#BlogPost - FIA WorldRX - Mettet, Belgium 2016

For me, it all started with Rallycross in early 2015 in Hockenheim. The WorldRX was my first big auto event that I was trying to shoot with my newly bought Camera. I still only had the kit-lens and all that good jazz. So when I was presented with a last minute chance to go to another round of WorldRX, I couldn’t turn down the offer. As some of you may know, my inspiration in photography, Speedhunters Larry Chen was planing to cover the event, but, unfortunately he couldn’t be there for obvious circumstances, so I took it upon myself to go ahead and do it. Meeting him would’ve been amazing though.

As it usually goes with major Motorsport events, the venues were fully packed. Despite the ridiculously cold and windy weather, people from all over the world arrived to see their favorite Rallycross drivers battle it out.

We headed to Belgium to support two of the Latvian drivers, Reinis Nitiss

and Janis Baumanis.

Saturday was the Qualification day for four Rallycross classes; Super car Europe, Touring cars, RX Lites and the baddest of them all, the 600hp, WorldRX Super cars.
It was a chance for me to see what the field was like and pick some of the best drivers shoot the next day.

Since I did’t have a Media-Access, it wasn’t easy to find the best locations to shoot from. So I was your typical noobie Grand-Stand photographer. Pretty lame if you ask me. But I had to work with what I got.

Rallycross is an extremely unique event. Even the qualification stage doesn’t mean there isn’t going to be some tight, door to door racing and damage to the bodywork.

Interestingly enough, I was just a little more excited when the RX Lites went around the track. Reason being, the cars are strictly controlled for this, one manufacturer Championship. This means that all the cars on the field have the exact same performance figures. It was all drivers and they fought for every last centimeter of the track. Sometimes they asked for more space than was available.

But by no means they were slow compared to the other classes.

The Super Cars class was hosting some of the biggest names in Motorsport as a whole.

It’s crazy to even imagine how many championship wins are between only these two guys.

But I have to be realistic. We’re living in the age of the Internet. As soon as Motorsport is being mentioned, at least 3 kids will jump to their feet and scream - Ken Block is the best driver in the universe.

So I have to deliver the mandatory Block part of the article.

I am starting to notice, that photographers have their own way of having fun at events. I actually found this moment pretty hilarious.

The Carnage

This event was packed with carnage of all sorts. I don’t believe there was a single run without body parts being left on the track.

Sometimes even drivers themselves were stranded at the side of the track.

The sheer amount of crashes and the number of roll overs was unbelievable.

Speaking of rolls, for the first time ever I captured one.

Actually not one, but two and 3/4ths.

It has to be an achievement of some sort.

The Pretty side

But luckily it wasn’t all just crashing and banging. There were a few very pretty moments during the event. Like this one for example. People were getting passenger rides in multiple Ford Escorts.