Action Sports Photography, Inc

V-22 Osprey

2012-01-05T20:08:00.002-05:00

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, military, tiltrotor aircraft with both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of aturboprop aircraft.

The V-22 originated from the United States Department of Defense Joint-service Vertical take-off/landing Experimental (JVX) aircraft program started in 1981. The team of Bell Helicopter and Boeing Helicopters was awarded a development contract in 1983 for the tiltrotor aircraft. The Bell Boeing team jointly produce the aircraft.^[4] The V-22 first flew in 1989, and began flight testing and design alterations; the complexity and difficulties of being the first tiltrotor intended for military service in the world led to many years of development.

The United States Marine Corps began crew training for the Osprey in 2000, and fielded it in 2007; it is supplementing and will eventually replace their CH-46 Sea Knights. The Osprey's other operator, the U.S. Air Force, fielded their version of the tiltrotor in 2009. Since entering service with the U.S. Marine Corps and Air Force, the Osprey has been deployed in both combat and rescue operations over Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

2011-08-20T13:11:00.003-04:00

Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America. Originally called Ville-Marie, or "City of Mary", the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal,the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the city is located, or Mont Réal as it was spelled in Middle French, (Mont Royal in present French).

As of February 2011, Statistics Canada identifies Montreal's Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) (land area 4,259 square kilometres (1,644 sq mi)) as Canada's second most populous with an estimated metropolitan area population of 3,859,318, and a population of 1,934,082 in the "agglomeration" of Montreal, which includes all of the municipalities on the island of Montreal. The city of Montreal proper had a population of 1,620,693 (as of 2006 census).

French is the city's official language and is also the language spoken at home by 59.9% of the population, followed by English at 19.4% (as of 2006 census). In the larger Montreal Census Metropolitan Area, 67.9% of the population speak French at home, compared to 16.5% who speak English. More than half of the population reports being able to speak both English and French. Montreal is the second largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris.

Montreal is consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities, was called "Canada's Cultural Capital" by Monocle Magazine and recently was named a UNESCO City of Design. Though historically the commercial capital of Canada, it was surpassed in population, as well as economic strength, by Toronto after 1976. Today it continues as an important centre of commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design,culture, tourism, film and world affairs.

In 2010, Montreal was named a hub city, ranked 34th globally out of 289 cities for innovation across multiple sectors of the urban economy, in the Innovation Cities Index by 2thinknow. Montreal was the next Canadian city in the annual index behind nexus city Toronto in 12th place and ahead of fellow hub cities Calgary, Quebec City, Vancouver and Edmonton. In 2009, Montreal was named North America's number one host city for international association events, according to the 2009 preliminary rankings of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

2011-05-14T13:27:00.002-04:00

Dover International Speedway became the pioneer of NASCAR’s new inclement-weather procedures for Sprint Cup qualifying on Saturday. The qualifying for Sunday’s FedEx 400 was washed out, meaning the starting order is determined by the speeds in Friday’s practice session at the Monster Mile.

As such, perennial Monster-vanquisher Jimmie Johnson will start on the pole for Sunday’s race. Alongside him will be A.J. Allmendinger, who was edged out by six-thousandth of a mile-per-hour – a length of time that defies any comprehensible comparison.

Previously, the starting order would have been determined by the points standings. Under the new system, teams have more control over their own destiny, as they can alter their practice plans to account for the possibility of a rainout if the weather forecast is iffy.

“The new system definitely requires some thinking before hand and playing close attention to the weather,” Johnson said. “We elected to start in race trim yesterday. When we saw that speed and the threat of weather, at that point we switched into qualifying trim, and we worked really hard to try to outrun that lap [Allmendinger] ran. It’s a challenging routine.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start third, followed by Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano. Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick complete the top-10.

The "FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks" will get underway with the green flag on May 15 at 1 p.m. at the Monster Mile.

Click here for the complete starting lineup for tomorrow's race.

Daytona 500

2011-02-19T07:37:00.001-05:00

The Daytona 500 is a 500 miles (804.7 km)-long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule. Jamie McMurray is the defending champion of the race.
The Daytona 500 is regarded as the most important and prestigious race on the NASCAR calendar, carrying by far the largest purse. Championship points awarded are equal to that of any other Sprint Cup race. It is also the series' first race of the year; this phenomenon is virtually unique in sports, which tend to have championships or other major events at the end of the season rather than the start. Since 1995, U.S. television ratings for the Daytona 500 have been the highest for any auto race of the year, surpassing the traditional leader, the Indianapolis 500 which in turn greatly surpasses the Daytona 500 in in-track attendance and international viewing. The 2006 Daytona 500 attracted the sixth largest average live global TV audience of any sporting event that year with 20 million viewers.
The event serves as the final event of Speedweeks and is sometimes referred to as "The Great American Race" or the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing." It is held the second or third Sunday in February, and since 1971, has been loosely associated with Presidents Day weekend.
The winner of the Daytona 500 is presented with the Harley J. Earl Trophy in Victory Lane, and the winning car is displayed, in race-winning condition, for one year at Daytona 500 Experience, a museum and gallery adjacent to Daytona International Speedway.

Dover International Speedway

2011-01-08T20:04:00.001-05:00

Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR sanctioned 1 mile (1.6 km) race track located in Dover, DE, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness race track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino. At one time both the entertainment complex and the speedway were owned by the publicly traded Dover Downs Entertainment, but they have since been split into two separate companies. Among NASCAR enthusiasts, the track has earned the nickname of "The Monster Mile".

