Shooting the Rolex 24 is always exciting! Daytona International Speedway is historic and it's always an honor to be able to have the access and freedom to create there.
Race week starts with practice days, a night practice, then qualifying before getting a good night sleep for race day. My Saturday starts with arriving at the track at 6:30am. Photographers gather in the media room for a safety meeting from IMSA and Daytona, along with any track access and schedule changes. Once that's completed, I hit the track, and pit lane, for warm up sessions. Ceremonies start around noon, the race at 1:30pm.
There is nothing like race start at Daytona. The sounds of the cars, the crowd...it permeates your soul. It's like being at rock concert. After the green flag, I usually spend two hours shooting from the grandstands then make my way back to the media room on foot. It's a long walk but there is a lot to shoot. I love having a golf cart to get to the far side of the track in a hurry, when needed, but walking the track allows for so many opportunities, especially with the fans. There are some really fun and dedicated racing fans! You get some great stuff from them, along with shooting cars through the crowd.
By the time the race ends at 2:30pm on Sunday, I shoot podium then deliver media needed by clients, I have been awake for about 36 hours, minus maybe 1 to 2 hours I caught in the early morning with my head on my desk. It's a tough weekend but we're all in it together. Lots of coffee, cars and excitement!
My publishing partner and I tried something new for 2020. While I shot, she was back in Atlanta putting it all together in an interactive digital book. By the time the race was over, and I was back on the road that night, it was done. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit a couple of weeks later. I'm hoping we can do more of these editorial books for other projects.
Clicks the cover below to see the book on ISSUU.
