Tag: Kyle McInnes

Kyle McInnes: The Indycar Circuit through My Lens

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Editor’s note: I met Kyle (pictured above) at Barber this year and began using his photos in my race weekend posts. I really like the way he captures the essence of the driver and the track. Today, he shares his story and some of his best photos from this year as well as some nor racing shots he has taken.
If I’m not photographing automobiles or motorsports, I enjoy spending my free time tinkering around with our 1956 Ford F100, 1969 Dodge Charger, or our 1935 Rolls Royce 20/25 Sporting Saloon.  I simply have a true enjoyment and appreciation of automobiles, no matter the make or model.
My photography career started in high school, which led me to earn an associates degree in visual communications in college.  After college, I worked for a local newspaper as their only staff photographer.  I have also freelanced, working for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Marketing Department, photographing both Indy Car and Nascar events. 
In my later twenties, I settled down, got married, and my wife and I have two wonderful children.  I started focusing more of my time working to provide my family with a more stable income, purchasing a boarding kennel, that my wife and I have run for the past 13 years.  However, I have always had the drive to get back into motorsports photography and this year I took the jump.
I made the decision and commitment to dive head first back in,  but didn’t have any recent images for portfolio work, so I set out to get some images for my portfolio.
I had heard that some of the Indy Car teams were having a test session at Sebring……..what better place to start in January…. than in Florida? I bought a plane ticket, rented a car, and packed my gear and off I went having no idea if I would even be able to get into the test. I did make it in, along with every other race, besides Texas. It would have been much easier if I could have acquired photo credentials to have better access to photograph from, along with having a place to work other than downloading, editing, and sending images out of my rental car. 
It has been an amazing year. I had an image used by Racer, another used for Rookie Driver Santino Ferrucci’s autograph card, just to name a few. Thankful for Mike, for giving me a shot and making use of some of my images. I ended the year with 35,312 Indy Car images. Here are a sampling from each race.
Feel free to follow me at 
Website
 www.kylemcinnesphoto.com
Facebook
www.facebook.com/kylemcinnesphoto
Instagram
www.instagram.com/kylemcinnesphoto

 

Newgarden at Belle Isle
Newgarden at Texas

 

Sato at Gateway
Sato at Barber

 

 

 

 

 

 

McLaren Reveals Car for 500; Some News; Barber Photos

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McLaren revealed the car Fernando Alonso will drive in the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 next month.  The mainly  papaya orange machine, the traditional McLaren color, has blue accents. While similar to Scott Dixon’s car, I think they are different enough to tell apart. The McLaren has less blue in the middle and is a different shade of orange from the Ganassi PNC Bank entry.

The sidepod sponsor is an e-cigarette company and includes a health warning. Don’t look for tobacco companies to come rushing back to motorsports just because they can add a health warning.  This si the second e cigarette company to be on a car. Blu sponsored Sebastien Bourdais a few years ago.

It’s a great looking car and it always adds to the race to have a former F1 champion in the field.

HSR Adds King Taco for Long Beach

Harding Steinbrenner Racing will carry King Taco sponsorship on Colton Herta’s car at Long Beach this weekend.  King Taco usually sponsors a car in their local race.  GESS, the primary sponsor of the 88 at Barber, is an associate sponsor this coming weekend.

It will be interesting to see if GESS commits further with the program in May.

Rich Energy Sponsors Jordan King

Jordan King, who will drive in the Indianapolis 500 as a third entry for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, yesterday announced Rich Energy is now a personal sponsor. This might help King, who drove the Ed Carpenter Racing number 20 on the road/street courses last year, get more races. Not sure if Rahal wants to do a third car for more than Indianapolis with the momentum the team has built the last two races.

Frye- Third OEM May Become Necessity

In a media availability at Barber Motorsports Park this past weekend, Indycar President Jay Frye said as more teams enter the field, a third engine manufacturer may “become a necessity rather than a luxury.”

It sounds as if he expects some more teams may be planning to enter the series. I agree. Honda and Chevy are getting stretched a bit already, especially in May.

Frye did not give any hints that a third OEM is imminent though rumors persist that a certain German company may have its name mentioned next month.

Last Look at Barber in Photos

Here are some final photos from Barber. The first two are from my friend Kyle McInnes, a photographer aspiring to become an Indycar photographer. Check out his work at kylemcinnesphoto.com.

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Top: Matheus Leist after spinning in practice.

Bottom: Spencer Pigot brings out another red flag Friday’

Photos by Kyle McInnes

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Scott Dixon makes his final pit stop.

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Sato’s crew celebrates after the checkered flag.

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Takuma Sato addresses the media after his convincing victory.

The last three photos are mine.

Back Thursday with a Long Beach preview.