The track is unique as it is one of three tracks that are made of concrete, Bristol and Nashville Superspeedway being the other two. Photographing a concrete race track does make for very bright images because the colors reflect back onto the cars. Photographing the race seems to be more personable at this track because it’s a true one mile track, so being able to walk around the facility and shooting at different locations is easy within the time frame of the race. Although there aren’t any shooting holes in the fence line, you can shoot the cars head on with few disruptions. The turns are fairly short so if you’re looking for images of multiple cars in one frame, you’ll have to use longer lenses to be able to capture the action in the turns. With recent major accidents in the backstretch area, that part of the track is off limits, but they have installed a photographer’s stand in the inside of the backstretch to capture the action. Right off turn 1, there are suites and with the proper credentials, photographers can shoot from the top of the suite, which will allow you to photograph the green and checkered flags, along with great race action down the frontstretch as well as the first five or six pit stalls. Using a full framed camera along with a 15mm fisheye lens, this location will allow you to photograph the track completely with all the stands in view.

The pit stalls at the Monster Mile are fairly small with the walkway behind the pits shallow and bustling with people during the race. Tires usually take up a lot of room behind the pits, so photographing pit stops can be something of an art form at Dover. One great advantage shooting pit stops at Dover is the ability to photograph the pit stops underneath the rail that separates pit road from the pits. You can get some nice creative pit stop shots that you won’t be able to reproduce anywhere else on the circuit. With the sun setting in turn 2, the shadows fall correctly when shooting from pit road, so you can capture the intensity of the crew members during a pit stop.

With space at a premium on pit road, Dover’s Victory Lane is in the middle and behind pit road in a very tight location. The concrete bleachers in Victory Lane are steep and very tight, not leaving a lot of room on the sides. Capturing the excitement in Victory Lane can be confusing if you’re not use to the procedures. If you’re on the top of the bleachers in Victory Lane, you will not be able to see the whole car when it pulls into VL. The heads of the photographers below will cut off the car, but you will have a great vantage point to photograph the driver when he jumps out of the car and turns towards the cameras. The group shots as well as the trophy presentation are all done on a stage behind the race car, so you are basically at the same height as the team when the “hat dance” starts. If you’re able to find a location to the side by the front of the car as the car pulls in, you’ll be able to capture a different angle with a fisheye lens that works pretty well for a creative shot. But if you miss that shot, you’ll be stuck at a poor location for the remainder of the ceremonies.

Shooting from the turns on the inside can be great if you’re looking for exciting crash images. There are photographers stands in the corners, but space is at a premium on the stands. With the addition of a crossover bridge off of turn 2, Dover Downs has added a photographers stand underneath the crossover which provides a great view of the cars coming off the turns and battling for position. The garage are is tight compared to other race tracks, so you need to be on your toes when shooting the cars during racing conditions. The bays are open aired so there is plenty of light coming in that allows for lower ISO’s and greater natural lighting effects.

Getting into and out of the race track still has it’s moments. With only one highway in or out, traffic can be a bit of a nightmare if you time it wrong. With 135,000 seating capacity, along with the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, parking on the grounds might not be the best solution. The local stores open their lots for the spectators to park, and the prices range from $10 to $25 a day to park. For the media, we have a lot that’s close to the turn 2 crossover that’s very convenient. The last few years, Dover has provided golf carts as shuttles from the crossover to the media center, which has been a great bonus when you’re carrying all your camera equipment. Photo vests are required at this race track but it’s a great benefit to keep you separated from the fans in the infield. Once a race car falls out of the race, the security personnel don’t allow the fans to walk up to the wall where that car was pitting, and with the photo vest, you’ll be able to have a clear view of the racetrack.

The media center is top notch with ample seating and internet for the working media. A lunch room is also located in the media center and it’s pretty well stocked throughout the weekend. All in all, a great experience for the working press.

Equestrianism

2011-01-05T13:36:00.003-05:00

Equestrianism (from Latin equester, equestr-, horseman, horse) more often known as riding, horseback riding (American English) or horse riding (British English) refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses. This broad description includes the use of horses for practical working purposes, recreational activities, artistic or cultural exercises, and competitive sports.

Talladega Superspeedway

2010-11-11T17:45:00.001-05:00

Located in between Birmingham, AL and Atlanta, GA, the track is easy to travel to with I-20 as its’ main corridor to the speedway and an airport adjacent to the property for small to corporate sized aircraft.

With the track being so big, pit road is easy and exciting shooting. With the grandstands facing the south, pit road is lit well for front shooting opportunities. In the middle of pit road, there’s a tower that’s available to photographers and video that will allow you to get a birds eye view of the pit area. But with the frontstretch facing the north, afternoon light is harsh and hard to capture images when the cars are on the frontstretch. The best time to photograph the cars on the frontstretch is in early afternoon light. Late afternoon light casts shadows on the track and it makes for a difficult shot. If you’re looking for the huge pack shot that comes through the dog leg, shoot down pit road towards turn 1 to get a better angle. Lenses from 200 to 400mm are great to capture tight group shots as well as single car images.

The grandstands in Talladega are tall and are a great view of the whole track. From the frontstretch grandstands, you can watch the cars take the green flag and fly through the banks of the big track. Under the main grandstands, there are a few crows nests that are available for photographers that will allow you to capture the pack of cars coming off turn 4 through the frontstretch. But with the addition of the higher fences, it’s a difficult shot to capture without having long lenses of 400mm or more. On the very top of the grandstands, next to the spotters stands, photographers are allowed to photograph from that part of the venue as long as you’re not impeding the visibility of any fans. With this vantage point and a lens of 500mm, you can capture the cars off turn 4 as well as the beginning of the frontstretch without hindrance. This angle makes for great photos of the pits below as well. With this view and the long lenses in your arsenal, you can really capture great imagery that represents what Talladega has to offer.

