Did Somebody Say Sebring?

Finally, some racing to write about. Even better, it's another bucket list race event for me: the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. I've wanted to photograph a race at Sebring for years, but this year is the first time I've been able to make it happen. Preparations have not been without a couple of hiccups, but those appear to have all been resolved and I'm ready to head south in a week with a friend of mine from Cicero, Indiana.

At LeMans in 2017; got a new helmet this week

I love sports car racing and I've especially come to love the endurance classics which feature multiple classes of cars fighting for position hour upon hour. I have photographed the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona three different times, and I was fortunate to get credentials to shoot the 24 Hours of LeMans in 2017. I plan to go back to LeMans this August on its rescheduled date and hope to have credentials again - assuming travel restrictions between America and France are no longer an issue. Now to have the chance to shoot Sebring and support my friends at French media company MPS Agency - it's one helluva way to start my 2021 racing season.

I expect I will photograph Indycar at Indianapolis for MPSA again as I did in 2018 and 2019 at the Indianapolis Grand Prix and the Indy 500. After that, the rest of this year is wide open for me. Prior to last year, I was pretty well scheduled out with the ARCA Menards Series but that all changed in 2020 when new people came in with a different philosophy about the photography needs of the series. As a result, I had to scramble to shoot any races at all last season. Add the pandemic protocols to that and last year was quite a challenge.

At least this year, progress in overcoming Covid-19 is being made. I will be fully vaccinated in less than two weeks and the mass vaccination programs now underway worldwide give me hope that travel to France in August will be allowed so I can shoot my second LeMans and see many of the friends I  made four years ago. In the meantime, I will enjoy being in Florida for three days of sports car racing this week and savor the experience of shooting another major event on the global motorsports calendar. Maybe I'll see you at Sebring. Say hi and I'll take your picture! Safe travels everyone. Get your shot!

Defining Normalcy Again

My brother Steve (left) and I at Daytona 11 days before my surgery

I went back to work at my teaching job three weeks and one day after my lung cancer surgery, and it feels great! The surgery itself was seven weeks and two days ago and if you read my blog regularly then you know I am a full time teacher in an adult high school called The Excel Center in Noblesville, Indiana. Now that my surgery is behind me, I have to define a new normal for myself as I have never missed so much work in all my life and I am still testing out what kind of limits I will have physically since I had the upper lobe of my right lung removed. And just so you know, I don't claim to be a cancer fighter since I haven't really done anything - the doctors did it all - but I am relieved that all the pathology shows I am cancer free. Thank God for early detection so if you've been a smoker like I was for 40 years, get yourself checked out. My journey started with a $49 heart scan last October and now five months later, I have cleared a significant hurdle in my life journey thanks to the medical professionals at IU Health.

The oddest thing in all of this is that there are times when it feels so surreal - as though it all happened to someone else. Throughout the process, I have found support in areas I would never have anticipated, especially through my social media contacts, many of whom I've never met in person but who have given me a boost nonetheless through their comments, feedback and encouragement. I have really appreciated that and during my recovery have spent a lot of time trying to thank people for their support. I apologize if I've missed anyone but please know that it has meant so much to me. This whole experience has helped me to start looking at life differently so I am extremely grateful for that. Who ever says they are grateful for having had cancer? I don't know but I am, and it feels like I have a second chance at life so I don't want to waste a minute.

My jump shot in 1976 

Growing up all I wanted to do was play pro basketball but I didn't quite make it there. I was fortunate to play high school football and basketball and then play Division III college basketball at the University of Chicago. I have been lucky to be an athlete all my life and I remain very active even now closing in on 62 years young.  I even played 30 minutes in my UC alumni basketball game in January a few weeks before my surgery so when the doctors were asking me the last few months if I could walk up two flights of stairs, I would just laugh. Now I'm not saying I'm ready to get back on the court and play ball again, but the racing season is upon us and I will be getting thousands of steps at racetracks this year starting this weekend with the ARCA Menards Series race at Salem Speedway. 

Before my diagnosis I had planned on going to Sebring last month for the combined WEC and IMSA sports car races. Instead I got to watch a lot of it on television after returning to work at my teaching job on Thursday of Sebring week. I was pretty worn out from the renewed level of increased activity so having the Sebring races on television was some consolation for not being able to attend. I knew  several photographers who were there and it was great to follow their work on social media both Friday and Saturday. My next race with the ARCA Menards Series is at Salem Speedway and while I realize that bumpy little high banked half mile in southern Indiana bears no resemblance to the flat Sebring airport road course in central Florida, it will be great to get back to my racing photo work nonetheless.

