Best Assignment Racing Photographer NHRA IMSA MotoAmerica
Michael ONeill Photographer Writer Motorcyclist Adventurer
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Best Assignment Racing Photographer NHRA IMSA MotoAmerica

When it comes to NHRA Mello Yello drag racing the top classes of Top Fuel Dragster, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle get all of the attention…at least as far as broadcast television is concerned. At the track as an assignment motorsports photographer for a number of prestigious publications I get to see all of the action at the track during every race weekend. The sportsman classes of Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street, Top Dragster, Top Sportsman, Pro Mod, Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car are some of the greatest races to watch…and to photograph. It is funny how a sub eight second pass on the drag strip can seem painfully slow after you have been watching sub four second passes by Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters. It really comes into perspective when you find out that some of these sub eight second cars are actually street legal…cars that can be driven on the road every day! The Super Stock class may be my favorite to watch. On the NHRA web site Super Stock cars are defined as follows: "Super Stock vehicles may look like ordinary passenger vehicles, but they are highly modified race cars. The category features primarily late-model sedans and vintage muscle cars, and entries are classified using a system that divides factory shipping weight by NHRA-factored horsepower. Significant engine modifications are permitted, but the vehicle must retain the correct engine block, cylinder heads, and carburetor." The picture you are looking at right now is a beautiful example of a Super Stock class car. It is a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro campaigned by the Ficacci Racing Engines team. Watching these cars launch off the starting line and seeing their front ends go skyward in a wheelie is such an awesome sight to behold. It also makes for some amazing drag racing photographs. A personal reason that I love photographing drag racing cars in the Sportsman Classes is that the drivers and teams are quite appreciative of my efforts. So few of the photographers at any given race weekend pay any attention at all to anything other than the top televised classes. I sell a lot of my photographs of the Sportsman Series cars after every race I attend. As you look around my web site you will see other fine examples of pictures of drag racing cars in the Sportsman Classes. Enjoy.