When you shoot The 500 or any other big profile race do you listen in on race control with a scanner?

Sorry for missoing this JimmyB!
Yes, I do listen to race control for any race I shoot, for a couple reasons.
1: Safety - first thing shooting a race is to make sure YOUR safe, and having the scanner at a couple of small tracks has saved my rear. At one, a fireman knew me and said "John, take two steps right". As I did a tire rolled past me and hit the wall behind me right where my computer was sitting. The tire bounced back at me but by that point it was no longer a hazard as it was before it hit the wall.
2: Then it helps to know whats going on in other areas of the track. Even if the incident is in turn 2 I may still get a usable shot as a damaged car makes it around to the pits. Or like a couple years ago when Mark Taylor crashed at Indy he came to a stop directly across from me. I got a whole series of him collapsing after he climbed from the car. The AP used one which was Mark looking up at the safety crew while waiting on the ride to the infield hospital.
3: It makes keeping track of where you are in the race, especially if you have to to get to victory lane
4: It saves your hearing too!

i use the scanner at all races, big and small. I have been at this long enough though that I know a lot of the safety workers and spotters, both at Indy and the small tracks. Pretty bad though when the yellow shirts at Indy know you by name, and vice versa. In some cases I even know their grandchildren :eek:
The advantage though is I can get frequencies that others don't get, some tracks just don't want that info known.

JS

Hey JS are you going to be at the Daytona 500 this year? We got tickets from my mother in law for christmas. We knew we were going but we had no idea she had gotten us tickets. (I guess form now on I have to check her profile and see where she's been surfing) =)

Anyway I have been hoping to get a chance to pick up a few tips from a pro on shooting races. Being a hobbyist is fun and all, and I have no plans on ever becoming a pro photographer, but learning from one and shadowing them when they're "on the job" has been an excellent way for me to learn huge amounts in a short period of time.

I don't know now. For one I haven't heard back from the guy in charge to see if I am on the list. Plus this winter has been rough, I am building a garage and have a mess here as my yard hasn't dried out since September and I can't get anything done :( Then on top of that my Uncle fell, broke both legs, then had surgery and passed away following the surgery. Thats why I vanished for all last week. It's just been a bit much and I am not sure I can make it there now anyway with this going on. Add to it dealing with other family issues out of state.....I'm not getting to shoot much here, let alone anywhere else.:(

JS

JS thanks for the reply, I figured you did use a scanner. I hope your regular life gets better real soon.
Jaedon have a good time down there, went 10 years ago and had a good time.
Jimmy B

Thanks JimmyB

FYI, I use two different scanners for races. One is primarily for smaller tracks and races, then for the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 I use both. I have one headset I modified so I have one scanner going to one side of the headset and the other on the other side. One scanner is set up for the teams, the other officials.
I set up the one for officials to monitor the track spotters, race control and pit road officials, and fire & track workers which takes up about 10 or 12 frequencies.
The race scanner has all the team frequencies.
I also have scanners set up in the car/truck that I use to record the same frequencies. It's kind of fun to watch a replay and listen to the tape, and I sometimes get things I missed while shooting.
I have a bunch of scanners I use at the track and at home, and they include:
1000 Channel Radio Shack Pro-2035 Desktop/Mobile
1000 Channel Radio Shack Pro-2052 Desktop/Mobile
5500 Channel Radio Shack Pro-2096 Desktop/Mobile (new)
1000 Channel Radio Shack Pro-94 Handheld - part time race scanner
200 Channel Radio Shack Pro-84 Handheld - this is the race scanner

It's kind of funny that you brought this subject up when you did because I just bought the Pro-2096 the other day (Thursday) because of changes by the local county going to the new Indiana SAFE-T system that uses both analog and digital voice. None of my present gear could recieve the digital so I had to do something as the locals are now using digital voice. Yes, it has 5500 channels and I should be able to fill most of them :)
I have had at least one scanner going 24/7 for 27 years now at home, and when something big is going on I may have all of them going at the same time. Drives the neighbors nuts sometimes when I'm outside working on a car or truck and the scanners are going or the stereos blasting Metalica :D

JS

LOL I was up to 4 scanners at one point. I used to allways get barked at for listening to the tower during our races, while I was crewing, Now it's manditory in all NASCAR divisions. The best $ I spent for my scanner was for the scanner input on my 2 way headset.
Did you shoot the 01 brickyard 400 ?
I don't know how long ypu have been shooting the 500? Did you hear the Andretti call from Mario to Micheals team back in the early 90s? I lost alot of respect for them that day.
Jimmy B

JimmyB,

No, I didn't shoot the 2001 Brickyard, I was off shooting at another track.
As for the Andretti's, I had my dealings wit Micheal back in the late 80's and almost towed his car with both he and his father in it! :D I lost all respect for Micheal that night, and he almost wound up in jail......

Some of the best conversations, and unrepeatable ones I have heard were from Sarah Fisher and A.J. Foyt. These past few years listening to AJ & Larry were interesting to say the least.
Sarah's future (if not already) husband Andy O'gara is a friend of mine :thumbsup: It figured that the only "good" shots I have gotten of Giaffone was the year he was driving the Purex car and crashed right in front of me....Andy was the right front tire changer and his father was (and still is) team manager. I met Andy in his midget driving days in the former NAMARS series.

Of course the Bush races and truck races at IRP are always good for some interesting scanner traffic. Oddly enough, this years race produced a surprise when I heard one longtime driver say that Cameron Dodson was doing a good job after his first spin. I have known Cam and his parents since he first came to Indiana to drive midgets. Shot his first midget race and his first Craftsman truck race :)

JS