Jasper's Fairview Cemetery overlook to St. Joseph's church and beyond

In the meantime, I have my Indiana Arts Commission photo book project on older Indiana cemeteries to complete. I have a couple more road trips to complete to gather photos but I have a lot of material to use already and the concept is becoming more clear in my mind as my completion deadline approaches this June. If you have not seen my Facebook page for "Hoosier Cemeteries: A Photo Study", then please check it out and give me feedback. I also have a page on my Alleygroup website at this link with other photos from my various trips. So far I have been able to hit all corners of the state except for the southwest so that is where I need to go next to find some older cemeteries that have been overlooked or perhaps are now surrounded by newer development. It's been especially interesting visiting some "pioneer" cemeteries and a few that have genealogical significance for my own family. surname "Alley". You start to see some patterns and similarities with headstones and grave markers according to time periods across the state when you visit ones that date back to the early- to mid-1800's as I have.

Today I am sitting in a hospital waiting room as my fiance undergoes breast cancer surgery so finding a new "normal" is being thrust upon our family in ways we could not have envisioned even when we went to Nashville, Tennessee at the end of December. To top it off, her brother also has cancer so this dreaded affliction has hit us hard emotionally so if it is true that bad things come in threes, then we should be done with all of that and our luck surely must be changing soon. I sure hope so. In any case, we are going to carry on and live our lives as best we can, trust the process and do the things we are meant to do. Thanks to everyone for the love and support. See you at a racetrack somewhere soon. And if you want to know more about my Hoosier Cemetery photo project, then please drop me a line!

Vevay, Indiana cemetery along the Ohio River in southern Indiana contrast with the mills in Kentucky across the river

Alley-Jones-Gloshen pioneer cemetery near Brookville

St. Ferdinand cemetery with the Immaculate Heart nunnery in the background

2018 Motorsports: My Grateful Year in Review

Click Here To View My Best Of Racing Photo Gallery

From Daytona Beach in January to Kansas City in October, my year in racing crisscrossed the country from my home in Indianapolis, and all but the trip to Daytona was done by driving. By the time of the ARCA Racing Series annual awards banquet in Indianapolis earlier this month, I had racked up some serious miles on my Honda Civic Si coupe and catalogued more than 50,000 images in the process. Indycar, ARCA, CRA, USAC Silver Crown, IMSA WeatherTech sports cars - these were series I was lucky enough to cover this year. Next year promises to be even better with more travel and some surprises I hope to be announcing by the end January.

Danica Patrick raced into retirement this season

During the course of this racing season, as always the Good, the Bad and the Ugly sometimes reared its head. The Good was in evidence at each of the 10 ARCA races I covered as we endured 2 rainouts yet everyone came back each time ready to put on a show. The Bad was losing one of racing's seniors when ARCA team owner James Harvey Hilton lost his life in a tragic highway accident going home from the Talladega race in May. The Ugly occurred at Salem in September when two of the ARCA youngsters got caught up in some retaliation, but thankfully only race cars were torn up. Along the way, I got to see Scott Pruett race his final sports car race and Fernando Alonso get experience in the same event at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. I photographed Danica Patrick running in her last race during May at the Indianapolis 500. Will Power got the 200th win for Team Penske in Indycar at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and then followed that up with his first Indy 500 win at the end of May. So many memories and yet the time seems to have just sailed by since I boarded that Southwest Airlines flight to Daytona last January.

Indianapolis from the roof

Dirt track racing, small ovals, superspeedways, a road course and medium ovals were all on my schedule this year and I got to do and see some amazing sights that I tried to memorialize with my cameras. Shooting the start of the Indy 500 from the roof of the penthouse seats overlooking Turn 1 is always a thrill, and if I do have to fight off a little vertigo. Standing in the flagstand at places like Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway shooting the start of ARCA events is equally thrilling and offers unique perspectives that very few people ever get to experience. At the dirt tracks of Springfield and DuQuoin, there's no way to get any closer to the action than I do there while hugging the guardrail as the USAC Silver Crown or ARCA machines roar by literally inches away from me. Then there's Indianapolis, where everything takes on more epic proportions due to the history at the famed oval. I live for that rush of adrenaline standing at the drop gate in Turn 1 as Indycars exit the turn and head right for me at 225 miles per hour. There's nothing else quite like that, and the common thread of all these experiences is that racing photography is a totally visceral and all encompassing experience with sound, motion, vibration and potential mayhem unfolding in front of me on every lap.

