Sliding into the Second Half of the Season with Late Models & Sprint Cars
After a two-week break, I got back into the action covering a premier late model pavement-racing Wednesday night at Owosso Speedway, while I-96 Speedway welcomed the Great Lakes Super Sprints sliding in for Friday Night Race Night. I mixed up the shot list for my track photographer role.
It always pays to work with your competition to become a community, rather than foes. I-96 Speedway is just a stone’s throw away from Ionia, Michigan, where they host one of the largest, most popular, and free county fairs in the state. The speedway has embraced the fair by not hosting Friday night racing, which helps both venues succeed by avoiding 2 competing, poorly attended events while also getting more involved as a partner. Around the track, you will find fair promotions and fair schedules on their social media. It appears that the fair is promoting and embracing the track as well.
A break is always nice, creatively too. A vacation where I took only 1 image with an actual camera (see below) is exactly what I needed after weekly track photography work. I broke the photography fast by going out to Owosso Speedway for an extra special Wednesday Night Race Night before returning to I-96.
I took exactly one image with a real camera while on a 2-week break from the tracks, here it is.
Owosso Speedway hosted the annual Masters of the Pros 200 with the Turn One CRA Pro Series on July 22, a special Wednesday night event. It’s always great to join the CRA late model events and see my team, driver, and photography/media friends who stick with that series (as opposed to local racing). The Masters of the Pros event brings out one of the biggest names in racing, retired NASCAR cup champion Kevin Harvick and his son Keelan.
I went to this event working with Michigan Area Racing Connection News (MARC News). You can read my full race recap article HERE. It’s ok if you just want to see the IMAGES from the Masters of the Pros 200.
Two days later, the action resumed at I-96 Speedway with Great Lakes Super Sprints joining the local modified, street stocks, compacts, and mini wedge classes. To say it was a stacked event would be an understatement.
After working the same spots for a few weeks and getting more familiar with the I-96 Speedway venue, I’ve been on the hunt for some unique, exciting photography locations. This track, like many others, is only fenced along the front stretch and turns 1 & 4. Why does this matter? This means the photography locations are limited to turns 1, 4, and the front stretch.
During my last outing to the track, I went on a hunt for locations out there in the no-walled lands. I found a few spots that put me at a safe distance, but I don’t have the height or the lens power to really take advantage of the spot…for now.
Back to this week. It was time to ask forgiveness rather than permission, given that the safety team and I are on more familiar terms at this point. Pre-race I did some scouting around, a bit of testing, and laid some plans. As hot laps began, I went to my predetermined locations, wiggled between some fences, set myself up, got the shots I knew I would get, and scadaddled out of there.
The night of racing went as planned. I got some great on-track footage of the sprint cars doing 4-wide parade laps. A talented national driver, Zane DeVault, rolled in and drove his sprint car to victory lane while complimenting the speedway along the way. I went onboard a mini-wedge for the first time, getting some great footage.
You can see the full gallery from the night of racing and pick up your favorites HERE.
After the night of racing concluded, I caught up with the head safety officer.
“Hey did you or anyone else see my shooting spots during hot laps?” I asked.
“Uhhhm, no? Not that I know of?”
“Good”.
