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Racing Photos from the past!.....

What makes some people have a passion for something?  It’s hard to say. Everyone has an interest in something. But what stirred that interest? For me, it was when our family attended the midget races when I was very young. I don’t know, maybe it was the sound, the dirt, and smell that seeped into my body and got me hooked on auto racing.

It all started at a small dirt track in Illinois in the late 40’s. Then a few years later, we, my dad, an uncle, and I attended the yearly big car races at Springfield, Il. Over the years I have attended many races featuring many types of race cars. I took my first pictures at Springfield with a small box camera. Some of the drivers that were there that day were A.J. Foyt, Potsie Goucher, and Bobby Grimm.

I have never had the desire to drive a race car, I just wanted to be around them and capture the look and feel of what was going on. Wide shots set the scene and close up tight shots give a more intimate feeling .
I’ve always been interested in the personalities at a race track. What is the discussion between a driver and a crew member? Who is the girl in the pits? A girl friend, a wife or just one of the crew members keeping a chart on times and speeds or other things. I try to capture the feeling of the driver, whether it is a relaxed moment or a tense moment. Whatever it is, it will only be there for a short time. You have to be aware of what is going on and record that moment in time.

As you can see, these photos were taken quite a few years ago. They lay dormant in folders and boxes until a few years ago, when my son, Rob, became interested in computers and started scanning my negatives, slides, and photographs. He has spent hundreds and hundreds of hours scanning and researching the information.

The greatest satisfaction of this project has been the contacts and communications with some of the drivers, mechanics, designers, and others who were involved in the racing world or are interested in the racing of so many years ago.

How can one not feel the passion and excitement of auto racing when you look into the past and you were there and can relive some of those memories.

I hope you enjoy the photographs as much as I did taking them.

This website is of Photographs by Larry Neuzel.

you can contact me for any questions about the site or any drivers that I have misidentified.