Daytona in January is always a blast

Then there's the weather: there might be "moisture", there will definitely be heat and humidity, and there might even be snow and frigid temperatures. Regardless of the conditions, I might walk 20,000 steps during an 18 hour day at the racetrack and then get up early and drive home the next day, totally satisfied yet hungry for more. I have to pinch myself sometimes to be sure I'm not dreaming as I often can't believe my good fortune in being able to do some of the things I get the opportunity to do. I have worked hard and been blessed with some fantastic opportunities over the last decade. My life has totally changed since I decided to change careers and allow more time to pursue my passion for photography and I have a lot of people to thank for the chances I have had. I've said it before but I must give credit to people like Keith Pritchard, Larry Coles, Steve Snoddy and Dave Martin who are no longer with us but gave me great inspiration, support and taught me so much about photography. As a self taught photographer, I needed their help and I continue to try to learn from everyone I can.

Love the view from the flagstand

I also have to thank my friends at ARCA like Mark Gundrum, Tom Legeman, Doc Hunter and others for their faith in what I try to do to support the series. I can't forget my French friends Pascal Saivet and others at MPS Agency who allowed me to represent them internationally at Indianapolis last May. I am also grateful for the continuing opportunities to work for AP staffers like John Raoux at Daytona and Brynn Anderson or John Bazemore at Talladega. As this year comes to a close, I know I will have left someone off of this gratitude list and I apologize for that. I will try to make it up to you in the new year. Until I see you all again, be safe and enjoy the holidays. See you at a racetrack somewhere soon. Let's make some freaking pictures.

Turn 1 at Indy

Stock cars on dirt: a ground shaking thrill every lap when you are up against the rail

Kids like this one are the future of racing

USAC Silver Crown cars dance on dirt like skaters on ice

I chase the best light at every race and follow a "10 laps and move" strategy to cover it all

Sunrise

Sunset

My 2018 Racing Season By The Numbers

My trusty 70-200 2.8 and I have seen a lot

If you have read my blog before, then you know that I am a Math Teacher in an adult high school by trade so it shouldn't come as a big surprise that my year  in review  blog post for  2018 would feature numbers. I am not scheduled to shoot any more races this year  but I still have  one event booked that is  racing related  and that is the ARCA Awards Banquet  in Indianapolis  in December. This black  tie event is  held in conjunction  with the  Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show and is one I have shot since 2013 for the ARCA series.  It's also traditionally the last time I get to see my ARCA friends each year before the holiday break. Once Christmas and New Year's has passed, then everyone at ARCA will start focusing on the first race of 2019 at Daytona in February - myself included.

Shooting from the back of the pace truck at Berlin was a huge thrill

My main racing photography commitment in 2018 was the ARCA series. This year's numbers are down somewhat from the last three years as I had held time for a return trip to Le Mans that didn't pan out so I wasn't scheduled to work any of ARCA's June races this year. Evenso, I still worked 10 race events in seven different states. If you count the two weather postponements we had, I actually did 12 race weekends for the series since we had to make return trips to Berlin Raceway in Michigan and Lucas Oil Raceway outside of Indianapolis. In chronological order, the races I worked for ARCA were: Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennesee; Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana; Talladega SuperSpeedway in Alabama; Iowa Speedway; Berlin Raceway, Marne, Michigan; Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Illinois; Berlin Raceway (again); DuQuoin State Fair, DuQuoin, Illinois, Lucas Oil Raceway, Clermont, Indiana; Salem Speedway; Lucas Oil Raceway (again!) and finally Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas. These spanned from March to the end of October. We froze in Nashville, baked in Springfield and cooled off at Kansas so it was a fun year.