The garage area may be big, but it’s pretty dark from a photographers stand point. With a walkway in the middle, the garages are hard to capture without fast lenses of 2.8 or more. Using higher ISO’s can compensate for the dark garages, so be aware of the noise you can get with these higher ISO’s.

The roof from the grandstands requires special access in the form of a roof sticker and it has to be requested prior to the event.

Victory Lane is located on the turn 1 side of the frontstretch and faces into the sun, making a great opportunity for beautiful imagery. The floor of victory lane is painted in checkers so it can offer unique reflections on sunglasses.

With the track being so big, it’s very difficult to get around. Talladega does not have a pedestrian tunnel and walking through the main tunnel on foot is not allowed so careful planning of your day is advised. If you plan on starting the race on the inside and want to shoot on the outside, mind you that it will take you some time to get to your position on the outside. With only 188 laps at a normal race, you can easily spend ½ the time just walking from vantage point to vantage point. A free shuttle from the inside of the track to the outside of the track is available, but it is slow and caters to the fans so you’ll have to wait in line for a ride at the trolley pickup points with the paying guests.

On the inside of turn 4 and turn 2, Talladega has installed photographer’s perches that are good vantage points. These “crows masts” can accommodate a limited number of photographers and they’re first come, first served. Walking along the inside of the race track is no longer allowed, so you’ll have to use these perches to photograph the action.

Parking at Talladega is limited as well, but usually accommodating. There’s a media overflow parking lot as well as paddock parking close to the media center. The media center has been updated a few times since the 90’s and there’s room for photographers, writers as well as Public Relations (PR) personnel. In order to accommodate the media, Talladega has a food tent next to the media center for the meals.

A photographers vest is needed to and you will be able to acquire one inside the media center. Victory Lane spots are marked and a VL sticker is needed as well.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

2010-10-14T21:02:00.001-04:00

Wright Brothers National Memorial, located in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, commemorates the first successful, sustained, powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine. From 1900 to 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright came here from Dayton, Ohio, based on information from the U.S. Weather Bureau about the area's steady winds. They also valued the privacy provided by this location, which in the early twentieth century was remote from major population centers.

Auto Club Speedway

2010-10-14T20:55:00.002-04:00

Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) is a two-mile (3 km), low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1997, and open wheel racing up until 2005. The racetrack is located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and Riverside International Raceway. The track is currently owned and operated byInternational Speedway Corporation and is the only track owned by ISC to have naming rights sold. The speedway is served by nearbyInterstate 10 and Interstate 15 freeways as well as a Metrolink station located behind the backstretch.

Kansas City Zoo

2010-09-30T23:56:00.002-04:00

Kansas City Zoological Park (Kansas City Zoo) is a 202 acres (82 ha) zoo founded in 1909. It is located in Swope Park at 6800 Zoo Drive Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. The zoo has a Friends Of The Zoo program. It is home to more than 1,300 animals and is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

2010-07-27T22:38:00.000-04:00

By Terry Blount
ESPN.com
Archive

NASCAR team owner Jack Roush was in serious but stable condition after walking away from a plane crash at Whitman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis. on Tuesday night.

"There are injuries. Possible surgery," Roush Fenway Racing president Geoff Smith said in a text message to The Associated Press. "But he walked out of the plane."

Roush was flying his private jet, a Beechcraft Premier 1A from Detroit. The jet made hard contact on landing and cracked the fuselage.

Brenda Strickland, a friend of Roush's, also was on board the plane. NASCAR journalist Bob Margolis, who is writing a book about Roush's life, was told that Roush and Strickland were not seriously hurt.

"Jack got out and had blood some blood on his face," Margolis said. "Apparently he bumped his head. They both were taken to a local hospital for observation, but I've been told they are OK."

Roush, an aviation buff, was attending the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual AirVenture in Oshkosh this week.

In a statement on the EAA website, officials said a Beechcraft Premier business jet registered to Roush Fenway Racing, LLC was involved in a landing accident at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

The accident occurred at approximately 6:15 p.m. CT, the statement said.

According to the EAA, the National Transportation Safety Board and Winnebago County Sheriff's Department confirmed that two occupants on board were Roush and Strickland of Plymouth, Mich.

"Each exited the aircraft following the accident," the statement said. "Both were transported to local hospitals, with Roush in serious but stable condition and Strickland with non-life threatening injuries. The NTSB is leading the investigation into the accident."

Roush, an experienced pilot, suffered serious injuries in a plane crash near Talladega, Ala., in 2002. He was flying his P-51 aircraft when it crashed into a lake. Roush was unconscious and would have drowned, but he was pulled from the water by Larry Hicks, a retired marine who lived nearby and saw the crash.

Roush owns several aircraft, including a World War II-vintage P-51 Mustang.

Terry Blount a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Tony Stewart Fan Book

2010-07-21T21:20:00.001-04:00

Tony Stewart fans can now get the ultimate fan book with hundreds of professional photos by Action Sports Photography. Plus you can add your own! NASCAR Fan Photo Books by Jostens lets you add pages to this pre-built book so you can tell your OWN fan story. Check them out now at http://www.jostens.com/tonystewart

2010-07-12T22:09:00.004-04:00

In just six short years Carl Edwards has had a storied NASCAR career, moving his way from the Craftsman Truck Series to NASCAR’s elite Sprint Cup Series, winning a Nationwide Series Championship and chalking up numerous wins in between. He is considered one of NASCAR’s most voracious competitors.

