stripped of all its points it had scored so far that year.  Bizarre right?  In 2019, the team would fully change to Racing Point, and would score their first win in 2020.  In 2021, the team's name changed to Aston Martin.  They have scored one podium so far, but have mainly struggled with recent car design changes.

Toleman began in 1981, and despite struggling to qualify for races and having reliability issues, Ayrton Senna would score all three podiums for the team.  The team would be taken over by Benetton and would have much more success.  Michael Schumacher would win two driver's championships in 1994 and 1995, whilst the team won the constructor's championship in 1995.  When the team changed to Renault in 2002, they would have more success, winning both teams and drivers championship in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando Alonso.  In 2011, the team would change to Lotus.  They would score quite a few podiums but only two wins. The team would change back to Renault in 2016, and would be a decent midfield team.  The most recent name change was to Alpine, so Renault could promote its sports cars and other motorsport endeavors.  They have so far scored two podiums and an impressive win at last years Hungarian Grand Prix​.

Ah yes, the passionate team from Faenza, Italy.  Everyone's favourite back marker underdog.  First competed in 1985, the teams history is littered with reliability trouble and zero points finishes.  In the 20 years under the Minardi name, they only scored 38 points, most famously on Mark Webber's debut at the 2002 Australian GP.  For 2006, Red Bull bought the team, renaming it Toro Rosso and would be used for juniour development drivers.  The sister team would famously win before the main Red Bull team, on a wet weekend at its home race.  They would score a few more podiums in the coming years. In 2020, the team changed its name to Alpha Tauri to promote Red Bull's fashion brand.  They would win again at the Italian GP that year.

Finally, we have Sauber, a team that has only had one name change (thank goodness!)  Conceived in 1993, Sauber has always be a low scoring points team, however would score 10 podiums until BMW joined in 2007.  During 2007, they would score more podiums and in 2008 would grab their only win to date.  Robert Kubica would also lead the championship for a time.  Unfortunately, they haven't had much success since that year, and Alfa Romeo would fully partner up the team, changing the name in 2019.

 Whether you really enjoy music, movies, sports or cars, there will always be classic ​songs or automobiles that will define your taste. Of course, being a motorsport fanatic, the same goes for bonkers racing moments that I am sure will never be forgotten by me. Here is a list of ten: Click on the titles to watch them on Youtube

“He’s hit the fence!”
​“They’re both in the fence!”
“They’re all in the fence!”
Some moments in motorsport are such classics that all you need to do is quote the commentary, and fans will know exactly what you’re talking about. Mark Skaife’s and Matt White’s words as the three championship protagonists came through Turn 5 in the second last race of the season, held at Sydney Olympic Park is exactly that. Rain became a threat late in the race, however to only parts of the circuit, meaning the drivers would risk driving on the slick tyre for as long as possible.  After a safety car due to Russell Ingall getting stuck in the tyre barrier, the field would be bunched up.  As they headed to Turn 1, Jamie Whincup, Mark Winterbottom and James Courtney, the three drivers fighting for the championship would lead the field.  The lack of grip became apparent at Turn 5, where the race exploded into chaos.  The top teams rushed to fix the broken cars and score any points they could. Through all of this, Jonathon Webb, in his first full time season in V8 Supercars would survive and score his first victory.  The championship fight would head into the final race on Sunday, but very few remember that race.

​In 2011, my Dad and I travelled to Indianapolis for the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. As a tiny 9-year-old, the sheer size of the Speedway was what impressed me the most. From Turn 1, all you could see were packed grandstands from one end to the other. The atmosphere of the days before the race, right until the final celebrations had ended was like nothing else. This was more than just a race, this was a month of celebrations and anticipation for what they called ‘The Greatest Spectacle In Racing’. On Lap 157, Ryan Briscoe and Townsend Bell would tangle into Turn 1, bringing out the caution. A handful of drivers would pit, hoping to make it to the end, including JR Hildebrand and Dario Franchitti. Franchitti would be hoping for another caution to be able to go to the end without having to pit for more fuel, whilst Hildebrand would save fuel early in the stint in an attempt to go all the way, even if there was another caution.  Many others however would pit with 21 laps to go but would have to push all the way to get to the front.  It would be 20 laps of tension. Nobody could predict who would win or who would run out of fuel.  If you don’t know the result of this infamous race, I suggest you watch the final 20 laps if you have time, just for a larger context.  But above is just the final 5 laps. Either way, you won’t forget how it ends in a hurry.