Night racing and gorgeous sunrises are Daytona Rolex bonuses

My racing season actually started in January again this year as it did in 2017 with the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, so add Florida to the list of states I visited in 2018. The Rolex was blessed with perfect weather this year, in stark contrast to the conditions in 2017. Another contrast was I drove to all of the ARCA races from my home in Indianapolis and racked up a ton of highway miles in my Civic Si whereas I flew Southwest to Orlando for the Rolex race. I  already have a similar flight booked for the ARCA race at Daytona next February but I doubt I will be able to shoot the Rolex race again next year, which is a shame as I've worked in 2014, 2017 and 2018 and loved every minute of it despite the grind it requires as a photographer. Maybe I like it because of that actually, as it does fell like multiple races rolled into one event. The rhythm of the Rolex is one thing I absolutely love: walk, shoot, edit, rinse and repeat about eight times. We had a gorgeous sunrise this year which would be hard to top so if it turns out that 2018 was my last Rolex 24 for awhile, I've got some fantastic images to remember it by. I appreciate the opportunity to work with my friends at the Associated Press in Florida and look forward to doing it again someday soon. Working a race in Florida upped my tally of states to eight on the year.

There's nothing quite like the Indy 500

The middle of my 2018 season was all about Indianapolis and the Month of May, with two races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) beginning with the Indycar Grand Prix on the IMS road course and capped off with the 102nd Indianapolis 500 Memorial Day weekend. As in 2017, I shot Indy for a French media company, although the name of the firm was different this year: MPS Agency. Working track time in May around my full time job is always a challenge and this year was no different. I am grateful that the people I work with at The Excel Center understand my passion for motorsports photography. Next year it looks like I will get to lead a student outing to the Speedway so I will get to directly share that passion in more than just photos. With Indianapolis added to the mix, that gave me a total of 14 race events for the year, counting the two ARCA rainouts. Not a bad total for 2018 but I anticipate that 2019 will be even bigger! You can best believe I am working hard to top this year and it looks like my main client will be the ARCA racing Series once again.

Fan favorite Salem Speedway had a spectacular sunset for ARCA this fall

One consequence of shooting fewer races this year was that my driving mileage dropped somewhat from years past, although I still logged about 6500 miles behind the wheel in 2018 just going to race events. I also had two road trips of more than 1000 miles each (Talladega and Kansas); next year I expect I will have those two plus several more that exceed that number. My pedometer also got a bit of a break this year with fewer races but not by much as it was not uncommon to log 15,000 to 20,000 steps per day at the racetrack as most days I spent 15 hours or more shooting and editing. Lest anyone think it's an easy job to do, you should come out and follow me around on a raceday and see what it's really like. I don't usually have the luxury of just showing up to shoot the race so I get quite a workout at most events I shoot. I'm glad for that. My fiance didn't nickname me the Energizer Bunny for nothing! I'm sure I easily shot over 50,000 images this year and it will be interesting to see what the shutter counts are on my two main camera bodies when next May rolls around! The crazy thing about me is that I can always identify pictures I shot when they are posted on the ARCA website or when the teams or sponsors use them, and I can always find the originals - the images are that clear in my mind's eye. I shot them; I should know!

ARCA Champion Sheldon Creed will be moving up in 2019

With the season over except for the ARCA banquet, I have a couple of other photo projects I am working on as well as trying to plan out my travel for next year. There are some big things in the works and I don't want to jinx myself so I will leave them unsaid for the time being. If you want to know more, then stay tuned and be sure to check back with me!

Until next time, keep the shiny side up everyone and go take some frikkin' pictures. Come see me at a race next year!

Shooting sports car racing offers many unique challenges but I try to go where the light is good.

It was damn cold at Nashville this year

Salem has hosted more ARCA races than any other track and is on the 2019 schedule twice again

We found out at Talladega that ARCA would be joining the NASCAR family in 2020

Will Power kicked off May with a dominant win on the IMS road course

Then he raced to his first Indy 500 win to make a clean sweep of the month of May

Everyone seems to love Iowa Speedway and this year the weather was reasonable rather than blast furnace hot

It took two tries to get the Berlin race run thanks to Mother Nature, but fans saw a slam-bang finish that started a social media firestorm

The dirt races at Springfield are always entertaining

DuQuoin is one of the few places where I can get this close to the action

It took two tries to get the Lucas Oil Raceway event run, but at least that one is close to home!