In the first 10 years of his career, Carl Edwards accumulated two NASCAR-sanctioned track championships, three Rookie-of-the-Year honors, and over 75 feature wins while racing on both dirt and pavement tracks across the country. The drive and determination that Edwards showed in those 10 years launched him into a successful NASCAR career that continues into 2009 as he sets out to compete full-time in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series for the fifth consecutive year.

Racing is not new to Edwards. His father, Carl Edwards, Sr., has been racing modified stock cars and USAC midgets for four decades, accumulating over 200 feature wins at several Midwestern tracks. Carl Edwards, Jr. began his racing career in 1993 at the age of 13 driving four-cylinder cars.

In 1994, following his father’s winning ways, Edwards won four feature races running on the tracks around Missouri and Illinois in the four-cylinder series. Throughout the 1995 and 1996 seasons he collected 14 additional feature wins in the four-cylinder series.

In 1997 Edwards switched to the dirt circuit to compete in the NASCAR Dirt modified division. In 1998 he won Rookie-of-the-Year honors in the modified division at Capital Speedway in Holt Summit, Mo.

Edwards picked up the pace in 1999 as he competed in the Modified (two-barrel) division and the Dirt Late Model class at Capital Speedway. He gathered 13 feature wins in the Modified division on his way to the NASCAR Track Championship.

The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series was Edwards’ next challenge in 2000. In the Pro-Modified (four-barrel) division, Edwards won 13 feature races, was Rookie-of-the-Year, and claimed the Capital Speedway Track Championship. Looking for additional challenges in 2000, he also competed in three Sportsman division races at California, Mo., and Capital Speedway – winning all three races.

Edwards won nine out of the 11 Baby Grand division races he competed in at Indianapolis, Ind., Tucson, Ariz., Lebanon, Mo., and Moberly, Mo. in 2001. He also ran five of the seven USAC Silver Crown Series pavement races. He competed at Richmond, Va., Indianapolis, Ind., Phoenix, Ariz., and Irwindale, Calif. He continued gaining valuable experience as he achieved his best finish in 15th place at Richmond. In 2003, he earned a podium finish with a third place at IRP in his only USAC race of the year.

Edwards continued to compete in the USAC Series in 2002, making eight starts. He ran seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck races for MB Motorsports, where he earned a top-10 finish at Kansas. He also captured the 2002 Baby Grand National Championship.

In 2003, the Columbia, Mo., native joined Roush Fenway Racing to drive the No. 99 Superchips Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He had an amazing rookie season, capturing three wins, one pole, 13 top-five finishes, 15 top-10 finishes and the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year award. He finished the season eighth in the point standings. Edwards kicked off the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck season with a bang by winning the season-opener at Daytona. He followed that up with a win at Kansas in July and captured a third win at Bristol. In August, Edwards got the nod from Jack Roush to move up to the NEXTEL Cup Series to finish the season in the No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Taurus, as well as the remaining races on the truck schedule. Edwards made his debut in the Cup car at Michigan bringing home a 10th-place finish. Edwards joined Matt Kenseth, Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte and Kyle Petty as one of only five active NEXTEL Cup drivers to finish inside the top 10 in their first career Cup start. Edwards went on to finish fourth in the overall Craftsman Truck Series standings while recording five top-10 finishes in his 13 NEXTEL Cup starts, including a third-place effort at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In 2005 Edwards conquered both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series full-time. Edwards was once again named Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year, this time in the Busch Series, while taking home five wins, four poles, 15 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes in 34 starts. Edwards also led 525 total laps in the No. 60 Charter Ford and finished third in the overall point standings.

Edwards made a big impression on fans, media and competitors alike when he took to the track in 2005 in the NEXTEL Cup Series. Edwards accrued four wins, 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes while finishing third in the overall point standings and giving champion Tony Stewart a run for his money. (Edwards technically tied for second with teammate Greg Biffle, just 35 points behind first, but with six race wins Biffle took second). Edwards set numerous records in the No. 99 Ford winning his first Cup and Busch races at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, becoming the only driver in history to achieve that feat. Edwards went on to sweep both Cup races at Atlanta, a track first. For win number two in the Cup Series, Edwards amazed fans when he won at the first Pocono race, becoming only the second driver to win in his first visit to the tri-oval. Richard Petty was the first when he won the inaugural Cup race there. Then in November, Edwards once again made his mark in history by becoming the first driver to win at Texas Motor Speedway under the lights in the inaugural Dickie’s 500. Truly a Cinderella year for the rookie driver.

While running his second full schedule in both the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series, the 2006 season proved to be one of Edwards’ biggest challenges. After a sluggish start in the Cup Series he rebounded and completed the season with a very strong finish. While in contention for 11th place in the points, Edwards finished in the top 10 in seven of his last 10 races, finishing the season with 10 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. This was an outstanding rebound that enabled Edwards to finish 12th overall in the NEXTEL Cup point standings. On the Busch side, Edwards had a great run as he moved up one spot from 2005 and finished second in the overall Busch Series standings with four wins, three poles, 15 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes.

In 2007 Edwards’ dedication and fortitude kept him atop the leader board for 33-consecutive weeks in the Busch Series. Edwards, claimed four wins, 15 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes in the No. 60 Scotts Ford on his way to claiming his first career NASCAR title. Edwards won the Busch Series driver’s championship by 618 points and his title marked the second Busch Series championship for Roush Fenway Racing and the final championship under the Busch colors as the series became the Nationwide Series in 2008.

