By Eric Powell
indy500.com
Friday, May 16, 2008
Fred Redmer will attend the Indianapolis 500 for the 31st consecutive year on Sunday, May 25.
But what's even more impressive is that Redmer and hundreds of thousands of other Indianapolis 500 fans will step onto the hallowed Indianapolis Motor Speedway grounds with a Race Day ticket bearing Redmer's photograph.
The 2008 Indianapolis 500 ticket includes a color image of a smiling Dario Franchitti, the 2007 race winner, along with a black-and-white image of Franchitti's racing hero, fellow Scotsman and 1965 "500" winner Jim Clark, posing with the Borg-Warner Trophy.
But the image on the ticket that really tells the story of the 2007 Indianapolis 500 is Redmer's, which he took from his seat in the upper-level Penthouse Paddock high above the main straightaway of the 2.5-mile IMS oval.
Driving rains forced the race to end early, on Lap 166, and as Franchitti made his way down pit lane after a victory lap, Redmer captured the image that now graces the ticket: Franchitti in his car, waving as his No. 26 Andretti Green Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone splashes through a large puddle on the way to Victory Circle.
"I've always got to have my camera with me, and so at the beginning of the race, the parade laps and the first yellow I'm snapping, trying to get photos of everybody before they start to drop out," Redmer said. "And at the end I try to get a nice shot of the winner and the top 10.
"This year, Dario's coming down pit lane, visor cracked open and waving his hand. I was able to get a four-shot sequence off, and the one where he's hitting the puddle I thought, 'Wow, this makes for an extraordinary picture.'"
Redmer, who took the shot with a Canon 20D digital camera, made it the background image on his computer at work. Co-workers, impressed with the image, encouraged him to "do something" with it.
"I saw the community area out on the IRL Web site (www.indycar.com), and I thought, 'I'm going to put it out there,' just as a lark," he said. "I thought that maybe some fans might give it some favorable comments."
Redmer soon received some favorable comments - but it was from Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials. The Speedway's Creative department contacted Redmer and told him the Speedway would like to use his photo.
"I'm thinking maybe, at best, I'll get in the program," he said. "And later, to get a phone call saying, 'We're going to use it on the ticket,' my feet didn't touch the ground for days after that."
Redmer, 46, is a native of Rockford, Ill., who lives in Terre Haute, Ind., and works for Republic Services of Western Indiana. Although his "real" job has included stints in the waste management, cheese and paper industries, he's no stranger to racing, especially short tracks.
His first race as a spectator was at Rockford Speedway in 1971, and later he was a crew member for pavement late model teams, traveling to tracks in the Midwest. He also served as a flagman at Rockford Speedway in the early 1980s and - in another connection to IMS - was trained by Duane Sweeney, the flagman for the Indianapolis 500 from 1980-96.
Redmer also occasionally served as track photographer at Rockford, and told the story of his first big photographic "claim to fame" during that era. He was part of the wedding party for friend and late model team owner Bill Leindecker, and during the wedding reception, Leindecker, his bride and a friend posing as the officiant staged a photo to make it look like they were reading from National Speed Sport News. Redmer's photo made the back cover of Speed Sport soon after.
"That was probably the highlight of my photography career until now," he said.
Redmer's handiwork with his Canon camera provided the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and fans of the "500" with one of the most dramatic and telling images of the soggy 2007 edition of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." For his work, the Speedway rewarded Redmer with a 2008 month-long credential and honorary starter status Friday, May 16, when he waved the green flag to start practice.
***
Indy 500 tickets on sale: Tickets are on sale for the 2008 Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, the 92nd running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Fans can order tickets online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or at the ticket office at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.
Hours for phone orders and the ticket office are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (ET) Monday-Sunday during May, with special hours of 6 a.m.-1 p.m. on Race Day, Sunday, May 25. Online orders can be made at any time. Race Day ticket prices start at just $20.
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