The Kansas Speedway ARCA finale ended up being a crashfest so it was a wild way to wrap up the 2018 season

Cadillac Dominates 56th Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona

It was cool to be back in Daytona's Victory Lane with Action Express Racing again!

I worked my third Rolex 24 Hour race last weekend as a photographer and it was an  incredible experience once again. It was also my third 24 Hour race in the last 12 months and I have to admit that there is something unique about these overnight endurance races which keeps drawing me back. This race was dominated by two Action Express Racing Cadillac powered machines from the first few hours, so there wasn't a lot of drama at the point for most of the race. Watching the #5 Mustang Sampling car take the lead and stay out front for hours on end, including the last 293 laps, I kept wondering if they could maintain it or whether something was going to break and hand the win to the sister #31 Cadillac but they just rolled on to Victory Lane with the Whelen car on the lead lap but no real threat at the end. In the process, they set a new distance record for the event and driver Philippe Albuquerque got redemption for 2017 when a Rolex 24 win at Daytona slipped through his fingers with less than 10 minutes to go. Co-drivers and veterans Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi each got their third Rolex watches to go with the ones I saw them earn in 2014. Ironically, that 2014 Rolex 24 was my first one 24 hour endurance race; I trust that 2018 will not be my last one.

The #5 Mustang Sampling  team had everyone covered

I was most amazed that the race only had 20 laps run under caution. That is almost miraculous considering the variety of cars spread across three different classes that must share the track and the hundreds of drivers involved who bring a broad spectrum of skills and experience. Last year's Rolex was effected by lengthy cautions during the night for monsoon conditions so this race had a whole different pace to it than any enduro I had experienced previously. Every race has a "feel" to it that develops as the laps add on but I've found that to be even more true for these 24 hour races. There's a certain rhythm I feel at these races that I don't experience anywhere else other than Indianapolis. In the night, when I have my earplugs in and I am concentrating on getting from one part of the circuit to another to get a certain shot I envision, the drone of the various engine sounds is a unique visceral experience that goes right to my bones. Perhaps that's what activates my adrenal glands and sends a rush of endorphins through my brain every time I get to do one of these 24 hour events. I understand now why my photographer friends gravitate to sports car endurance racing to be able to experience those feelings over and over again throughout the event.

The United Autosports LMP2 car finished fourth

While I have only worked four 24 hour races (Daytona 2014, 2017 and 2018, plus Le Mans 2017), I know the rhythm these events have and this year I was able to get to Daytona on Thursday and experience a full immersion through the end of the race Sunday night. For the first time going to Florida for a race, I did not go to the beach at least once to see the ocean as I was consumed with the photography opportunities which the Rolex 24 provides. The rock band Scorpions had a song called "Rhythm of Love" and I could say that's what the weekend was like for me this year, as I truly felt the rhythm of the race as the weekend went on. Most other races I shoot only last two to four hours but at these 24 hour events, that is just getting started. For this event, the green flag flew at 2:40 pm Saturday afternoon and the checkers at the same time on Sunday. I was on the grid at about 1:00 pm, shot driver introductions and then went to the outside main grandstands for the first hour of the race. I then walked back inside the track and went to the infield where the racetrack rejoins the banking. From there I worked my way backward around the infield circuit so I could be back at the media center to complete my first download around 5:00 pm and grab something to eat. The next phase centered on being out shooting around 6:00 pm to see what kind of sunset would develop and then shoot for a while during the golden light dusk period.

An Audi casts a cool green glow on the backstretch as its brakes heat up

Sunset wasn't all that much to get excited about as Saturday it was mostly overcast. The next photo target was the fireworks which were scheduled for 11:00 pm so I stayed out and worked the infield, experimenting with some slow shutter speed pans, fill flash and other techniques during the darker hours. I got caught out by an unexpected rain shower around 8:00 pm and had to find cover since I was nowhere near the media center and didn't have any of my rain gear on me. I found a place at a concession stand to wait it out and as it turned out, my gut feeling was right - the rain didn't last long. It lasted just long enough to wet the track down and create a nice reflective surface so I worked my along the inside of Turn 2 of the oval, then down the backstretch to the bus stop chicane before finally heading back to the International Horseshoe in the infield to shoot the fireworks. After a quick download and backup of my files, my buddy and I headed back to his motorhome shortly after midnight to grab a few hours of sleep.

