Thursday (evening's) Pitch

One day, I am going to win a Pulitzer Prize. To be honest, I haven't figured out how yet, but I think my best chance of doing so will be this year. Historically, the grand Pulitzer Prize was awarded to newspapers for providing a public service, which would cover major world event's, human interest stories or even the capturing of natural phenomenon.

For me, the recently created category of Breaking News Photography, which awards distinguished examples of, you guessed it, breaking news photography, will be my best chance of being awarded yet.

Why is that, I hear you ask?

Well, the annual Pikes Peak International Hillclimb is coming up in less than a month. They don't call this the Race to the Clouds for no reason. With a course length of almost 20km's, competitors face a rise of elevation of over 1.5 kilometers, which might not sound like much, but if you turn your head to the sky, you soon realise that one point five kays is a really long way up.

The cars range from production class racers, to redneck race teams with Narooma F-Trucks, right the way through to fully fledged, purpose built hillclimb monsters.

You're probably wondering what this has to do with me and the Pulitzer's? Well, you see, this year, there is a bloke called Paul Dallenbach who has decided to enter. I've never heard of him and chances are, neither have you. The really interesting thing about Paul though, is what he will be driving. Entering the Unlimited class with his self built and developed unlimited class racer, this year he has teamed up with Banks Power, a Californian based engine shop, to put a slightly maniacal engine between the chassis rails of this beast.

With over 1300 horsepower and 1600 newton meters of torque, this car will either tear up the side of the mountain in the fastest time recorded yet, or it will actually be so powerful that it will catch fire, explode and careen down the side of the mountain.

I'm betting it will be option two. And when it does, I'll want to be there with my camera, catching every grisly crunch of metal over the 1.5 kilometer drop for you ColumnShift Media readers.

And there's my Pulitzer for Breaking News Photography.

Daniel.