Edwards made the “Chase” in the NEXTEL Cup Series. Edwards showed consistency all year but a competitive field forced Edwards and the No. 99 Office Depot team to fight for every spot on the track. On his way to a ninth-place finish in the point standings, Edwards chalked up three wins, 11 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes.

Heading into the 2008 season Edwards was deemed a top contender in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. For the third time in four years Edwards made the “Chase” in the Sprint Cup Series. Edwards showed consistency all through the season, but was spectacular in the “Chase” by winning three of the last four races, and extending the speculation on the championship until the last race of the year, narrowly losing to Jimmie Johnson by 69 points. Edwards claimed the second-place spot fighting for every point as he chalked up a personal high nine wins, 19 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes.

Edwards also claimed the second spot in the overall standings in the Nationwide Series. He finished just 21 points behind series leader Clint Bowyer. This was the fourth-closest finish in Nationwide Series history. The No. 60 team finished 2008 with four poles, seven wins, 19 top fives and 22 top 10s. Edwards plans to tackle both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series full-time again in 2009 for the fifth consecutive time.

Edwards topped off 2008 by winning the Tag Heuer Top Racecar Driver of the Year Award and the National Motorsports Press Association voted him as the Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award. Edwards was also the choice for 2008 NASCAR.COM Driver of the Year.

When he’s not on-track, Edwards enjoys spending time in Columbia, Mo., with his family and friends. Edwards enjoys riding motorcycles, working out and reading. He is also passionate about his philanthropic activities which include working with charities such as Speedway Children’s Charities, Dream Factory and Victory Junction Gang Camp.

--For more information about Carl, please visit www.CarlEdwards.com.
--To join Carl's Official Fan Club, please visit www.RoushFenwayFanSite.com.

2010-06-26T22:03:00.002-04:00

Kurt Busch Hoping To Extend “Stronghold” At New Hampshire
June 22, 2010

LOUDON, N.H. (June 22, 2010) – Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch has found somewhat of a competitive stronghold on the flat 1.058-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway in recent years, recording a win and posting a 4.0 average finish during the last four races there. The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion and three-time winner at NHMS is focused on keeping that successful streak going in this weekend’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at the “Magic Mile.”

“We have had some really good races at Loudon the last couple of years, but the statistics don’t really tell the whole story of what happened there for our Miller Lite Dodge Team,” said Busch, who has a 14.0 average start and 14.3 average finish in his 18 total starts at NHMS. “We used good pit strategy and won a rain-shortened race there in (June) 2008 and finished third in the rain-shortened race there last June.

“That race last June looked like it was going to come down to a battle between us and the 24 car (Jeff Gordon), but the rain came and the 20 car (Joey Logano) snookered them a win,” said Busch, now sixth in the Sprint Cup point standings after a late-race run-in with Gordon on Sunday at Infineon Raceway left him with a flat tire and relegated him to a 32nd-place finish. “We’ve had really strong Miller Lite Dodge Chargers there the last two years and we’re hoping to be as strong or even stronger this time around.”

Busch thoroughly enjoys racing on the one-mile oval and is quick to compare it to the other flat one-mile venue on the circuit.

“I think New Hampshire reminds me a little bit of Phoenix,” Busch said of Phoenix International Raceway, where he saw his first big-league race as a fan while growing up in Las Vegas. “I’ve always liked Phoenix and the racing there a lot and have had quite a few miles around that track. The way that you have to slide a car around on a flat track like that requires a loose setup and that’s the way I like to set my cars up.

“We know that we’ll really have our work cut out for us this weekend,” said Busch, who now trails points leader Kevin Harvick by 216 points, but has a 243-point “buffer” over 13th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. when looking at the current “Race to the Chase” scenario. “There’s always so much slipping and sliding and getting the forward bite we need is always so critical. Track position is really key and being up front on the restarts is so important.

“The track has always been slick on restarts and with double-file restarts; you have to keep in the back of your mind that you seem to always need several laps to get going. It can be horrendous if you’re stuck back in the pack on the restarts. The demands are such that you need your car to be strong on the long runs, but with the late-race restarts, you might need to focus on short runs as well.

“It’s a pretty tight pit road and you can get yourself in trouble in a hurry like we saw there in last fall’s race,” said Busch of his fate during last September’s Sylvania 300 at NHMS. “With all the varying pit strategies – two tires, four tires, and no tires – we did a fuel-only stop in that race. We got our car messed up when another car got into us when we were driving out of our box. That put us in the catch-up mode. We had a solid top-five car, but had to settle for a sixth-place finish.”

Busch is very much aware of the fact that the return to NHMS for the September race officially kicks off the 10-race Chase that determines which of 12 drivers wins the Sprint Cup title.

“The summer stretch is here and we run all these tracks and none of them are in the Chase with the exception of New Hampshire,” said Busch, who did the “Loudon Sweep” in claiming both NHMS wins during his successful run to the 2004 championship, the initial year of the Chase format. “So yes, New Hampshire is really important in that respect in that we’ll be coming back there for the first race of the Chase. I don’t think that you really pinpoint any of those races as a time when you just completely start focusing in on the points. It just sort of all blends in to where you hope that you’ve built up a cushion when it comes down to two or three (races) to go where you’re comfortable heading into the Chase.”