I finally got my special Daytona sunrise in my third Rolex 24

After getting about three and half hours of sleep, we got up at 4:30 in the morning and headed back to the track as the next photo target was sunrise. And what a glorious sunrise it was. Of the three Rolex 24 races I have photographed, this year's sunrise was by far the best I had seen. I know it's s small sample size and last year it was raining cats and dogs when the sun came up, but I have seen other photographers' work over the years and I had a few different photos in mind that I was going to try and capture. The sunrise was technically around 7:00 that morning so the race had been running for over 16 hours  with about eight to go but that didn't deter a gaggle of photographers gravitating to the West Horseshoe where I went to try and take advantage of the morning light opportunities. It was everything I'd hoped it would be and as I worked my way back around the infield portions of the track to go download my files and get some breakfast, I had a very satisfied feeling come over me as I felt I was achieving all the photo goals I had set for myself before the event.

The rest of the day repeated the same pattern of shooting, downloading, getting refreshments or food and then going out again. I went to Victory Lane about 45 minutes before the scheduled finish and watched for the first time all race, shooting an occasional frame when I could get multiple cars together as well as the checkered flag shot.. After the Action Express team celebrated, I headed back to the media center and packed up to leave as I had to get to Orlando for an 8:30 pm flight that evening and I wasn't sure what to expect as far as traffic was concerned. I made it to the Orlando airport around 6:00  pm, returned my rental car, went through security and got something to eat so I had about an hour to spare before my Southwest fight would be boarding. I was pleasantly exhausted. Once on the plane, I told the woman next to me to feel free and elbow me if I started snoring, and I was asleep before the wheels were even up on the plane. I woke up later as the Captain announced we were in the final descent. After a fantastic weekend at the racetrack, I was back in my own bed by midnight and back in reality with my regular job looming a short eight hours away. I'd do it again tomorrow if I had the chance. Meanwhile enjoy the photos and check out my new website for so much more.

Shooting at night is a wonderful  photography challenge

Seeing 50 cars roaring to the start line is an incredible sight to see

Morning light creates great chances to see the drivers at work inside the cars

After 24 hours of hard racing, the cars all appear peppered with rubber and dirt

Photography is all about the light so we chase that while drivers chase a win

Alonso, Danica, Daytona, Le Mans and the Indy 500

F1 star Alonso wowed fans at Indy in 2017

So what does this blog post have to do with the biggest races in the world? And what does Fernando Alonso have to do with Danica Patrick? He's a two-time Formula One world champion seeking to win a prestigious triple crown while she's out of her NASCAR ride for 2018 and has announced her retirement as a full time driver. But Danica will try to wrap her career with a nice bow in 2018 at the place where she first gained fame: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as she has said the Indy 500 will be her last race. Too bad they both couldn't be at Indy this year! Meanwhile, Alonso is taking on the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona this month to prepare for his attempt at winning Le Mans this coming June. I had hoped to be there to photograph all of these events in 2018. but it doesn't look like Le Mans is going to be possible after all. If I could arrange funding through sponsorship or a photo assignment for the trip to France, then it could still become a reality so if you are in need of someone to work races for you as your team or driver's personal photographer, then please keep me in mind.

Rolex 24 pre-race pageantry in 2017

With my ARCA Racing Series work and a return engagement with Vision Sport Agency at Indianapolis this May, I am anticipating a very busy 2018 as I will be flying to Daytona in a little more than two weeks to shoot the Rolex 24 Hours for Associated Press. It will be my third Rolex race and I am very excited to have the chance to work the event again this year. I do have the feeling that big things lie ahead this year so the Rolex race will be a great way to kick things off.

Danica Patrick  got a mixed reaction from fans at Texas in 2009

With Alonso in the headlines so often lately with his explorations in racing away from his full time ride with McLaren, it will be interesting to see how NASCAR starts its season off shortly after the Rolex weekend has concluded. Danica may or may not race the Daytona 500 - she said she would for the last time n 2018 but is not having much luck in putting a deal together. To say the bloom is off the rose is probably an understatement and I'll bet she faces the same issue for the Indy 500 this May. I know when she left Indycar, she did so with no hard feelings but many fans had grown tired of the surly temperament she often displayed around the garage area. The last straw for a lot of Indy fans was her comment on the public address system at Indy when she threw her team under the bus after a slow qualifying effort. Saying "It's not my fault" as she did is not going to win fans at Indianapolis and many people were happy to see her go to NASCAR.

