Getting to complete my photography bucket list didn’t come easy. For years I’ve bothered Jalopnik Editor-in-Chief Patrick George to get me there, but it ain’t cheap, and credentials for the 24 Hours of Le Mans are not easy to obtain for anyone. Finally this year the stars aligned, and I made my way down to France for the annual biggest race on the planet.

(Full Disclosure: Porsche provided a GT3 to get from London to Le Mans and paddock and team access, along with a hotel in France, but Jalopnik paid for travel from America to Europe and other expenses.)

Covering Le Mans is grueling for a photographer. The track is massive, navigating it is easily the most complicated track I’ve ever experienced, and the sheer number of fans and team members creates huge traffic jams inside the track areas and all over the small city of Le Mans.

I also had a seriously brutal travel plan, which included two long stopovers just to get to London before making the seven hour drive to Le Mans. Not to mention the return leg that repeated the process.

None of this phased me. I couldn’t get wrapped up in the sheer joy that comes with this experience. I’ll have more from the race soon, including how Porsche did what it did, how you too can shoot Le Mans (or try to), and how I need to figure out what big event to shoot next.

That being said, here is the biggest damn gallery I’ve ever posted on Jalopnik. Feast thine eyes upon all the race car things!