Rebilas’ best drag racing photos of 2008
By Mark J. Rebilas
With all the mainstream professional sports I cover these days it has really knocked down the amount of drag racing I have been able to cover. I really love shooting drag racing so in the few events I shot this year I made it a point to work as hard as I could to produce some quality images. So here are my favorite drag racing photos of 2008.
My first drag racing event of the year was preseason NHRA testing at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, AZ. It is a great event to shoot because for starters the access is great, plus its the first chance to shoot the new cars/drivers/sponsors for the upcoming season.
Scott Kalitta does a burnout prior to a test run. Sadly Kalitta was killed a few months later in a high speed crash in New Jersey.
Nikon D300, 80-200mm, 640iso, f2.8, 1/2500th
With it being testing there are very few fans in attendance leading to the problem of empty grandstands in the backgrounds. One of the few ways to combat that issue is to shoot slow shutter speed shots to blur out the background such as in the below photo of funny car driver Tony Pedregon doing a burnout.
Nikon D300, 17-55mm, 200iso, f5.6, 1/20th
When shooting from the starting line I always try to follow the cars as they drive away in case something crazy happens like an explosion or crash. Obviously that doesn’t happen too often, but what does happen every time is all the heat waves coming off the cars as they drive away at speed. Below is a good example of that as Ashley Force thunders down track.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 200iso, f4, 1/4000th
Tony Schumacher does a burnout during a dusk practice run.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 800iso, f2.8, 1/20th
I also spent some time down at the end of the track where the drivers climb from their cars after their run. Its not a spot many people shoot from so it provides a different perspective most don’t see.
Jack Beckman climbs from his funny car after making a pass.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 200iso, f4, 1/1600th
The below shot of Del Worsham after a run came out really cool as a totally backlit shot. It gives a really unique perspective of an otherwise boring moment.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 200iso, f4, 1/6400th
Next drag race event for me was the March Meet in Bakersfield, CA. It is without a doubt my favorite drag racing event of the year. Instead of the cutting edge modern technology of NHRA this race is all nostalgia cars from several decades ago. The cars are wild and crazy and anythign can (and usually does) happen!
Below top fuel driver Randy Beck bounces through the shutdown area as he tries to slow down prior to crashing. Its always odd so see a vehicle doing over 200mph with all four wheels off the ground.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 400iso, f8, 1/2500th
He certainly wasn’t the only driver with his hands full bouncing all over the place as they tried to slow down.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 500iso, f5.6, 1/1000th
One of the coolest (and certainly most unique) angles I get occurs at this race as my father has made friends with a company that owns a cherry picker crane that myself and a video guy position directly over the track just past the finish line. We are about 20 feet above cars doing 260mph. It scares the hell out of you the first few times a car goes below you but once you get used to it boy is it a killer angle.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 400iso, f9, 1/1250th
Nikon D3, 600mm, 400iso, f8, 1/1250th
The view going the other way also provides a cool shot as the cars slow down with the parachutes out. Below perhaps the most famous drag racing car of all time, The Winged Express slows down following an exhibition run.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 400iso, f9, 1/1250th
I was lucky enough to be in the crane over the track where I witnessed one of the largest explosions in nostalgia racing history as Mike McLennan had a MASSIVE fireball. Unlike todays top fuel dragsters where the engine is behind the driver, the nostalgia cars have the engine two feet in front of the drivers face. Its the most literal definition of the “hot seat.”
In the first photo you will notice a cloud of oil feeding flammable liquid all over the hot headers.
It was only a matter of time until the oil would ignite….and boy did it ignite!
Nikon D3, 600mm, 400iso, f8, 1/1600th
The fire was only huge for less than a second, then it died down as the oil burned up.
(Note the flying spark plug in the upper right!)
Nikon D3, 600mm, 400iso, f8, 1/1600th
I also had a remote camera set up. Here is he shot it got when the fire was still big. The main problem with the camera being so low is the heat waves give it the appearance of being out of focus.
Nikon D3, 300mm, 640iso, f10, 1/8000th
The racing went into the night that day and instead of going to the starting line like everyone else I stayed in the crane and took advantage of some really cool side lighting that rim lit the edges of the cars.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 5000iso, f4, 1/320th
Nikon D3, 600mm, 5000iso, f4, 1/320th
That about wraps up the March Meet for me.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 500iso, f6.3, 1/5000th
My last drag race of the year ended up being the NHRA race in Las Vegas. I got a bunch of really cool shots in the weekend.
With my assistant Paul helping out we did some candid portraits using a softbox and 1600 watt Alien Bee strobe.
Angelle Sampey
Nikon D3, 80-200mm, 100iso, f6.3, 1/250th
Gary Scelzi
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 100iso, f7.1, 1/250th
Tony Schumacher
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 100iso, f8, 1/250th
This race was one of the rare weekends I shot on the starting line. While you get a lot more good photos shooting on the starting line it is just dime a dozen crap that the other 20 photographers are shooting. Plus all the wild and crazy stuff happens downtrack at speed. Luckily I didn’t miss anything while on starting line and got some cool shots.
Antron Brown takes on Cory McClenathan during qualifying.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 250iso, f5.6, 1/1000th
Since it was Halloween a few crew members got in on the fun by wearing their costumes on the starting line.
Nikon D3, 400mm, 400iso, f2.8, 1/800th
John Force does a burnout during qualifying.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 100iso, f6.3, 1/25th
The below shot of Robert Hight leaving the starting line has a really cool glow behind the car from a tow vehicle that had its headlights on.
Nikon D3, 400mm, 1250iso, f2.8, 1/500th
Tried out a few real slow shutter speed shots to see what it would produce. I was damn happy with the results.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 100iso, f4.5, 1/13th
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 100iso, f4.5, 1/13th
On the last day of qualifying top fuel driver Tony Schumacher clinched the 2008 championship. While I got several of the standard boring shots of him holding the trophy I really liked this shot of him silhouetted behind the trophy.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 100iso, f5, 1/250th
I ended up back at the starting line due to a rain shower that I didn’t wanna be stuck in when it hit.
The ominous storm clouds above the track made for a great background to some shots.
John Force does a burnout.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 4000iso, f4, 1/500th
The car of Scott Ray in the staging lines prior to making his qualifying run.
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 4000iso, f4, 1/400th
On the actual race day I got a few shots I liked.
A pair of top fuel dragsters do their burnout before their race.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 500iso, f5.6, 1/5000th
Tony Schumacher had a small fireball during the second round of eliminations. It was nothing big compared to what I’m used to shooting but it has nice light and it looks cool.
Nikon D3, 600mm, 400iso, f5.6, 1/2500th
For the final rounds I went to the very end of the track to shoot the winners climbing from their car.
Cruz Pedregon
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 100iso, f5.6, 1/250th
Tony Schumacher
Nikon D3, 14-24mm, 100iso, f5.6, 1/250th
That ends my favorite drag racing images of 2008. Sorry there’s not more stuff but considering I only shot 3 events this year, it’s a decent showing.
Next up in my best of the year galleries is my favorite random sport images.
-Mark J. Rebilas is a freelance sports photographer based in Arizona. His work is seen regularly in Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine, USA Today and many others around the country. Visit www.markjrebilas.com to learn more about his work.
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