When I took this photo, I wondered if Danica was waving goodbye

My perception has always been that Danica never really mastered how to drive a loose race car in the Cup series, having become accustomed to the high downforce Indycar package which more often than not produced tight racecars. The old saying is "loose is fast" so the learning curve in NASCAR must have been huge for her. Perhaps the new Indycar design for 2018 will present a level playing field for her return. I hope she gets back to Indyas it will offer another story line for the 500 and the chance for more publicity. Another old adage is that "any publicity is good publicity" and many would say that definitely applies to the Indycar series these days so her return might fall into that category. No matter what, she will probably sell some t-shirts and perhaps a few copies of her new book. If Danica can come back to Indy with an excited attitude and courts women and young girls who have always looked up to her, then I would say that her retirement from racing would be a success.

The 2017 Rolex 24 was hit by overnight rains which challenged everyone

The time for off-season speculation is just about at an end as the 2018 racing season got underway this past weekend at Daytona where all the IMSA teams gathered for their pre-season "Roar Before The 24" test. The 2018 rendition of the Rolex 24 Hours race promises to be one of the best in years with a star studded field of drivers and a highly varied equipment entry list with DPi and WEC LMP2 prototypes at the head of the pack and a plethora of production based GT cars filling out the class structure in GTD and GTLM. That variety is one of the great things about sports car endurance racing and why I am so excited to have the chance to go back again this year. While I shot the 2017 Rolex 24 for motorsport.com, this year I am working as a stringer for Associated Press - always a crapshoot economically - just as I did in 2014 in order to have another chance to prove what I can do and network with people who might be able to hire me in the future to shoot more racing.

I love working with ARCA  and its champions like Austin Theriault

This is, however, the beginning of a transitional year for me in racing photography as the financial returns have often not exceeded my investment of time, energy and funding. Over the last dozen years, I have really concentrated on making a name for myself in the business, a task which has proven to be much more difficult than I had imagined. Much as race teams need sponsorship, so do I need gainful assignments where I am not subsidizing my passion for racing as I have often done.  I am a teacher by trade, having decided to make a career change in 2009 in part so I could have time to pursue my photography interests more fully, and the change  has allowed me to do just that, so I have no regrets whatsoever. I just wish I could find more paying clients to make the pursuit of my passion truly self supporting.

At home at Indianapolis

Amidst the changing landscape of today's digital media world, I am grateful for every opportunity to be compensated for my racing photography such as my role as Chief Photographer for the ARCA Racing Series. After this year, I don't anticipate working "on spec" or in exchange for access or for photo credits in publications. That could change if there were some extraordinary circumstances involved, but I did that for a number of years trying to help a friend launch the defunct American Motor Journal publication and was aware even then that I was perhaps part of the problem in terms of the devaluation of photography services by the mainstream media. I have seen many news outlets cut back and eliminate staff photographer positions the last 10 years, so I hope I can be hired for the quality of work I produce and be paid fair compensation for that work product. As racers often have critical years in their careers, it feelss like 2018 will be a critical year for my career as a racing photographer as well.

I hope to shoot the Indy 500 as long as I am able

If you've read my blog before then you know that Indianapolis is my home track and I am a member of the Indy 500 Oldtimers so I will always have a photography role at the Speedway in May as long as I am physically able. This year will be my second year representing French media company Vision Sport Agency (VSA) and I will be seeing one of their owners at Daytona later this month to plan for that work. I am also hoping to do other sports car work for VSA if they run into scheduling conflicts with their other staff, and of course going to Le Mans in June is at the top of my 2018 list if funding comes through. So by the end of this month, I should know exactly what my 2018 schedule will include beyond the month of May as I have the Daytona 24 on tap, then ARCA races at Nashville, Salem and Talladega, before the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and the Indy 500. The end of this month will also be two years since I quit smoking so I am grateful to still be alive and kicking at an age when I see the names of a lot of my friends in the obituaries.

Thank God for exercise, good friends, and fulfilling work. Gotta love it! See you at the Rolex 24!

The first Japanese driver to win the Indy 500: Takuma Sato

I am looking forward to another great year shooting the ARCA Racing Series

Our trip to Le Mans last year was a dream come true; I can't wait to go back!