​As the cars drove around for the formation lap, there were plenty of questions being thrown around for Race 8 of the 2011 V8 Supercars championship. Could anyone beat Whincup?  What could Bright do from the front row?  How would teams and drivers manage the softer compound of tyre?  And what action would we see at the busy turn 1?  As the red light went out, Whincup and Bright got an even start. Behind, Alex Davidson rocketed off the line from fourth, diving to the inside to make a move at Turn 1. But the question of what would happen at Turn 1 was forgotten. All eyes became fixated on the seventh row of the grid.  What would be a shock to everyone, the rear of Karl Reindler’s car lifted off the ground and exploded in a fireball. He had stalled on the grid, and Steve Owen had arrived on the scene with nowhere to go. This would mark many changes in the regulations, particularly with fuel cells being moved forward and made safer.  And no one who was watching that day will ever forget it.

​My first memory of NASCAR was the final laps of the 2009 Coke Zero400 at Daytona. I didn’t know any of the drivers and teams, and at the time had no real basic knowledge of NASCAR. However, the final lap crash would always be in my mind, a motorsport moment I would never forget. Luckily, I recently found the actual race details on Instagram, which means I can share it with you. It introduced me to the polarising way of racing in NASCAR.  Rubbing is racing, and drivers will literally take out or be taken out by rivals in order to win the race.  Contact is not only tolerated but, in some cases, encouraged, so that fact left quite an impression on me, and this race was the first example I witnessed.  

Not only was this a crazy race from start to finish, with plenty of drama, but it had one of the greatest closures to a race ever.  Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen, the two front runners of the day were both taken out of the race late as they both became victims of the endurance.  On the other end of the spectrum, Jamie Whincup and Paul Dumbrell would start from 23rd and charge through the field, recover from a spin and charge to the front again. Chaz Mostert and Paul Morris would start dead last, would stick it into the Turn 2 tyre barriers, but would be there in the end to do battle.  After one last safety car, the two other contenders Lowndes and Winterbottom tangled at Turn 1, leaving it to Whincup and Mostert to battle it out. Mostert had enough fuel to go to the end, whilst Whincup was being told to save, although it seemed futile. What eventuates is a heart-in-mouth final set of laps.  The commentary has already become a classic, yet it was also informative, stirring in the heat of battle and definitive. The battle for Australia’s greatest motor race would come down to the wire.

​This wasn’t a race I watched live, but one that my Dad showed me later.  Being an Aussie, I’ve always supported the Australian in a particular series and in NASCAR, Marcos Ambrose was that Australian. Not only did he win this race, but in spectacular fashion against the likes of Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch. It would be a battle until the final corner, with some of the most ragged-edge driving I’ve ever seen. Ambrose and Keselowski ran on the fine tightrope of grip, making for one of the greatest finishes in NASCAR’s recent history.

NASCAR is a unique form of top-level auto racing. Their schedule mainly consists of oval racetracks, varying from short tracks like Bristol and Martinsville, to the Super Speedways of Daytona and Talladega. They certainly are a unique spectacle to watch, a pack of 40 cars, dicing among each other, using strategy and the draft to work with others and get to the front. Or bumping and grinding their way through the field, depending on the type of racing the different track provides. Also, NASCAR is known to be a bit lenient when it comes to contact. NASCAR is known as being a bit like Ice Hockey in the fact the being rough is encouraged, and drivers will do whatever it takes, even punting their rivals off to take victory or simply show their displeasure. This year, NASCAR has introduced a next gen car, and it looks like they’ve hit the nail on the head with it. With 14 different winners across 23 points paying races so far just shows how competitive this new car is, and it has provided some great racing too!

