Allways an Allstar

There was some really exciting racing at this past weekend's ALLSTAR event in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Despite what you think of the outcome of each race, all three of them had their moments. Too bad I was in the wrong place for most of them.
That's just the way it goes when you're trying to cover a mile and a half of racetrack, and a special no-points shootout event from the ground by yourself.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about missing any action.
I saw plenty of action.
I just hope it transfered digitally.


The weather threatened to rain all day Friday and into Friday night.
You could tell a storm was a-brewin' as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race was getting started.


Dark clouds were all around the track.


At one point just before the race begin, a few rain drops fell, but officials were determined to get the race in.


Luckily, we got through the night without another drop falling.


And the excitement was just beginning to start.


It's been about three of four years since I've shot a race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, so I decided to play it safe during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and shoot most of it from the grass area behind the infield wall going into turn one.
From here, I can cover all of the front stretch, part of turn one, and some pit stops. Here, eventual race winner Ron Hornaday jr. gets serviced by his pit crew.


After a number of laps, I started wondering around looking for something different.
Lowe's Motor Speedway has a small hill almost dead center of the infield between turns one and two. From the top of this hill, you can follow the action around most of the track. The only place you can't see is pit road and the front stretch.


From this vantage point you have an unobstructed view of Ron Hornaday jr(33) and Kyle Busch(51) as they enter turn two.


I went back to my turn one position just in time to catch Mike Skinner(5) spin comming out of turn four.


I'm focused on Mike Skinner as he trys to get his truck under control, when I notice another truck sliding through the grass in the tri-oval. My little brain starts to thinkin' 'bout grass being thrown up in the air by the truck in the grass. Well, don't you think this would make a more dramatic image than Skinner regaining control of his truck?


As I was following the truck in the grass, I see Mike Skinner sliding by me on his side.
When I first started shooting NASCAR many, many years ago, Atlanta Motor Speedway track photographer Ted McMahan told me only to shoot wrecks if they are upside down, on fire, and the drivers tongue is hanging out.


It's pretty dang close.
I hope Ted's proud of me.
(As I was following the truck in the grass, I missed the dramatic images of Skinner in the wall as his truck is on top of another truck. I was shooting with a 400/2.8, so It may have been too close anyway).


Later in the race, the 6 truck, driven by Colin Braun, was wrecked by Kyle Busch while he was leading.


Do you remember me talking about the truck sliding through the grass?
Where do you think the grass sprigs landed?
Yep.....on pit road, all the way down by me.


Lot's of divets to replace.


And the winner of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is......Ron Hornaday jr.


Saturday's race weather was a bunch better.
Blue skies as the race started.


They had a burnout contest before the race started.
Kevin Harvick won.


But leave it to Kyle Busch to steal the show.
Here, he crashes into the columns marking the finish line of the burnout area.
I think he realized he had no chance of winning after Harvick burned the tires off of the car, so he had to do something dramatic.


He was proud of his effort, as seen here by his shit eatin' grin.


The ShowDown before the AllStar had some good racing action. Here they go four wide as they enter the tri-oval.
Sam Hornish jr would win the ShowDown and transfer to the ALLStar.


The crowd seemed impressed as the ALLStar was about to begin.


As the drivers and teams were being introduced, the Miller Lite team of Kurt Busch sprayed the crowd with what else???? Miller Lite!


This race was broke up into four segments of 50 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps, and a 10 lap shootout.
I found a high vantage point from outside in the grandstands going into turn one.
This is what the start looked like as I shot from that point.


No matter where I go, my 'Inner Getty' has got to come out.


There's something about this pitstop of Denny Hamlin that I like.
Maybe it can be cropped tighter, but I think it will lose something if it is.
I think I will leave it just like this.


And for the first time as a NASCAR Sprint Cup car owner, Tony Stewart wins the 2009 ALLStar race.


