There aren’t many sports more glamorous than motor racing, and whilst Formula 1 might grab all the headlines, it’s not as exciting as it’s made out to be, and not very inclusive where the fans are concerned.
The European Le Mans Series (ELMS), meanwhile, is a series of six endurance races run under Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) rules, and offers a much more entertaining form of racing. It brings together famous marques such as Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Mercedes in its GT category and sports car manufacturers such as Dallara, Oreca, and Lieger Automotive in its prototype classes.
A starting grid of 44 cars with over 4 hours of racing and 3 categories of machines guarantees plenty of overtaking and multiple lead changes. Not forgetting the 3 driver changes per car to spice the race up.
It also offers plenty of photo opportunities, as I witnessed at the recent race in Silverstone. At least it would have done if I were one of the many hobbyists who had a high-end digital camera with a long lens that cost more than a month’s salary.
Not that I didn’t take a camera, it’s just my trusty Olympus OM2, and its £10 charity shop Tamron 28-75mm f/3.5 – 4 lens is not really suited to fast-paced sports cars.
But… unlike F1, sports car racing is as much about the fans as it is about the cars. Getting amongst the garages allows for a glimpse behind the scenes, where the real work is done. And, where an old film camera can still capture the less glamorous, real-life moments.
The image here was a chance encounter, and didn’t take place near the garages at all. Whilst the cars were on the track during one of the practice sessions, I took the time to grab a coffee, and saw a team mechanic nonchalantly walking towards me in full pit row safety gear and with a cigarette hanging from his lips. Now, I don’t know if anyone has ever tried the Tamron 28-75mm zoom, but I constantly get the zoom ring and focusing ring mixed up, and it was no different here. Seeing the potential for a shot, I fumbled and faffed and got off a single exposure.
I had a chuckle to myself and put the moment to the back of my mind, that is, until I received my scans back. I was surprised to say the least, acceptably in focus, and whilst not a fine art piece, I feel it nicely captures his matter-of-fact attitude.
I believe that perfection in photography is overrated, and that it’s those in-the-moment photographs that bring back the best memories. Whilst my on-track images from the weekend are of fast cars, far away, it’s this pic that will bring back memories of some fabulous racing.
The final round of the ELMS series is on the 18/10/25 at Portimao, Portugal, but the six-round series will be back for 2026, head to europeanlemansseries.com for full details.
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