El Mirage is a racetrack on a dry lake bed a few hours outside Los Angeles in the California desert. Raced on since 1937, the 1.3-mile track attracts drivers from all over the US, some of whom reach speeds of up to 200mph.



London-based photographer Wilson Hennessy joined them for a weekend for his latest project. “Everyone was really happy to have their cars shot,” he says. “They welcomed you into the community. It was a pretty awesome experience.”

Almost all of the cars that race at El Mirage are modified originals, with some of them as old as the Ford Model T. “Each car is truly individual,” says Hennessy. “This is what drew me to shoot them.”

Hennessy went to the racetrack just before dawn each day. The dust lifted by the cars and the glowing sunrise created the otherworldly atmosphere of the photographs. “It was like God’s own natural smoke machine,” he says.