However, this exciting form of motorsport has its issues, which not only has reduced its popularity, but also tarnish the legitimacy of its sport aspect. A championship sport is about finding the best players and teams during a certain amount of time, what we call a season. Sports like AFL, NBA and NFL have their standard games, then the top teams go into a knockout system to decide who will play each other to become the premiers. This system works in normal sports because 1) it gathers more viewing for the final games of the season, whilst the legitimacy of who wins the title remains intact. Sometimes teams unexpected to go all the way in the finals do, taking advantage of the reset to take it all. However, this doesn’t happen very often, games are very straightforward, and there a few factors that teams and players can’t control during a game. And when the unthinkable does happen, it is still well deserved, unexpected and entertaining.
 
However, this playoff like format doesn’t work when deciding the champion in motorsport. For one, motorsport is much more unpredictable. There are so many factors out of the teams and driver’s control; the weather, safety cars and strategy being undone, ending up in someone else’s accident, mechanical failure and just bizarre occurrences to name a few. Races can change in a flash, and often they do. The best team with the fastest car and best driver doesn’t always win the race. The winner can often be decided by sheer luck, or whoever makes the best of the crazy circumstances. That’s what makes motorsport to me and many others I’m sure, a very exciting sport. That’s why you need multiple races, on varying tracks, across many months to determine the overall fastest, most consistent team and driver. When you reset the championship, once or even multiple times, any buffer that a team and driver has created is dashed and previous races pretty much become meaningless. Yet that is exactly what NASCAR has done with their ‘Playoffs Format’.

After the first 28 races, the number of drivers eligible for the Championship is automatically brought down to 16. To get the top 16, all you must do is win one of the first 28 races, that’s it. Doesn’t matter if you have a horrible season, you’re in. If there aren’t 16 different winners, then the final places are deciding by points. Three races after that, the number is reduced to 12. If you were part of the top 16 and won one of those three races, you immediately go forward to the top 12, again despite your results for the other races. The final spots are governed by points across just those three races. This repeats when the number is dropped down to 8 drivers, and then the final 4. Whoever finishes highest in the final race of the season wins the championship. Sound confusing and overcomplicated? You bet!
 
Let me now give you an example of why this doesn’t work and eats away at the legitimacy of who becomes champion. In 2020, Kevin Harvick had a fantastic season. 9 Wins, 20 top fives, 27 top tens and the best average finish of anybody. Comparing his season to previous NASCAR champions back when they were decided just by points, Harvick’s season would have resulted in him being undisputed champion. In fact, he would have clinched the title with three races remaining! However, during the Top 8, he had two poor races, which happens. However, despite his dominance in 2020, he wouldn’t even be eligible to go for the championship in the final race. In short, the best driver and team of the season had all their hard work robbed due to this system.
 
But this hasn’t happened once, no, let me give you some more examples. Thanks to the Playoffs, Kyle Busch was crowned the 2015 Cup Series champion, despite missing 11 races due to injury! That is absurd not just by NASCAR standards, but world sport standards.
 
Again in 2011, Carl Edwards had an extremely consistent season. Despite only a single win that season, he finished in the top five 19 times and the top ten 26 times. This was a time when the ‘Chase for the championship’ was in place. After the first 26 races, only the top ten would be eligible to win the championship, and all their points would be reset. Despite having the best overall season out of anyone, Carl Edwards didn’t clinch the championship this time either. Tony Stewart, who had an awful first 26 races, only just scraping into the top ten was quoted saying “If we make it to The Chase, we’re just taking that spot away from someone who deserves it.” However, in the final ten races, Tony Stewart would win five races, to only just tie with the consistent Edwards. Stewart would be awarded the championship because of his more race wins, and that whole buffer that Carl Edwards had created during most of the season before the Chase, was deemed irrelevant in favour of NASCAR’s silly system. The only reason Stewart ‘won’ that championship was due to the points reset after Race 26, otherwise he would have had no chance. 

