I’ve reported before that the Sony alpha 7 cameras — the a7, a7R, a7S, and a7II — change their raw digitizing precision from 13 to 12 bits when the shutter drive mode is changed from single shot to continuous mode. I have speculated that the reason they do that is to increase the frame rate…. [Read More]

The slowest corner at Laguna Seca is turn 11, a slightly-over-ninety-degree left that opens onto the main straight. Because there’s a fair amount on room on the outside, and you want to carry a lot of speed into the straight or you’ll pay for it for a long time, drivers often approach turn 11 with a… [Read More]

There’s a famous pair of corners at Laguna Seca nicknamed “The Corkscrew”.  Today, they are turns  8 and 8A. In 1968, before the track was expanded, they were 6 and 6A. Turn 6 is a left-hander at the end of a straight(ish) section of the track that features a blind crest and turn-in. As you enter… [Read More]

Today, racing drivers wear helmets with big face guards and visors that cover the face above them. They sit down low in the cars so you can’t see their bodies, or what they’re doing with their hands. Not so fifty years ago:  

The next few images should give you some idea of what life was like in the pits in 1968. First off, there was a Race Queen, who was presumably chosen for other than her driving talents I don’t know who this guy is, but he’s got a look that’s period-perfect:   Here’s a woman who,… [Read More]