Photographer to the Cars - Dan Knopp

Home          Galleries          Contact          Links

Drag Racing

     Drag racing has a lot to offer for the motorsports photographer. Between the track action, the pits, the drivers and crews, track workers, and the spectators, there is far too much for a lone photographer to cover at a drag meet.

Close up action to photograph

     Starting in the pits where the cars are being worked on, there is the hustle of activity tearing down engines and checking everything over. The pros are only allowed a set amount of time between races, so the activity and concentration on the job at hand is intense. The teams are used to having their pictures taken and seem to welcome photographers. Just don't get so close as to interfere.

Dragsters, burnouts, and wheelstands

     The starting line will require a little attention to get the best shots. Burnouts are easy as they last a few seconds. Capturing the moment that the car takes off is always fun. Wheelstands and flexed dragster frames when the car launches always make good shots.

     The top end, or finish line area of the track is a good place for picture taking. You can't often get close, so a long lens is needed to capture the faster cars with drag chutes deployed to slow them down.

Start, finish, and in between

     Since it isn't possible to be two places a quarter mile apart at one time, you have to pick where you want to shoot from. Moving around is easy at the drags, allowing for a good variety of photo composition, but you want to be careful not to miss what can be some real excitement between the start and finish line where some of the best phot ops happen. Engines can explode, cars can get crossed up in the lanes, go airborne, or lose some parts. It does happen, so be ready.

Dragster burnout at Woodburn Dragstrip.

Burnout

     The burnout has a purpose besides being a treat for spectators at drag races. The intent is to heat up the tires in order to make the rubber sticky. This gives the car better traction so that it can 'hook up' to the track and make a quick launch off the starting line.

     The smoke and noise is a tremendous crowd pleaser, with some of the more powerful dragsters thundering half way down the quarter mile track before stopping to back up for the start. In other motorsports venues you'll see cars in the Indy Racing League, Champ Car series, and Formula 1 racing heating their tires up by swerving back and forth before a running start.

     Wanting to put on a good show, funny car teams in the late '60s went a step further and thrilled the fans with fire burnouts. It was fun to watch but eventually outlawed for safety concerns.

For more burnouts and drag racing action visit:

Mopar Nationals at Woodburn Dragstrip