The point of the NASCAR Playoffs is making the championship race unpredictable. It is designed to create exciting moments in motorsport. However, these supposed ‘tight championships and random occurrences cease to be special if they a manufactured by the sport. They are no longer unbelievable moments in auto racing or tight championship fights because they happen all the time. Classic championship battles like 1992 are special because no one could script it. They only happen once. If the nature of motorsport is left to its own devices, not every championship battle will be exciting, but the ones that are will be even more special. This is what NASCAR forgets and has ignored. 

This problem is further expanded when you look at how NASCAR runs its races. Races are split into three stages (except the Coca Cola 600, which is split into four). The first two stages are a quarter of the race in length, whilst the final stage is approximately half the racing in length. Once each stage is finished, points are given out to the top 10 at that time. That isn’t the problem though, the issue comes with the yellow flag being flown at the end of every stage! This ruins the flow of the race and makes strategy less of a factor since teams know when there will be caution periods. Motorsport is unpredictable, and again manufacturing when the field will be bunched up, and when teams will pit again is unnatural, and makes the racing repetitive. The point of having a championship across many different weekends, across many different tracks is that you don’t know what you’ll get. With these stages, you most likely know how the structure of the race will pan out. You can’t script motorsport, yet that is exactly what NASCAR has tried to do. 

The other big issue with NASCAR is not one that they can necessarily solve. SlapShoes sums it up perfectly in his video ‘NASCAR’s Short Track Problem’, but I will try my best to convey the main points, however I do very much suggest watching his video. Majority of NASCAR fans want to see more short tracks and that makes sense. NASCAR’s heart and soul lies in small towns in middle class America. However, during the nineties, small towns were going downhill. Many manufacturing plants were closed or moved, leaving people jobless. These people moved to service industry jobs with less pay, or moved to the cities for opportunities. Parallel to this, NASCAR built many tracks near big cities and jacked up ticket prices. Although the nineties and early 2000’s was lightning in a bottle for NASCAR’s popularity, the downward spiral of the economy soon caught up with them and all other American sports. The poorer got poorer, and the middle class that made up most of NASCAR’s fanbase diminished massively. The short tracks that remain on the schedule are all now fighting for the same area of people. And now, these people just can’t afford to go to multiple NASCAR races in their area, let alone travel and go to multiple races each year. This isn’t NASCAR’s problem however, this is an American problem, and NASCAR along with all other major sporting leagues are suffering whilst being unable to do anything about it.
 
However, NASCAR can be the farmer that prays for rain and then prepares for it. They can fix their own problems. Return to classic uncomplicated racing, let the heart in mouth battles and storylines occur naturally, just as every other form of Motorsport does, and also make sure to increase its presence on social media and in marketing, just like Formula 1 has done and to great success. Keeping the fans they have, whilst also bringing in new ones.
 
I want to be excited by NASCAR, because it is a special and unique form of motorsport. It is full of perplexing drivers, teams and owners, and its history is the stuff of legends. NASCAR need to realise that they cannot manufacture the exceptional. All they need to do is let it happen, let it script itself and make sure that there are plenty of people who witness it.

I think it's unbelievable that us, as humans can drive cars. We are able to control one-two tonnes of metal, rubber and plastic at speeds of 100km/hr +,  whilst hundreds of other people do the same around us. And most of us, can do it constantly and consistently without any large incident. 

Actually, it has become a societal norm that you must be able to control what is a very complicated, ever combusting machine, whilst in tandem with many others doing the same, on segregated pieces of asphalt, often with many other transport systems and traffic rules at play. And if you are unable to do this, making a large mistake or shunt, then you are seen as an 'idiot in a car'.

Of course, the technology in these metal boxes have come a long way. Not only has handling become forever better, but there are now many systems in place to help you drive along. From ABS and traction control that has become hardly noticeable in modern cars, to intricate sensors making sure you don't depart from your lane or run into the car in front of you.