Busch and his Steve Paddington-led “Blue Deuce” team will be racing their “PRS-701” Miller Lite “Vortex” Dodge this weekend at New Hampshire. The car has been raced only once – in last October’s battle at Fontana, Calif. Busch started 24th and finished eighth in that race. Busch, Addington and crew tested with the car at the Milwaukee Mile on June 9 in preparation for this weekend’s battle at NHMS.

This weekend’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway action gets under way on Friday with practice set from 11:30 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. (live on Speed-TV). Qualifying for all 43 starting positions is set for Friday at 3:10 p.m. (live on Speed-TV & PRN Radio). Saturday’s schedule calls for practice from 9:00 a.m. till 9:50 a.m. (live on Speed-TV) and from 11:45 a.m. till 12:45 p.m. (live on Speed-TV). Sunday’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 (301 laps, 318.46 miles) is scheduled to get the green flag at approximate

Carl Edwards Fan Book

2010-06-04T07:22:00.002-04:00

Carl Edwards fans can now get the ultimate fan book with hundreds of professional photos by Action Sports Photography. Plus you can add your own! NASCAR Fan Photo Books by Jostens lets you add pages to this pre-built book so you can tell your OWN fan story. Check them out now at http://www.jostens.com/carledwards

Kurt Busch to race Super Gas at Gatornationals

2010-03-12T05:36:00.001-05:00

Kurt Busch will return to his drag racing roots during the 41st running of the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals March 11-14 at historic Gainesville Raceway.

The 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion is set to get behind the wheel of his rebuilt 1970 Dodge Challenger next weekend to compete against a field of between 70 and 90 veteran “Super Gas” racers who no doubt will be champing at the bit to line up against one of the biggest names in motorsports.

Busch will make a minimum of three “time trial” passes on Thursday March 11 and the field will return Friday morning, pair off, and begin eliminations.

“Gainesville is one of the marquee events on the NHRA calendar and it’s a privilege to compete against the best Sportsman racers out there,” Busch said.

Super Gas is one of seven different Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series classes that will be contested at the Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. The LODRS is NHRA’s “sportsman” series that is home to a wide variety of racers from hobbyists to highly-competitive, highly-invested teams to young drivers with aspirations to move up to the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.

Busch bought the Dodge Challenger in 2008 and began the process of getting it into race shape in March of 2009. The car is powered by a stroked 6.1 liter Hemi, weighs 3000 pounds and puts out an incredible 1167 horsepower.

While Busch feels at home behind the wheel of No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge, he is aware that this will be a new and exciting environment for him.

“Sportsman racing is no different than any other type of racing, you need seat time. I spent over 30 hours at Roy Hill’s drag racing school, and have had two tests in my own Challenger, but that’s nowhere compared to the seat time many of these guys have in their own cars. We are going to go out there and do our best competing against these talented Sportsman racers,” Busch said.

Busch’s love affair with drag racing began back in the early 1990’s when he met a pair of Las Vegas based NHRA racers - George Marnell, a Pro Stock racer, and Dave Bush, a Super Comp competitor. And when Kurt began driving in the Sprint Cup Series for Penske Racing, he got to know NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon as they were both sponsored by Miller Lite.

He got the idea to compete in an NHRA event after taking part in the opening night of zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. in September of 2008 and one of the rare off-weekends in the NASCAR schedule coincided with next weekend’s 41st running of the prestigious Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals.

Jamie McMurray Wins the 52nd Annual Daytona 500

2010-02-17T21:44:00.002-05:00

Results from Daytona 500
1. 1. Jamie McMurray No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet
2. 2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 88 Chevrolet
3. 3. Greg Biffle No. 16 Chevrolet
10. Juan Pablo Montoya No. 42 Target Chevrolet

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 14, 2010) - Jamie McMurray held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. during a second attempt at a green-white-checkered flag finish to win the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet. The win came in McMurray’s first race back with owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates, making Ganassi the only team owner besides Roger Penske to win the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 and the Rolex 24 At Daytona. In addition it becomes the fourth Daytona 500 win for the Dale Earnhardt organization which also captured victories with Michael Waltrip in 2001 and 2003 and with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in 2004.

Sunday’s race was long, lasting over six hours, with two red flag delays lasting two and a half hours to repair a pothole in the asphalt between turns one and two and two attempts at a green-white-checkered flag finish. McMurray spun his tires on the restart on Lap 207 but got a push down the front stretch and through the first turn from third-place finisher Greg Biffle. Securing the top spot from Kevin Harvick on the backstretch, McMurray led the final two laps.

The win delivered Chevrolet its 21st victory in the Daytona 500, a record among manufacturers.

Teammate Juan Pablo Montoya had a strong race car all night in the No. 42 Target Chevrolet. He led twice for a total of two laps and finished 10th.

This was McMurray’s fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. It was also his second for the team after winning in his just his second career start at Charlotte (Fall, 2002) - setting a modern era record - when he replaced Sterling Marlin in the No. 40 car.

NASCAR heads out west next week to compete at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA. The Auto Club 500 will take place Sunday, February 21st at 3:00 pm (ET). The race will air live on FOX and radio stations affiliated with MRN.

January Snowfall

2010-01-30T16:23:00.001-05:00

A winter storm is an event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form (i.e. freezing rain). In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season, but may occur in the late autumn and early spring as well. Very rarely, they may form in summer, though it would have to be an abnormally cold summer, such as the summer of 1816 in the Northeast United States of America. In many locations in the Northern Hemisphere, the most powerful winter storms usually occur in March^{[citation needed]} and, in regions where temperatures are cold enough, April.

