Television doesn’t do justice to the elevation changes at Road Atlanta. The elevation change down through the esses is matched only by the steep climb up to Turn 5. There is curbing at the corner exit, but it is low and there is a lot of asphalt beyond, so cars quickly power up the hill and drift wide at the exit. The esses are often single file, so this is also the first opportunity faster cars have to make use of their superior torque and grip to pass slower cars.
Inside of 15 minutes from the start, the faster prototype cars at the front of the grid started to catch the GTD cars. (Of course, “fast” is a relative concept when all of the cars in the Petit Le Mans were quite quick by any ordinary measure.)
In this shot, the #51 Action Express Corvette Daytona Prototype edges to the inside of the #44 Magnus Audi and the #96 Turner BMW. The curvature of the track is evident as the BMW emerges up and over the crest of the Turn 5 hill. The shot is also noteworthy because of the debris in the front grille of the BMW with the race barely underway.
Camera Settings – 1/2000 shutter speed, f/4, ISO 100, 420mm.