Still, cars aren't quite smart enough to go by themselves among the bustle of traffic, intersections and winding roads. Remove the driver and the car is unable to, well, drive! (Unless you have a Tesla Model X with its quite ingenious, although temperamental summoning capabilities).

So what am I getting at here? Why have I decided yet again to type down some random thoughts and attempt to connect the dots into one, hopefully interesting article? Because I think that the success of being able to pilot more than a tonne of complicated and intricate metal, rubber and electronics, powered by an extremely flammable liquid constantly exploding a thousand times a minute in metal chambers is something that is overlooked. 

Not only that, but we as humans have designed and built these complicated and reliable means of transport, by the millions, and a transport system around it. Every year we as a species are making the car safer, faster, more reliable and handle better. Each car is filled with specially designed parts and technology to each aid in driving. From simply things like alternators to very specialised wiring looms and MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensors. 

Let me give you an example of what I mean. A torque converter sits in between the engine and automatic transmission. Its casing is connected to the flywheel, spinning at the same rate as the crankshaft. Through two series of opposing blades and a pump that sends fluid onto these blades, the torque converter transmits power from the engines crankshaft, to the transmission. 

So smack bang in the middle of power's journey from the crankshaft to the wheels, through many spinning, intricate and specially lubricated metal, is a box with some fans and some liquid, making sure that the engine doesn't stall. How cool and unbelievable is that! And our human race not only designed but created this system and has replicated it millions of times!

The automobile is a wonder of engineering, and a great achievement for humanity. Structures like The Great Wall of China, or the Pyramids of Giza are wonders of our world because they are massive engineering achievements. And so to I think, is the car.

The car is an invention that has become one for the masses. It has become a part of society just as much as a house, and learning to operate this invention has become essential and part of growing up for majority of the world. This is an invention that although is so complex, has been created and built millions of times over.

Whichever way you look at it, we are able to operate and enjoy driving an engineering marvel, and I think we sometimes take that for granted.

But then there is Motorsport, which brings engineering and driving to a completely new level. Cars are designed and pushed to their absolute limits. It is through Motorsport that the automobile's true capabilities are displayed, on purpose built racetracks, off-road, in dirt bowls, on rally stages, temples of speed and more. It is an amazing spectacle. 

But what makes Motorsport even more of a presentation of human achievement are the drivers. I mentioned before that I think it is amazing that hundreds of people can operate these intricate vehicles in tandem on the roads together. But on the roads, we aren't (or at least shouldn't be) pushing the limits.

​These guys and girls are.

Watching for years, drivers push and control the automobile at the absolute limit, whilst on a track where they are surrounded by others doing the same is exceptionally skillful and absolutely should be celebrated. The car is one of humanity's greatest achievements, and Motorsport, from grassroots to the top tier championships is and will continue to be a demonstration of human brilliance.

Maybe I am in awe of the car because in reality, I am stupid and can't wrap my head around its workings. Maybe I am in awe of driving because in reality, I am rubbish at it. 

​But they say ignorance is bliss. Right?

​Editing pictures is one difficult juggling act. You must balance, colours, contrast and the photos exposure in each click of the mouse and playing it safe is usually your best option for a usable image.

​But remove colour out of the equation and going a bit crazy becomes more appealing.

​Extremely bright or dark exposures, gradients and harsh vignetting can give the image more context, without making the image an eyesore to the viewer. 

​In removing colour, you’re stripping back the unnecessary aesthetic parts of the image and what is revealed is its more simpler form.

​The same could be said for modified cars.

In the 50’s hot rod culture really began to take off. Engines were swapped, fenders and roof-lines were chopped, floor-pans were cut and dropped. 

Stance cars and the modern builds of today have the same characteristics. When you strip back the aesthetics, it really is just a modern day hot rod, sans the 50’s vibe.

