This is the most difficult task I have been given this year.
Out of nearly 400,000 images I have captured this year, I have been challenged to pick out 25 of my most compelling images from the drag strip this season. These might not be the greatest images possible but the stories behind them are compelling. These stories are near and dear to my heart.
I failed on my attempt to present 25 photos, so here are my 26 Compelling Images from 2011.
This is the most difficult task I have been given this year.
Out of nearly 400,000 images I have captured this year, I have been challenged to pick out 25 of my most compelling images from the drag strip this season. These might not be the greatest images possible but the stories behind them are compelling. These stories are near and dear to my heart.
I failed on my attempt to present 25 photos, so here are my 26 Compelling Images from 2011.
The traditional NHRA crowd seems to have warmed to the Pro Mods and part of that fascination is the strong lengthy burnout and cars that can be identified.
We lost Bert Jackson in a tragic accident during an ADRL event. Rest In Peace, Bert. He was a great person and racer, as well as ambassador for the sport.
It is great to see Big Daddy on the strip again.
We were treated to a trip to Curacao to photograph one of their international events and witnessed one of the truly impressive drives into a sunset.
This was the last time a national event will visit Rockingham Dragway. It seems most national events have outgrown the hosting ability of the facility. We will miss the intimacy of the track.
Toney Russell saw his Joey Martin built and driven Lowmad Wagon have its greatest year ever before his passing. Unfortunately we lost Toney to illness before the season ended.
Courtney Force constantly received instruction from the Force family and team in preparation for her 2012 Nitro Funny Car debut. This image was taken at the preseason testing at PBIR with Ashley giving her sister some advice before one of her first times down the track under power.
ESPN has become an integral part of the NHRA experience for most fans. The camera men and reporters have developed a great relationship with the teams and drivers to allow them obtaining a more personal touch to their coverage. NOW if we could just get the on-air scheduling a bit more fan friendly.
One of the most satisfying parts of the weekend at the track is shooting some of the sportsman classes and watching the cars carry the wheels past the tree and beyond. A side-by-side wheelstand, past the tree, for me, is one of the most thrilling parts of drag racing.
One of the more impressive, but not necessarily the most damaging incidents, is the nitrous backfire. It is so quick that it is almost impossible to capture on camera. The rule of thumb is that if you see it in the viewfinder, you didn’t capture it. Catching a nitrous kaboom on film/digital is almost 100% luck.
Tire shake in the Pro Mod class is one of the most common run aborting issues and teeth-rattling experiences. Gaylen Smith experienced it full measure at the ADRL event at PBIR early in the season. While ruining a good pass, it does make for an interesting photo.
Sportsman cars with nitrous can be impressive and provide a nice image when all works well.
Alexis Dejoria had an impressive debut after one of the more intensive pre-debut testing and preparation regimens ever..
Palm Beach International Raceway has become the place to be for pre-season testing and now hosts an impressive Nitro Warm-Up weekend at the end of January each year. Johnny Gray tested well at the session en route to his return to the nitro ranks.
The 2011 season was plagued by rain and caused several events to be shortened or delayed to Monday as in the Maple Grove event.
NHRA starter Rick Stewart bid farewell to the crowd and the starting line after fifteen years of service.
Brad Personett was part of the turbocharged movement which has threatened total domination of the Pro Modified class. One of the most impressive shots for a photographer is the flame show on some of the turbo cars while they are spooling up during the staging process.
This year provided one of the more dramatic conclusions with three of the four championships being decided on the last day of the season in Pomona. First time Champions Del Worsham and Matt Hagan made the triumphant ride back to the starting line in front of a cheering crowd.
Khalid Al Balooshi drove his stealth paint-applied, nitrous-injected Camaro to the NHRA GSA Pro Mod Championship and then accepted a seat in an Al Anabi Top Fuel ride for 2012
In one of the most exciting, yet odd incidents, Cory Mclenathan’s dragster broke a fuel line and spewed fuel on the car and the first 600 feet of Firebird Raceway, providing one of the great photo opportunities of the year.
Chris Karamesines, know to racers and race fans simply as ‘The Greek’, had one of his best years of performance as the 83-year old set several personal performance marks and won his first round of competition in two decades.
In one of the more photographed car debuts, Arnie Martel introduced his new 2012 Camaro at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
Matt Hagan erased the images of his painful champion loss to John Force last year, replacing them with more exciting images by sealing the championship deal this year.
The ADRL’s Pro Nitrous cars provide a different photo opportunity on a humid day when purging the system as Dan Stevenson did in Norwalk.
Weather was a huge factor at several of the events this year. The severe weather and tornado, which formed over Topeka was a truly scary sight before it moved eastward causing terrible damage, and loss of life.
Gary White experienced catastrophic engine failure about 100 feet off of the starting line at the Shakedown at PBIR.
