The Excitement of the Beginning

For as long as I can remember Daytona has always marked the beginning. The commencement of the NASCAR season has begun at the famed racetrack since 1982. Even the word Daytona brings forth memories of legions. Great race car drivers sped through the corners of this hallowed asphalt and one great racer even lost his life there. The Florida weather can be fickle over the World Center of Racing, but for February 2016 the pleasant Spring days flowed with no end. Here's some of my favorite pictures from the long weekend. All images here are Copyrighted by Action Sports Photography Inc. ©2016

The mirror like windows in Victory Lane reflect the grandstands filled with people

"NO BRAKES" reminds Brennan Poole, driver of the number 48 DC Solar Chevy, to drive without fear while qualifying.

Brennan Poole sits in his race car ready to head out onto the track for practice

Kyle Larson getting into the #42 Eneos Chevy.  Preparing for an Xfinity practice session.

Darrell Wallace Jr shows off his Nixon watch as he backs the #6 Selfeo Ford out of the garage

The colors of Darrell Wallace Jr's #6 Selfeo Ford were fantastic in the light of the garage

The #16 Lilly Diabetes Ford of Ryan Reed waits patiently to head onto the track

The #2 Rheem Chevy, driven by Austin Dillon, leads the pack down the front strait during the Xfinity race

The Lilly Diabetes pit crew change tires for Ryan Reed during the Xfinity Race at Daytona

Chase Elliott stands in front of the TaxSlayer.com Chevy on the start / finish line celebrating his victory in the Xfinity race.  Chase's race car had run out of fuel and had to be pushed back to Victory Lane.

A few of the events during the weeks of racing at Daytona take place at night which gives the whole affair some extra magic and mystery

Sprint cars wiz by the Daytona sign crossing the start / finish line under the flag stand during one of the Can Am Duels

The 5-Hour Energy Chevy of Clint Bowyer gets its tires changed during a pit stop during the Can Am Race

The #1 McDonalds / Cessna Chevy driven by Jamie McMurray speeds down the front stretch during the Can Am Duel

Fans write well wishes, happy birthdays, and cheers for their favorite drivers on the checkered finish line.

NASCAR fans are special people. They love to be involved and to get onto the track right where their heroes will be risking life and reputation for that last ounce of speed.

Kurt Busch gently places his hand on the Monster Energy / Haas Chevy and looks deep into the soul of the fire breathing racecar before he heads out to the track.

Fans look on and snap pictures from behind the viewing area of the garage as Kurt Busch climbs into his racecar

Trevor Bayne collects his thoughts behind the wheel of the #6 Advocare Ford before heading out to the track

The line of Toyota Tundras wait for the signal to pick up the drivers after they have been announced for a parade lap around Daytona

Kasey Kahne, driver of the #5 Hellmann's Chevy, waves to the crowd as he is taken to his racecar for the start of the Daytona 500

Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney, and Jimmie Johnson lead the pack through turn one of the Daytona 500.

Denny Hamlin leads the field in the #11 FedEx Express Toyota as he enters turn one during the Daytona 500

The Prize!  The wining trophy for the Daytona 500 waits in Victory Lane for the best driver of the day to come and claim it.

In a photo finish, that was the closest in Daytona history, Denny Hamlin won his first Daytona 500 just beating Martin Truex Jr. to the finish line.

As the smoke from the celebratory burnout of Denny Hamlin cleared, the #11 FedEx Express Toyota sat proudly on the infield Daytona sign claiming its place in Daytona history.

Congratulations to Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, FedEx, and Toyota!

All images here are copyrighted by Action Sports Photography Inc. ©2016

February 2016 desktop calendar

Here it is, a little late but hey, that's what vacation is for right? This was the view from our resort in Curacao, the Papagayo. The infinity pool stretched out from a small beach and then there was a four foot drop at the edge down to the ocean. For those of you that have never heard of Curacao I will go into greater depth on a Travel Tuesday post after I have finished editing the pictures, but for now suffice it to say, the place is wonderful. So here's you little Winter taste of the Caribbean. Download the calendar here: February 2016 and enjoy it every time you look at your desktop.

Curacao Nikon D4 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f/9  ISO 160 1/250sec

Countdown to Daytona

With only 34 days left until the running of the #Daytona500 I thought I would share one of my favorite #NASCAR pictures from last year that doesn't have a car in it, and isn't even at a racetrack. For the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway there is a hauler parade that takes place as the teams roll into town. All the transports gather at one end of "The Strip", while the police shut down traffic, and slowly, with all the glitz and flash of Las Vegas the eighteen wheelers roll through Sin City. The City of Lights celebrates a NASCAR weekend in its own special way. @Actionsports #ActionSports #MotorsportPhotography #SportsPhotography #LasVegas #Vegas #racing

2015 NASCAR rolls into Sin City

#WildlifeWednesday Grizzly Bear

Since #WildlifeWednesday is here again I wanted to share another picture from the DDD ranch in Kalispell that I was visiting last December. I must admit that in this picture the Grizzly does look fairly docile and friendly, but don't let that Teddy Bear look fool you. I don't know what I would do if I saw on of these while walking in the woods taking a hike, but let me tell you, running or climbing is out of the question. This powerful beast was fast and spry, which is hard to image for something the weighs anywhere from 5-600 pounds. #Wildlife #grizzly #wilderness #wildlifephotography #nature

Grizzly Bear love