Most people would say that car culture really took off in the 1950’s, with drag racing, hot-rods and European sports cars. And they’d be right, but car culture really began back in 1895, where the first race was held. The Paris to Bordeaux and back to Paris was the seed of motorsport, a critical and essential part of our culture. This began not only the racing scene, but the modifying scene. For instance, in 1911, Ray Harroun won the Indy 500 with his Marmon Wasp, famously sporting the first rear view mirror, so he could see his competitors behind him.

​Now mirrors are mandatory on every car produced.

​This is a great example of how motorsport really guides not only the production of cars, but car culture itself. 

Modifications like widened tires and fender flares, bucket seats, lowered suspension, turbofans, engine swaps to name a few, can be linked to motorsport and/or the hot rod culture.

So, to put it simply, ever since that first race in 1895, and the hot rod scene in the 1950’s, we haven’t really done anything different. Which makes it sound like we haven’t achieved much.

​The different ways we have of expressing ourselves through our cars, and how we participate in car culture. Although it’s a simple equation; swap out parts, lower and/or chop the body, copy the motorsport trends, it is one with endless possibilities, endless style. We have achieved something very few can achieve; we have expressed ourselves in ways only we could. We’ve emptied wallets, put endless blood, sweat and tears into our machines and the organisation of meets and shows so people can express themselves and meet new people. We’ve spent tired nights editing photographs, writing articles to put our culture on the map, to remember and celebrate people’s expressions and automotive fueled achievements.   

​When people have asked ‘Why?’, we’ve answered with ‘Why not!’ We have dared to be different in a world full of societal norms and expectations.
 
I challenge anyone to find a more vibrant and passionate culture. This is something we should be all proud of, regardless what the future holds.

​As more than a third of the world is currently in lock down, it gives us time to reflect, get stuff done around the house that we've procrastinated on, or just rock in acorner.  For me I've been able to look over the past year and a bit since I started my website and photographing Melbourne car culture. I thought I might also share with you a bit of a review of these past 17 months.

​In December 2018, I decided to start creating my website and attend my first car show - Classic Japan 2018 - to practice and improve my photography skills, whilst covering car culture and motorsport around Melbourne. My photos from this first event were... crap. My composition was off, editing skills callow and coverage uninspiring. I could see I had good ideas, but they were executed poorly. In general, I needed more experience. Which is why I started out on this venture, so I was kind of on the right track.

​With practice needed, I decided to do a practice photo shoot with my Mum's old Grandis. It's definitely not a very interesting car, apart from the fact it's a nice shade of purple and has the 'big block' 4G69 engine, but the main purpose of this shoot was for practice. My composition improved but my editing still was way off the mark. I would soon learn however the importance of editing, and that you can't rush learning it's secrets. 

My next chance to shoot car culture would be at the Loyola Classic Car Show. This is where I'd see the most improvement from the past couple of months. and it turns out that throwing caution to the wind during editing and trying something new would produce some cool images (sometimes). 

My next call would be a week later at Calder Park for the first round of the 2019 VicDrift Championship. Equipped with a media pass, it was very cool to get up and close to these grassroots monsters and the drivers behind the wheel. This new experience taught me a lot, including the importance of sunscreen and making sure the camera's sensor is always clean so black dots don't appear in EVERY SINGLE IMAGE! Yes, all 2,500 of them.

Next up would be Friday practice at the Australian Grand Prix. Equipped with a few pictures of the cars around the track, my Uncle who is also a photographer showed me some tips in Lightroom on editing pictures. The editing on the top image is his work and the picture below is what I remembered a week later.

​MotorEx would see my best work in my opinion at the time. I also extremely enjoyed the show, particularly the fact that it was more of a festival that celebrated the skilled hands of many and the fruits that they had put blood, sweat and tears into building and driving the wheels off.

​From the high that was MotorEx, unfortunately it was a bit downhill from here. Whilst attending a small night-time car meet, I would find the limits of my camera. One half decent photo was taken during that night, whilst on a tripod set on a long exposure. However. one photo was enough to teach me the importance of a tripod in low light conditions and how a high ISO can have a very grainy effect on your photos. It also gave me something new to try in the future.

