Laguna Seca Internship Steered My Auto Journalism Goals in Exciting New Directions
Life as a California college student writing about cars for the campus paper was certainly fun. But I never expected it would lead to meeting Mario Andretti and learning to photograph famous cars by certified pros.
When 2020 rolled around, it occurred to me that this would be the year I graduate college, as well as the year I’d (hopefully) land a full-time job. Though, as the most monumental moments of 2019 played over in my mind, nearly all of them revolved around my internship at my local race track: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the Salinas, California compound that has been hosting iconic auto events like the World Superbike Championship and IMSA’s Monterey SportsCar Championship since the $1.5 million facility opened in 1957.
I figured in my last year of my higher education, I’d aim to land an internship (or two) that would make my resume sparkle before I graduated. And I was right, my education is following that pattern to a “T.” But I never expected it to help me grow as much as it did — as a photographer, a journalist, and an automotive enthusiast. Thus, the last few months of 2019 are to thank for the biggest steps toward my career as a professional automotive journalist. Since it had such a staggering impact on how I felt about pursuing this career, I felt it would be a good time to reflect on the exciting journey that led to Laguna Seca and it why it was so important to me as well something I wanted to share with anyone considering the same path to a rewarding career covering cars.
Dream into Action
I got to physically feel the cars roar past me, without my view being obstructed by a chain link fence. It was especially the older Porsche 911s humming by with their flat turbo fours, and the Trans Am cranked V8s that made my insides quake…
Life in the Fast Lane
Since I lived on campus at CSUMB, the racetrack was only a 15-minute drive. Things got off to an exciting start very quickly. For the Pre-Reunion Historic, the Monerey Motorsports Reunion and the IMSA and INDY races, I was at the track as an intern. And this was only the beginning.
In the internship agreement, my responsibilities were described as such: writing and editing press releases for local media outlets, keeping the media center organized, and running whatever errands were required. What I was not expecting to be part of the deal were things like meeting Mario Andretti after photographing his driving the two-seater INDY cars around the track, or being congratulated by a few hundred people and decorated racing champions while on stage for a live version of Marshall Pruett’s podcast, or forging relationships with journalists, editors, and even CEO’s of some of the world’s top automotive publications and businesses.
Through this internship at Laguna Seca and being exposed to the world I’d be a part of after graduating, it only cemented my desire to pursue a career in this industry.
When I had the free time, Ms. Falconer had me help other interns conduct interviews with some of the drivers for the track’s social media pages. My first experience with this was doing the videography work for a fellow intern’s interview with American pro racer Conor Daly. With a little more confidence under my belt, I gathered the courage to interview British racer Katherine Legge, Danish driver Christina Nielsen, and Houston-born professional racing driver Stephanie Cemo. In front of my camera, Legge and Nielsen addressed the girls at Athena Racing, an all-girls high school racing team, about how important it is to stay strong and stick to your guns when pursuing a career in the competitive world of racing.
Learning from the Pros
During my internship at Laguna Seca, I was fortunate enough to be taken in by two very kind — and very patient — professional photographers. Coming into the internship I knew the basics of professional-esque photography, but not much beyond that. When I was editing a day’s worth of photos from the Pre-Reunion race, I was approached by Allan Rosenberg, who just so happened to be the proud owner of several awards for his work with cars. He told me that I showed promise in photography, and he graciously offered to help me refine my skills.
Patiently, Rosenberg taught me how to master the art of rolling shots, among other photographic tricks. After his work with me, I had a photo featured in Vintage Motorsports Magazine (second photo down), and several of my photos were featured on the track’s social media pages.
When IMSA came around, I took an empty seat next to Christopher Wiley, who did a lot of race photography for the local paper. He noticed me struggling to open and use Photoshop and offered to teach me how to get the same results but without the expensive software. I sat next to him as I went through my photos, and he was kind enough to point out things I could have done better. With both photographers, I was able to capture better images, edit my photos more effectively and efficiently, and grow my confidence as a photographer.
As a longtime auto enthusiast, being so close to the track (thanks to the privileges granted by my photo vest) only made me love cars more. I got to physically feel the cars roar past me, without my view being obstructed by a chain link fence. It was especially the older Porsche 911s humming by with their flat turbo fours, and the Trans Am cranked V8s that made my insides quake. Laguna Seca’s famous corkscrew only cemented it more, as I got to watch so many amazing cars shimmy through the dips and bends. To boot, it was incredibly close and personal. I’ll never look at Laguna Seca as just another race track again.
Within a period of a few short months, I had fully immersed myself in the realm of automotive journalism and photography. Through this internship at Laguna Seca and being exposed to the world I’d be a part of after graduating and hopefully earning a full-time job in the industry, it only cemented my desire to pursue a career in this industry. And to experience all of this exciting career-building action at Laguna Seca was especially important. After all, I spent a majority of my childhood at Sonoma Raceway with my dad during summer break, so in my mind, that was my home track. But now, after growing and learning the ways I did in a few short months in Salinas, Laguna Seca will always be home.
Photos: Kristen Finley
Join the Team Speed forums now!
