Human-powered racing—XC State Finals
With no home Michigan football game last Saturday, I was able to attend for the first time Michigan’s high school state cross country finals, held annually at Michigan International Speedway. It was my first time at MIS and I definitely caught the NASCAR bug (not as a fan–but as a photog).
 Stephen Walker of Midland Dow sprints towards the finish line to claim first place, Saturday, November 1, 2008 during the Division 1 State Boys Cross Country Finals, at Michigan International Speedway, in Brooklyn, Mich. TONY DING/Special to the Free Press |
Rochester’s Megan Goethals crosses the finish line first in the Division 1 Finals. |
 Runners sprint towards the finish in the Division 2 Boys Finals |
 Megan Goethals of Rochester leads Shannon Osika of Waterford Mott and third place finisher Rebecca Addison of Grand Haven into the final stretch of their Division 1 Finals. |
Shannon Osika of Waterford Mott finishes second in Division 1. |
 Runners sprint towards the finish line in front of the MIS grandstands in the Division 1 Boys Finals. |
 The photogs were trucked around in two 15-person transport vans from the woods back to the finish-line. We took to the banked curves (opposite NASCAR direction) 8 times…topping 80ish mph… |
Jackson Citizen-Patriot photographer Erik Holladay, left, and my other van-mates hang on for dear life… |
 We never did make a move on that first van… |
 I got tired of shooting from the ground, so i snuck up to the (very high) press box above MIS. |