The following day, I'd photograph the All Day MINI Show. With the tiny cars crammed into a small space, I got to focus on the tiny details that made each car different from another. I also learnt my history and got to share it with you guys in my event coverage.​

I'd planned to shoot the 4th round of VicDrift two weeks later, but on the same day, I got a chance to photograph the VicState Race Series instead. Taking up the new challenge, I focused a lot of my time practicing panning with a slow shutter speed, whilst also trying to get story shots of those involved in the sport.

I'd also end up playing around with Lightroom and doing crazy things to black and white photos. This would end up spawning the idea of 'The Monochrome Files', which I'll talk about in another article (eventually).

​In August of 2019, I would apply everything I had learnt from the past nine months into my first slightly professional (not really) photo shoot with Dan & Dani's 1954 Chevrolet Pickup. It was very rewarding to see everything come to together, and I can't thank Dan and Dani enough for the support they've given me and my photography.

Two days after completing my Year 12 exams (boy am I glad I'm not completing Year 12 this year), I went and photographed some of my favourite cars. Datsuns! I also got to share some of the history of Datsun through my coverage from Melbourne Datsun Day.

​Next up was Classic Japan 2019. Same types of cars, same location and sunny afternoon light as the previous year.  This would be important to get right as it would really show how much I'd improved compared to last year, when I started on this project. I remember being really happy with my shots, particularly with the editing, which although I still needed working on at the time (and still do), I'd achieved the look I wanted and had been searching for ever since my uncle had shown me some tips in Lightroom back in March.

​During the holidays, I decided to try some basic light painting. This turned out to be a real trial and error skill to learn, finding the right camera settings and even just making sure enough light went onto each part of the car equally.

​To start 2020 off, I attended the Victorian Hot Rod Show. With the low and varied lighting inside the Royal Exhibition Centre seeming eminent, I brought along a tripod to try some long exposures with blurred movement from the other people admiring the craftsmanship of the cars on display.

About a month later​ it was time to head back to Loyola College, not for classes thank goodness, but for the Classic Car Show the ex-students hold every year. It's a great little car show that's full of friendly faces and cool rides to check out.

With the motorsport off season finally coming to a close, it was time to get ready for the F1 Australian Grand Prix. It would be short lived though, as the weekend and many motorsport events along with it would be cancelled. Luckily, activities on Thursday still went ahead as planned, so I did get a few shots of the action. I do enjoy a good car show, but motorsport is a completely different kettle of fish when it comes to photography, which is why I enjoy shooting it so much. It's fast paced, grueling and very colourful.

​On the Saturday that would be Grand Prix qualifying, I was back at Calder Park for the first round of VicDrift's 2020 Championship. Reflecting on this past event, I definitely need to keep in mind where the sun is, so that my old camera doesn't decide it needs all the sensitivity in the world. I also need to keep it safe with shutter speeds when it comes to the final few rounds, so I have sharp photos of the final battles rather than blurry ones I need to chuck out. Planning needs to be key.

Since I graduated Year 12 last year, I planned to attend plenty more events this year, although the current situation has sort of put a stop to that. I am certainly itching to get back behind the camera soon, and when I do, I hope it's a busy few months (or longer).

To conclude, here are a few tricks I’ve found that have really helped develop my photography skills that you can use for pretty much anything:

1. Practice, practice, practice. This is key, but also remember to look back on the results, see what you did well, where you can improve and how. Also, if you’re happy with what you’ve achieved, BE HAPPY. But use it to fuel yourself to be even better. Know that if you’ve done a good job this time, imagine what you can do with even more practice!
2. Read. If you’re wanting to learn how to do something different or learn a new skill, chances are, someone has written or done a video about it outlining how to go about it. This tip is what I used particularly for my light painting.
3. Ask People Questions. If you’re stuck and you don’t know why, or are unsure about something, people are there to answer your questions. There are a few nincompoops in the world, but generally, people are happy to help.