Autoweek Magazine

2009-12-22T16:12:00.006-05:00

After numerous years of providing Autoweek Magazine with on track imagery, we've been honored with our first cover.

The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 5000 built in its first three years of production. Each car costs about $180,000 to $210,000. The car is named after a famous breed of fighting bull. The Spanish word gallardo translates into "gallant," and from Italian into "striking".

2009-09-22T07:35:00.002-04:00

WELCOME, N.C. -- Brown-Forman, one of the largest American-owned companies in the wine and spirits business, will conclude its Jack Daniel's NASCAR program and will not extend its sponsorship with Richard Childress Racing's No. 07 team.

A change in Brown-Forman's spending priorities led to the decision to conclude the sponsorship that began in 2005. The Brown-Forman/Jack Daniel's partnership with RCR will continue for the remainder of the 2009 racing season and the entire team is committed to being competitive on the track each and every race.

“

We understand the shift in their spending priorities during these tough economic times and the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Racing program will continue to provide that successful platform for the rest of the 2009 season.

”

-- RICHARD CHILDRESS

"Jack Daniel's has enjoyed a good five-year run with Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR, and we are pleased with the overall performance of our sponsorship program," said Tim Rutledge, vice president and brand director for Jack Daniel's. "We have enjoyed building strong relationships with the people in Richard's organization and throughout NASCAR. While it is difficult for us to end our formal relationship with RCR, the current economic environment has compelled us to revaluate our spending and we've concluded that other areas in the marketing mix require additional investment.

"We want to thank the many friends and fans of the Jack Daniel's 07 Racing Team, and we can't say enough about your incredible support the last five years. And, as we have since 1866, we will continue to find ways to thank you and keep your loyalty of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey."

Brown-Forman, Jack Daniel's, and RCR are particularly pleased to have taken a leadership role in communicating a responsible drinking message throughout its NASCAR sponsorship through its core message of Pace Yourself, Drink Responsibly, featured in all NASCAR promotional materials, including on the race car itself.

"Brown-Forman has been a great partner of RCR for the past five years through its Jack Daniel's brand," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "They quickly became a NASCAR-industry leader in the promotion of the Jack Daniel's brand through the Pace Yourself, Drink Responsibly messaging, which our fans have embraced. We understand the shift in their spending priorities during these tough economic times and the No. 07 Jack Daniel's Racing program will continue to provide that successful platform for the rest of the 2009 season. We have built many valuable relationships with the loyal Brown-Forman employees and their distributors during our partnership and look forward to maintaining those relationships in the future."

The No. 07 Jack Daniel's Racing program began in 2005. Drivers Dave Blaney (2005),Clint Bowyer (2006-08) and Casey Mears (2009) have a combined 171 races with two pole positions, two victories, 16 top-five and 50 top-10 finishes. Bowyer earned spots in the Chase in 2007 and 2008 and finished those seasons in third and fifth place, respectively.

"Being flexible with our strategic investments has been a consistent theme for us at Brown-Forman and I support the decision to move from sponsoring NASCAR to investments in other areas." said Paul Varga, chief executive officer of Brown-Forman. "Richard Childress has been a great partner and this decision simply reflects a change in our investment mix, and not any dissatisfaction with RCR or NASCAR."

2009-09-13T22:06:00.002-04:00

CHARLOTTE -- Throughout the offseason, the Panthers spoke of putting last January's playoff loss behind them -- of using it as motivating fuel in their quest to succeed this year where they failed last winter. But in the regular-season opener Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. they endured a frustrating flashback.

Just like January, the Panthers marched downfield to a game-opening touchdown. And then ...

"The rest of it was not good," said wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad.

Just like January, that early 7-0 edge was washed away in a flood of turnovers that put them in to a spiral from which they couldn't recover. The final margin was 38-10, and while it didn't have the crushing finality of the defeat in January, it nevertheless left the Panthers with plenty of pieces to pick up and little time to gather them with the Atlanta Falcons looming in seven days.

"I'd like to think we can't go any further down. It was pretty bad today," said fullback Brad Hoover. "We're frustrated with it. Our fans should be frustrated with it."

The pieces start with the quarterback position, where all three passers played -- something that is rarely a good sign. Starter Jake Delhomme, under duress from the Eagles' pass rush for much of the day, threw four interceptions and fumbled once, which Victor Abiamiri recovered for the touchdown that put the Eagles in front to stay. After his final interception, Delhomme was pulled for Josh McCown, who encountered the same fierce pass rush and ultimately succumbed to it, suffering a sprained left knee and foot after being sacked by Darren Howard.

Matt Moore, the emergency No. 3 quarterback, subsequently entered; he threw an interception one series later. A Mike Goodson fumble with 6:57 remaining gave the Panthers seven giveaways for the game -- the most for the club since their first home regular-season game, against St. Louis at Clemson's Memorial Stadium on Sept. 17, 1995.

"Those guys get paid, as well. But we can't give them the ball," said running back DeAngelo Williams.

Carolina's next -- and final -- possession didn't see a turnover but did end in equally numbing fashion, when Williams was buried under a pair of Philadelphia defenders for a one-yard loss on fourth-and-goal from the two-yard-line.

"Offensively, we just (stunk), to be honest," said wide receiver Steve Smith.

Goodson's fumble was the only Panthers giveaway to not come from the quarterback position. But it did take place in the backfield, underscoring how Carolina's runners and passers were under attack most of the afternoon. Philadelphia ended the day with five sacks, 10 quarterback hits and held Williams and Jonathan Stewart to 72 yards on 25 carries -- an average of just 2.88 yards per rush, their lowest combined average since a 27-3 loss at Tampa Bay last Oct. 12, and some 2.83 yards shy of their average per carry in last season's last 10 regular-season games.

