NASCAR Championship Weekend

I was asked, a couple of weeks ago, if I would be interested in shooting the Ford Championship Weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead Florida.
After I thought about it for a couple of days, I agreed. Who wouldn't? Even if it was at the last minute?
I'm glad I did.
I had a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work to shoot a weekend of racing, so get comfortable, get in close to your monitor, and look at what I did this weekend!!!!


2008 Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson does a burnout all the way to the stage where the trophy presentation is to take place.


Carl Edwards celebrates in victory lane after winning the Ford 400.


A typical pit stop image of David Reutimann as he gets service by his over the wall pit crew.


I captured this image of another David Reutimann pit stop from outside turn one earlier in the race(I don't know why, but sometimes these things happen).


Kyle Busch gets his car serviced.


Tony Stewart leads a group of cars into turn three.
WOW!!!!! what a sunset!!!!

Another south Florida sunset image.


Some Jimmie Johnson fans had this sign hanging from the guard rail behind the flag stand.


Everywhere you look, cool and different racing images are looking to find you.
You have to admit, it's not everyday you can have a racecar, a bunch of palm trees, and a lake in the same image.


Another cool image found me, but why is the 29 car in it?


Tony Stewart during practice on Saturday. I thought this would be a cool image because of the sky with the big ol' fluffy clouds.


I'm doing that Getty shit with this image of Jimmy Johnson(see previous post).


Well, it done it again.........(i've been having trouble with this bloggin' thang, lately. It don't post my images in the order I told it too, so some images are out of order).
Johnny Benson was crowned the 2008 Craftsman Truck Series Champion.


Carl Edwards had a productive weekend. He won the Ford 300 Nationwide Series race on Saturday night.


Another artful image found me. Kinda makes you want to be sitting beneath some palm trees sippin' on some Crown Royal......


I wanted to get a backlit image of the cars on the track with the Homestead-Miami logo on the wall, and the palm trees.
It kinda works.


Just another typical racecar image. Right?


Like I said.......sometimes it post images out of order.
This track is like no other I've ever been to. This area is around the central gathering point of everyone who has infield passes. It is designed more like a shopping center or mall than a working race facility. Here, you are looking back to the writers Media Center and NASCAR Sprint Cup Garage area through some tables and umbrellas that are provided for a place to eat next to the public cafe.


OK...I've turned back to the left about 90 degrees so you can see the new photographers work room on the bottom floor with VIP suites on the top floor.
Swanky, ain't it?


A look at the new Media Center. Not bad for a racetrack where nothing but rednecks hang around? Right?


It happened again, this time, the night before.


See?
OK....It's late and I've got a long ass drive back tomorrow.
I've got other things lined up for the next three of four weeks, so I'll post images from them as soon as I can.

By the way......Is if Miami or Your-ami?

Frozen Gators.....Hot Gators

I was in Nashville Tennessee last night for the Florida vs Vanderbilt game. Even though the temperatures were a little chilly, the Gators were red hot. I'm not sure anything can cool them off right now.
After every victory, the team gathers and sings the school fight song for the fans.


These Gator fans are ready to party in Atlanta!!!!


I had to laugh at these Gators covered up with towels and anything they could get. They told me they're not used to these cold nights like we are 'up north'. One of them told me he couldn't handle anything colder than 75 degrees.


As I was walking back to the Gator sideline, this Commodore mascot/blow-up doll/sumo wrestler dude was ice skating in the ice that the Florida team managers had dumped out just before the end of the game.


One of the staff photographers from the Gainville paper gives one of his cameras to back-up quarterback Cameron Newton so he can take images of whatever he wants after the game.


Mr. Newton looks like he knows how to use this thing.


Here, Mr. Newton takes a group photo after the win over Vanderbilt.


FUMBLE!!!!!! as ledgendary ABC announcer Keith Jackson would say.


Percy Harvin gains yards after a catch.


And finally, Tim Tebow throws for his first touchdown of the night. Haven't we seen that image somewhere before. It looks like it is going to be a standard image from any game I shoot.
Oh well, I'll try to do better at the next game I shoot, but I've got NASCAR next.
I'll be at Homestead next weekend for the FORD CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND.
So see ya later from sunny south Florida.

Assorted Cupcakes

Little things amuse little minds.

The last line on Sundays pre-race menu kept me amused most of the day.
In fact, I'm still thinking about it.
Everywhere I looked Sunday, I saw assorted cupcakes.
Take a look.......


See the last line of the menu.....
Assorted Cupcakes


A tray of assorted cupcakes with a sweet lil' cupcake.


A cupcake and a pro rassler.
Hey cupcake.......I lost your e-mail address. Resend it to me.


Me and my posse' went on a swag hunt in the VIP village before the race.
Here, some cupcake named Jeff, entertains the crowd.


This little boy had a question for Mr. Gordon.
He asked, "Has Mr. Hendrick ever fussed at you during the race over the radio?
Everyone, including Mr. Gordon, rolled in the floor laughing.

Out of the mouths of babes....


Tony put on a good show for the crowds, too.


A cupcake that thinks he is a motorsports photographer.


Now, this cupcake knows what he is doing.
WOOooOOoooOOOOooo


These are no cupcakes. They are real motorsports photographers. Rusty Jarrett in the red shirt and my buddy Jerry Markland in the orange shirt. Both work for Getty Images.


The only action I saw Saturday during the Craftsman Tools Truck race.


Dammit, they did it again......i'm having a bad night trying to post images.
Never mind my thinking outloud.
Back to the topic at hand.
My inner Getty slips out occasionally.


Cupcake.


Cupcake.


Cupcake wrecks a ledgend.


Just a boring shot of a pack of trucks during Saturdays race.
I kinda expected a typical boring race this time of year from Atlanta.
It always is. Boring.
And cold as a witches tittie.
It was the cupcakes that kept me from getting bored this weekend.
At least it wasn't cold.

I got shafted but I didn't drink the koolaid

Yep......
I got to play around this afternoon with a couple of shafts of light shining through the stadium exits in Tuscalooser.
It was fun to see what I could come up with.
Very interesting.
But remember from last weeks post about how much love they show me in Athens, Georgia?
I don't get the same kind of love in T-town, but I did find a sign.
It was on the bottom floor of the elevator.
It was marked with a 'G'
I found that when I went up in the pressbox to eat lunch. Caesar Salad and Lasagna. And plenty of koolaid.
I sat at a table to eat my lunch with a sportswriter who was a major koolaid drinker. He stated that anyone could not possibly be more left leaning than he was. He was already beginning to plan his celebration for the election. I almost lost my lunch. He was sickening.
I didn't drink his koolaid.

Oh well......back to the show.


I thought this was a cool shot of Bama fans cheering for their team.


See what I mean by the cool shaft of light?


There were about three shafts illuminating the field is certain areas.


It would highlight a player if he was in the right place.


Or highlight the fans.


Or my 'G' spot, I mean it would highlight the majorettes.


Or hydrate an official.


No, not these officials, they are self hydrating.


Notice the student section cheering for their team? Not only did I learn some new words today, I learned how to creatively use the word M-t-e-F-c-eR from them. If you look closely, you can see one student cheering with his middle finger.


Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead loses the ball after a sack by Bama linebacker Eryk Anders.


Bama runningback Mark Ingram rushes around right end and is stopped short of the endzone.

I promise to do better next week 'cause I'll be shooting the Cup race at Atlanta.
No koolaid, but plenty of adult beverages and more action than todays game.
Now I hope I can live up to the hype.