I found out about 9:30 on Thursday night that I was supposed to be in Daytona for the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races.
Boy....talk about short notice.
I've had short notice assignments before, but not for a NASCAR race.
Luckily, I was being furnished a hotel room, so that major obsticle was overcome by the company that I was shooting for.
Now, the only other major hurdle standing in my way to Daytona was Mama.
She was not happy I was going off for the weekend.
She still ain't quite got over it.
Maybe she will get over it when the check comes in.
That always seems to help.
If you have been following my blog, you know that I've got to shoot this kind of image just about anywhere I go. I can't help it.
I had to wait until the bank opened before I could leave on Friday morning, so that didn't leave any time to goof off on my way to Daytona.
I arrived in Daytona with six minutes to go before the credential office closed. Talking about cutting it close.......
I got to the media center and set up my computer with just enough time to make the long walk to the backstretch where I would be shooting for the weekend.
There were a couple of incidents on the backstretch during the Nationwide race, but they were too far away. The images were too grainy or pixalated or too much noise to be usable.
This guy came by me about mid way thru the race. He didn't look like he was in too much trouble. Maybe just a little damage, but not much.....right?
After he went out of sight, I heard the MRN announcers get really excited talking about a car erupting in flames as he was entering turn four.
Guess who?
This was what it looked like from my vantage point.
That was all the excitement I would see on Friday night, and that was OK because I was tired and ready to hit the sack.
Saturday morning I got to sleep in and take my time getting to the track. Me and my roommate for the weekend decided that we deserved a really good meal before we got to the track, so we went to an Olive Garden before we headed to the track.
He had lasagne, I had the Marsala Stuffed Chicken.
Basically, it was grilled chicken with mashed potatoes, and of course, a salad.
I tell you this, because for the pre-race meal at the track, they served grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and salad.
Like I've said before, if you're a photographer, it's all about the food.
In the meantime, back to the race.
I went back to the backstretch to shoot part of the Rolex race because I wanted to get a little close action between cars.
I figured the chicane was the best spot to get that. Here, a GT class Porsche locks up his tires trying to make the turn.
Now the 99 Gainsco Daytona Prototype drives through the grass after entering the turn to fast.
And the winner. The number 10 Suntrust Ford of Max Angelelli and Brian Friselli.
I got bored of shooting the same ol head on car shots, so I decided to walk around and see what I could find. Not much. But I did get this interesting image. It was shot between the guardrails as the cars entered turn three.
As I was walking back to the media center, I was well aware of the temperature in the upper 90's. What I didn't notice on my walk to the backstretch, was all of the swimming pools set up in the infield.
Here is a group of race fans having fun in their pool.
After our pre-race meal of grilled chicken, mashed taters, and salad, this time I drove my truck out to the backstretch. I gave myself plenty of time just so I could find a place a little closer to the exit of turn two.
While I was waiting on the green flag to drop, I noticed the sun setting behind the pressbox.
I thought this image was really cool.
This image was just a few minutes later, looking back to the east.
I thought it was cool, too.
Then, just a few laps into the race, the car of Mark Martin(5) breaks loose and forces the car of Juan Pablo Montoya(42) to dive deep inside to avoid him.
I know.....I get bored and start doing stuff like this.
I can't help it!!!!!!!
Just before it got completly dark, these thunderheads started moving over the track. It would occasionally light up from the lightning inside it, but I was waiting on 'The Big Un', so I couldn't play around trying to catch lightning bolts.
That's my truck parked next to Lake Lloyd and across the road from my shooting position.
See....if I had been playing around, I would have missed David Ragan spinning in the middle of a group of cars.
I don't wish anyone any bad luck, but I would have liked to seen more cars involved.
For my sake......I know moving more toward the center of the backstretch would be to my advantage.
I tried to follow him as much as I could, and he was too close to me when he came by, but he got loose again as he slid over the chicane.
What can Brown do for you?
Next, I got Scott Speed coming by me in a shower of sparks.
Then....'The Big Un'!!!!
Too bad it started right directly in front of me.
All I could see, when it started, was the front fenders of the two cars involved.
As I quickly turned to follow the action, I had to move around a light pole to see the cars involved.
You know, they're travelling about 200 MPH, so they had moved down the track, and all I could see was smoke and dirt.
The wall told the story.
I do remember one car trying to climb the wall here.
Just like at Talladega, the real fireworks came as the cars were taking the checkered flag.
Where am I?
On the backstretch.
Looking at these two wires. They are connected to the tubes under the tarps.
This guy told me I may need to move my truck.
He was connecting the detonator for the fireworks display that is discharged after the race.
I thought, if he could stand there, so can I.
I stood there shooting almost straight up at the fireworks.
Cool, huh?
Until it started raining fire.
I remembered now he told me to move my truck.
I did, but I was back in my place on the backstretch, about 50 yards from my truck.
So much for my firework pictures.
At least I had a little action from the race.
Even if it was Daytona.
We got back to Valdosta, Georgia about 4 a.m. where we had another room waiting for us.
I got up about 8ish, got a shower and hit the road for the ride back home.
I got home around 1 Sunday afternoon.
Guess what Mama had ready for me to cook on the grill.
Chicken breast.
Mashed taters.
And salad.