"That's what they (the Eagles) do," Delhomme said. "We knew they were going to bring pressure ... We need to respond to that. If you think there was a lot of pressure this week and we didn't do too well with it, we are going to see a lot of it next week."

"They're a pressure defense, so it's not that we weren't expecting it. They just hit us on some things to which we weren't able to adjust," said fullback Brad Hoover. "They got us and bit us."

PHILADELPHIA'S PRESSURE led to the giveaways, which then put the defense under extreme pressure. Five of the giveaways allowed the Eagles to start possessions in Carolina territory. Three of those series began inside the Carolina 35-yard-line; each ended in scores -- an Akers field goal, a Donovan McNabb touchdown pass to Brent Celek and a McNabb touchdown run. Only once did the Eagles march more than 50 yards.

The defense, however, refused to use the short fields as a crutch.

"I feel like whenever we're on the field -- whether it be on our 1-yard-line or their 1-yard-line -- we need to stop them," said linebacker Jon Beason. "We definitely have to take some blame for this as a collective, team effort."

By some metrics, the defense had a solid day; it limited the Eagles to 267 yards, forced two second-half turnovers and held the Eagles to just 2.6 yards per pass play. But the Panthers' offense was limited to just 169 yards, had the seven turnovers and averaged a mere 2.1 yards per pass play, rendering moot the defense's accomplishments.

"We gave up 38 points," added defensive end Julius Peppers, whose sack forced one of the two Eagles turnovers. "We're going to win as a team, and we're going to lose as a team. We aren't blaming anyone for this. It's all of our responsibility."

BUT DELHOMME WAS UNDER THE MOST SCRUTINY from the sellout crowd of 73,599, with the five-interception, six-turnover night in January still fresh in the minds of the Panthers and their fans alike. Sunday's performance yielded a passer rating of 14.7 saw as many completions (seven) as sacks and interceptions combined, leading to pointed questions about his confidence after consecutive humbling performances.

"They have the right to ask, and the way I played today, it might have looked that way," Delhomme said. "There is not something inside of me saying, 'Oh, gosh, I can't make a mistake on this play. That's not it at all.

"If my confidence is shaken, I'll be hitting the running back every single play when guys are running down the field."

The stretch that doomed Delhomme and the Panthers began with 2:41 left in the first quarter, when a Delhomme pass for Steve Smith was intercepted by Sheldon Brown, setting up a 49-yard David Akers field goal four plays later. But three plays after Akers' kick, Delhomme was sacked by Trent Cole, jarring loose the football, which Abiamiri recovered.

After the next drive stalled and led to the ill-fated punt that DeSean Jackson returned 57 yards for a touchdown, Delhomme was intercepted by Sheldon Brown for the second time. Brown's 37-yard return set up a 9-yard McNabb-to-Brent Celek touchdown, and the Eagles had 21 points in just 4:57 -- in spite of running only one offensive play in that span.

It got no better on the next series, a three-and-out punctuated by an Akeem Jordan sack on third-and-5.

"It's uncomfortable playing quarterback when you're getting sacked and knocked around," said head coach John Fox.

But it's more than just the quarterback, something Delhomme's teammates readily admitted.

"Jake is struggling right now. Obviously he needs to look at himself and everyone else in this locker room needs to look at themselves -- me included -- to make ourselves better," Muhammad said. "I don't think that loss is only on Jake. We all contributed to that loss. It's a team sport."

Andrew Mason

AMA Superbike Tornado Nationals

2009-08-02T22:53:00.003-04:00

Larry Pegram (No. 72 Foremost Insurance/Pegram Racing Ducati 1098R) scored his first career weekend sweep in AMA Pro National Guard American Superbike presented by Parts Unlimited competition Sunday in the Tornado Nationals presented by BriggsAuto.com at Heartland Park Topeka.

Kansas State Capitol

2009-08-01T01:36:00.002-04:00

The Kansas State Capitol is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Kansas. Housing the Kansas Legislature, it is located in the city of Topeka.

A large mural in the east wing, painted by Kansan John Steuart Curry, centers on an image of abolitionist John Brown. This is believed to be the only instance of a person convicted of treason being featured in a state capitol.

Utah

2009-07-28T21:05:00.011-04:00

Utah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80 percent of Utah's 2,736,424 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering around Salt Lake City. In contrast, vast expanses of the state are nearly uninhabited, making the population the sixth most urbanized in the U.S. The name "Utah" is derived from the Ute Indian language, meaning "people of the mountains.

The Salt Lake Temple is the largest (of more than 120 around the world) and best-known temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church overall, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois.

Jimmie Johnson Wins the Brickyard

2009-07-28T20:49:00.001-04:00

Jimmie Johnson became the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver to win consecutive races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he outdueled Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin for his third Indy win. Hear from both Johnson and Martin and find out where Juan Pablo Montoya finished after a speeding penalty on pit road cost him the lead.

Mission Statement

2009-07-28T20:16:00.000-04:00

Action Sports Photography, Inc. is a sports stock agency specializing in NASCAR photography, baseball, tennis, football and other sports. Started in 1993 with one dream in mind, Action Sports Photography has built a reputation to achieve what the client needs. NASCAR photography is our main expertise, with thousands of stock images from the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck series. With NASCAR photography as our main focus, we have what you need.