Hyperfest 2022

Hyperfest is an action packed weekend where you can experience a variety of motorsports, from drifting to rallying, and a multitude of different classes of racing over a three day weekend, making it one of the most jam packed weekends in motorsports at VIR. The first ever event was conceptualized in 2001 and since then it has grown into one of the largest gatherings on the east coast that draws drivers, media and spectators from all corners of the globe. 
I myself this year was blessed with the opportunity to be approved for Media for the event - along with many others some including other media personnel/photographers I knew personally.  For me this would be my first time ever attending the event let alone being at VIR and as I had arrived I quickly learned I was going to be in for a wild weekend.  As I had arrived inside the area of the event the first event was already underway and as I got patiently awaited check-in I could hear the reverberation of exhaust notes as the vehicles that flew around the road course were at wide open throttle. My excitement was quickly reaching an all time high. Shortly after arriving I had found my friend and local photographer who had also gained media access. We had agreed that we would share a campsite spot as it would make things easier and cheaper. With his help we had set up our campsite and I had headed out to find media check in. Once completed I hit the ground running and immediately set out to find areas, events and happenings to photograph. The pits for the road course drivers were under full swing as many were prepping and wrenching awaiting for their class and time slot to begin. Everything from Praga's to purpose built street cars were competing and aiming to take home a trophy in their respective classes. 
It wouldn't take long for me to realize that at the same time another event in a different motorsport would be taking place as now the drifters were underway shredding around a seperate course called Patriot, located at the other end of the road course smack dab in the center. There was also a expo area in which Formula D and Youtube automotive stars were putting on a spectacle of door - to -door tandems for a crowd. Then all the way on the outskirts of the property the trophy trucks were at play. I would quickly realize that it would be impossible to keep track of everything but did my best to travel from area to area - with the help of my friend to get a good mixture of all the different motorsports happening. By the end of the first day I had already found myself exhausted but knew I needed to start uploading all my photos onto my laptop so I could begin organizing and editing. After a couple hours I called it quits and headed off to bed,

The next morning I had set an alarm to be up early enough to catch the morning briefing for the road course drivers and early morning photos before the spectators began flocking to their respective interests. At this point it is worth mentioning that the weather was less than ideal as it would rain periodically throughout the day then become extremely humid being the middle of May this was to be expected. Though I had not properly prepared myself for it. As the day raged on I made it my mission once more to make the most of everything traveling to different areas and challenging myself as a photographer to. My equipment was less than ideal as some areas were in need of further reaching lenses and the most I had packed was a 100MM zoom lens and I had come to understand a 200 - 600MM lens would have been ideal for many areas. But nonetheless I persevered with what I had! Thankfully at certain points in the day I was fortunate enough to experience what other media may not have. As my friend and I had made it our mission to get photos of the trophy trucks many others had neglected to explore this area and focus on the more mainstream events.. This granted us a huge opportunity and invitation to ride along with the drivers and be given access to their more private track to take photos of it was an extremely awesome experience to have been able to do so that would be one of the best moments of the trip for me.

As the day progressed we found ourselves meeting up and chatting with other media personnel we were acquainted with and at times traveling as a group to both hang out and capture moments . Another highlight that came was the power wheels race in which multiple heats of drivers who had registered to compete would race down hill on a section of the road course in their power wheels that they had brought avoiding obstacles and aiming to be first and move on to the next round. This was a huge fan faviorate as the spectators were jam packed in just this one section of course. cheering on drivers as they piloted their way down the course colliding with one another and objects laid about for them to inevitably bash through. From there as the evening started and the sun began to pour its last remaining rays upon the course it was now time for the burnout pit. At this time my camera equipment was not up to snuff to take quality photos and rather I decided to enjoy the moment and with some video footage being opted for instead. Which was ashame because the burn out competion was utter chaos and led to a wild night blown tires, cars catching fire and mad skills of control in a small area. If you can think of it, it competed everything from drifters to purpose built burn out machines and to the road racers bringing out Viper ACR’s and more competed to lay waste to their tires and go down in infamy among the spectators and being the nastiest tire slayer. Car were broken, set ablaze and more making it once again another memorable moment for all. After that I had figured it was time for a well deserved shower. Thankfully the facility had an area where this was possible and luckily it was not too croweded. Sprucing up was needed as one last thing was getting ready to happen as night had fallen the Hyperfest party began A Dj provided live music that provided a club atmosphere under the night sky with areas of VIP access that allowed people to rage away the night. After a while I and my friend had made our way down the hill towards the patriot track where a smaller party was underway in which the Youtubers and pro drifters could be found in a more house party scenario in which games of beer pong and stump were being played. Everyone from TJ Hunt, Adam LZ, Hert and more could be found having themselves a good time. As the night drew on I eventually found myself relaxing with others around a campsite drinking beers before calling it a night and heading back to my tent. Unfortunately for me this is where tragedy would strike. As I got into my tent I had decided i should take some time to upload photos and sort through the massive day I had just had. As I had began doing so my computer crashed hard and would not reboot. Everything I had was lost and I was left feeling devastated. I would spend the next hour trying every which way to get my computer to reboot and make an attempt and backing everything up but was unsuccessful. I went to bed that night dreaded with anxiety and panicking to think of how I would retrieve my files from the day before.

The next morning came and I set out to do the same thing, Get up before most others and head out to the briefings. As I had done so I had found that most had likely partied pretty hard as the first 3 - 4 events had a lot less people and were more slow to get going. As the day progressed the humidity became a killer and most events were coming to an end. It was at this time I and others had decided that it would be best to spend the last few hours packing up and doing out best to hit the road and make the three hour drive back home before the larger majority hit the road. Regardless off my at the time current status with my computer I had a huge blast and made so many unforgettable memories. I reflected on the moments where friends had helped this first timer navigate the park and be welcomed with open arms to hang out and relax. Hyperfest not only has excelled at creating a place for motorsports but has also excelled in creating an atmosphere that welcomes all no matter their preferences or opinions on car related interests, which is why the event year after year only seems to gain more attention. If you’re looking for a fun outdoor event that brings together all types of motorsports, then look no further than Hyperfest!

Last thing, after getting home I had a friend repair my computer while we were able to retrieve a lot of files and videos everything from that Friday was lost and could not be retrieved. It had also taken time to get the parts needed for my lap top that I unfortunately was a day late on the deadline for media to submit their files to them. Regardless I ended up spending the next 24 hours editing through what I had and sending over files to them with an apology to the late submission. But below are just some of what I was able captured over the three day weekend. Enjoy!