And not as in the Tony Stewart tradition(he was stopped on the backstretch by NASCAR until the Victory Lane stage could be moved and set up at the start/finish line), is pit crew climbs the fence to celebrate their first victory.


Tony Stewart celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Saturday nights race.
He looks like he's enjoying himself.
I bet the party lasted well into the night.

The Lady In Black

I had the opportunity to visit with an old friend this weekend.
Someone I had not visited with in a few years, and is looking good despite her adding a few more years.
Darlington Raceway and the return of the Southern 500.
I don't get to make it back as often as I would like, and a few changes have been made since the last time I visited with her, but overall, it was a good trip.

The Lady In Black was not the only old friend I visited with.
I had a good long conversation with a friend I've lost contact with for the last couple of years.

It's good to get back to a place like Darlington Raceway and re-visit past history.


Eric McClure(24) fights to stay on the lead lap before getting passed by leader Kyle Busch(18) in Friday nights Nationwide race.


Jason Keller gets pit action from his crew during the Nationwide race.


Kenny Hendrick earns his Darlington stripe.


This boy tried to knock the wall down several times Friday night. Here is a better view of his Darlington stripe.


I was shooting from the photo tower at the turn one end of the grandstand. Joe Gibbs Racing used this position for their spotters. Here is Mike Alexander spotting for Kyle Busch. Mike was a really good race car driver until he had an accident that ended his career.


The Toyota's of Scott Lagasse jr.(11) and Kyle Busch(18).


Erik Darnell and his crew at work on his Rousch-Fenway Ford.


Late in the race, after an incident with another car, Scott Lagasse jr brings his car on pit road to work on the damage on his front end.


With two laps remaining, Kyle Busch has to give up the lead to change a flat tire.
Matt Kenseth would win the race.


Now....on to the main event.
A late start to this event, and ho-hum skies, had the sun setting on Darlington.


Max Papis(13) and Joe Nemechek(87) get tangled up early to ruin their day.


Michael Waltrip(55) slide thru the field early in the race.


I noticed from my shooting position in the grandstands, that when the drivers would back off the throttle going into turn one, the unused fuel would burn out the ends of their headers. I started trying to capture the flames from their cars as they would come by me.
Here, Joey Lagano(20) and Kevin Harvick(29) race side by side going into turn one.


Finally, some real action.
Michael Waltrip lights up the night sky as his car erupts in flames.
Too bad he is on the far end of the track from me.


I decided to shoot from this high vantage point because I wanted to capture a slow shutter speed / blurred action pit stop.
Here, the crew of Matt Kenseth works their magic on his car.
I work mine, and get a decent image like I wanted.


What would Darlington be without a typical Darlington race fan(well.....maybe not typical).
Talladega has ta-ta's......Darlington has many of these guys.
Just one of the differences I've noticed.


A rare sight at Darlington.
Three wide racing.
Very dangerous here.


I thought this was a cool image of Joey Lagano entering his pit for service.


In the later stages of the race, Mark Martin(5) lead Jimmie Johnson(48) is some close and exciting racing.


Here is a close detailed image of Carl Edwards pit crew at work


What would race coverage be without a standard image of Little E in his race car.


I did find some good race fans at Darlington. These are more typical. The other image is more of an inside joke between me and my buddies at ISC.


Another image I wanted to capture was another slow shutter speed / blurred action pit stop, this time from a low angle.
I like it. It's what I wanted. It just seemed like every single time I was in place for a pit stop, I was next to Kenseth's pit stall.
Sometimes it just works out that way.


One of the big stories of the Southern 500 was when Kyle Busch wrecked his car late in the race.
Here is his crew trying to get it ready to go back on the track.
I was scolded by J.D.Gibbs for shooting a couple of images at a low angle to show his crew members working in the wheel openings.
It seems they don't wan't anyone seeing the suspension parts and pieces.
They're very sensitive about something down there.



And finally, an image of the 2009 Southern 500 race winner Mark Martin.
You may have seen this image in Sunday's edition of USA Today.

Cool, Huh?