Photoshooting the fastest sport event on the planet is a unique challenge. This stop was in Las Vegas, USA where the Red Bull Air Race pilots race against the clock as they try to navigate their racing planes as fast as possible through a challenging low-altitude slalom course filled with Air Gate obstacles. The pilots reach speeds of up to 370 kilometers per hour and endure forces of up to 10Gs in the tight turns on courses.
Glitz and glamour is the only way in Las Vegas. Known as the city that never stops performing, the neon lights and non-stop party atmosphere made Las Vegas an electrifying stop on the 2014 calendar. The seventh stop of the 2014 season has seen the Red Bull Air Race taken to the stage at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Constructed in 1996, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway offered its guests many unique and exciting racing experiences such as NASCAR races and this time the Red Bull Air Race.
Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining and nightlife. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its huge casino–hotels and associated entertainment. Las Vegas offers a ton of things to do. It has something to suit everyone’s vacation taste. Either if it is sampling fare from top chefs and amazing buffets, trying one’s luck at one of the world’s premier casinos, or taking in a spectacular show. Just wandering the Strip can also be enough to get one’s heart pumping.
This photo shooting was much more different than the previous Red Bull Air Races because there was no water as a race track, just desert and the concrete of Motor Speedway, so at the same time the site wasn’t so interesting for taking pictures. Anyhow, the race itself was intense as always and full of adrenalin especially because my working spot was just by one of the pylons.
Training day and the first race day were successful for the pilots and they made some good results, which was not the case during the final day. It was so windy during the finals that they had to cancel the event and announce the winner on the basis of qualifying results. In that case the winner was Pete McLeod, then Nigel Lamb and the third place was for Matthias Dolderer.