Jimmie Johnson Tribute 1 of 4

I'd like to spend a few moments reflecting on Jimmie Johnson

I think the best way to do that as a photographer, that got to cover a small part of his career, would be to show my favorite photos of him from the years since I was assigned to the NASCAR circuit.

Before I picked up a professional camera Jimmie Johnson was a regular talking point at family dinners hosted by my in-laws. They are a NASCAR family that takes pride in their favorite drivers, tell tales of miraculous come-from-behind victories, applaud the power of stock car racing, and also the finesse of a driver who could tame their wild ride. I have friends that only shop at Lowe's because that's who sponsored their hero and older friends that still speak of times before the "Chase format" accusing Jimmie Johnson of "working the system". I first saw him in person during the driver's meeting at Pocono Raceway in 2013, well along on his path in history. Please respect the fact that all images are copyrighted.

Swimming in the humidity, The Coke Zero 400, NASCAR at Daytona

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My one and only NASCAR event this year took place last weekend at the self-proclaimed "World Center of Racing" Daytona International Speedway. I was apprehensive about working the race since I had found out that fans would be allowed to attend and that it was in Florida, during hurricane season.

Daytona is notorious for weather delays and postponements that can go on for days. Fan attendance was capped at 25 thousand for the Monster Energy Cup race, and in a venue that seats roughly 101,000, I didn't think it would be overly crowded, especially with social distancing being enforced. (I really should say suggested and not enforced).

Currently, photography is very limited at any NASCAR sanctioned event. There were only two people allowed from the media company that I work for. One person was allowed in the infield, and one (me) was mandated to remain outside of the track at all times. This means no access to the media center for me, and that I would be photographing from the stands, and editing in my car.

Daytona has a high fence all around the racetrack for reasons obvious to any fan who has watched racing at this famous 2.5-mile tri-oval super-speedway. Inevitably, late in a NASCAR race, there is a crash (usually titled "The Big One") that is both horrific and sensational. Occasionally the catch fence is the only thing between a 180 mile per hour race car flying through the air and the spectators.

Photographing through a fence isn't an ideal situation, but I understand the need for safety, so it is what it is. It was also a good reminder that great photos are made and not taken. Overcoming challenging situations is expected from professionals, and this was a good time to remind myself of what I had agreed to deliver, high-quality work with no excuses.

Enjoy my photos from the event. Just a reminder that all of these images are copyrighted all rights reserved ©2020

Xfinity series takes over Mid-Ohio

I think the Xfinity racers love road courses almost as much as I do, especially Mid-Ohio. The 2.25-mile course is full of elevation changes for great photo opportunities and there are plenty of long straights for drafting and overtaking to keep things exciting. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a pass on an oval track but there's just something special about watching a technical maneuver being executed at high speeds during a knockdown drag-out fight for the lead through the twists and turns of an exciting country road course. In all honesty, wouldn't you rather take an exhilarating ride through the countryside than on a highway? Experiencing the feelings of the suspension compression at every turn, acceleration through the apex, speeding off to the next playful twist along the road to a far off destination is exhilarating and fulfilling.
Congratulations to Austin Cindric and Team Penske on their second win in the series, and coming directly after the first one this is a great accomplishment. I'm looking for him to be in a great position to win the championship. Enjoy some of my favorite pictures from the event.

All the photos are ©Gavin Baker / NKP

NASCAR at Watkins Glen

Shooting at Watkins Glen International is always a thrill and this was the first time I have worked there this year. NASCAR is a rather special thing at the Glen. The stock cars don't use the full circuit, they omit the "boot" so each lap is a bit shorter than when SRO or IMSA races there. The stands are usually full of people when the Monster Energy series rolls into town which adds to some racing views. Campers and tents fill the backgrounds, sometimes distracting from the action but that's the reality of the event. These are my favorites from the weekend. Please note that all photos are © Gavin Baker/ NKP

NASCAR at Chicagoland

Well it was hot, sweltering hot. The kind of heat where if you’re standing in the shade but your shoe isn't, in about a minute, you think your foot is on fire. We, the crew for NKP, suffered through rain delays, heat indices of 114 degrees Farenheight, and what looked like a storm that could turn into a tornado at any second.

Fortunately everyone survived and I was able to get a few shots that I really enjoyed from over the long weekend. When I say long I mean a full four days. NASCAR is typically a three day weekend but since the ARCA series was joining the Trucks, Xfinity and Monster Cup series there were races Thursday through Sunday.

Chicagoland is a great racetrack. It's the poster child for mile and a half NASCAR tracks. Almost exactly like Kansas (In fact I sometimes refer to either of them as ChKansas) except there's no psychedelic colored lights in the tunnel and there is no writing on the seats in the grandstands.

As far as racing, some of the highlights were Brett Moffitt winning the Gander Outdoors Truck Series race in an unmarked truck. Drawing attention to the fact that an unsponsored truck bested the field. The other big news was that Alex Bowman, driving the team Hendrick Chevy sponsored by Axalta, finally scored his first win in the Monster Energy Cup Series. Please enjoy this brief gallery from my time there.