My pictures from the Nationwide Series race on Saturday are now up over on Flickr.
So are the pictures from Friday’s qualifying. (Check ‘em out here.)
Sunday’s Samsung 500 pictures will be coming Monday evening. (I’ve gotta sleep sometime.)
Enjoy!
Archive for category Sports
During qualifying for the Samsung 500 Michael McDowell plowed the #00 “Aaron’s Dream Machine” nose first into the turn one wall at nearly 200 miles per hour. After impact the car flipped into the air, rolling sideways, belching fire and leaving a trail of parts until it finally came to rest about a quarter mile away at the bottom of turn two.
Without a doubt, I can say that it’s the most gruesome and spectacular crash that I have ever seen live.
McDowell pulled himself from the car and walked away with only bumps and scratches.
Luckily, I had my camera aimed that direction and started firing quick enough to catch most of the carnage. Click the image above to see a composite of the scene stitched together from the nine or ten frames I was able to fire off as the car careened down the track.
Or click here to download the original size and scroll around to your heart’s content.
You can also check out the individual photos in a set by clicking here.
Michael McDowell is one supremely fortunate dude.
Farewell to the red 8
Nov 12
I’ve finally processed the rest of my photos from the Dickies 500 race weekend. You can check them out HERE.
As the sun sets on the #8 Budweiser car, and as Jimmie Johnson most assuredly wraps up his second consecutive championship this weekend, I just have one thought running through my head as I post this…
97 days, 4 hours, 11 minutes, 57 seconds until the Daytona 500.
Sam Hornish, Jr. spins across the infield during the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway.
This one’s definitely better BIGGER!
Where there’s smoke…
Nov 3
… there’s a big mess.
This wreck with only a couple of laps to go collected both of the drivers contending for the championship. (#5 Skinner and #33 Hornaday)
Skinner would still go on to finish on the lead lap. Hornaday’s truck would limp across the finish line in pieces.
Time to go racing!
Nov 2
Dad and I are headed out to the races this weekend. Tons of pictures are sure to follow.
Here’s the first of the bunch. (Although, I recommend checking out the larger view so you can get a better look at the flames shooting out the exhaust!)
I just got in from Chicago. I took some pictures while I was there. (See them here.) Worked. Hung out with Sophie and Chris. Met a person with Alton Brown’s phone number in their cell phone. All in all a great trip. I’m freaking exhausted.
I rode the L a bunch while in Chicago and it made me think about how sad it is that I live in the largest city in the United States without any form of public transit. How can Arlington have a major league baseball stadium and soon be home to the most popular franchise in the NFL, yet still not have a convenient way for people to get to the games?
While in San Francisco last weekend I rode the Muni to the Giants game. It was ridiculously convenient, and if I lived in that city I’d go to games all the time. I used to have season tickets to the Rangers, but not only has the product on the field not really been worth watching lately, but when you also factor in that you have no choice but to drive to the game and pay ten bucks to park on top of the ticket, it hardly seems worth it. (Especially in the summer heat.)
If I could ride a bus from the “park and ride” down the street from my house for a couple of bucks, that would make the ball game a much more enticing night out.
And that’s just a selfish and frivolous reason it would be nice to have public transit. I won’t even get into the economic and environmental reasons why it’s such an important thing to do.
It’s pretty rare that I’m embarrassed for this city. But this is one of those times.
Sunday was a PERFECT day to go to the track. The weather could not have been better — 70s and sunny! And the right guy, the ever-classy Jeff Burton, won.
I’ve posted more photos to the weekend’s set, and you can view them HERE.
Yesterday was a cold, windy day at the track. Hopefully today will be warmer!
I have the first batch of photos up now, you can view them HERE.
So far I’ve only processed the ones from Nextel Cup practice. Photos from the O’Reilly 300 Busch race and today’s Cup race will be coming soon.
Today is a happy day. The Texas Rangers have announced that they’ve struck a deal with Ameriquest to return the naming rights to the team.
I was a little miffed when they sold the naming rights to Ameriquest in the first place. Not because I objected to them selling the name in the first place, I understand that’s part of the business, but because I thought that a subprime lending company was a rather irresponsible choice. (Especially for one that didn’t really net all that much money as naming deals go.)
Anyway, I’m sure the new/old name is only temporary. Surely it’s being shopped again in search of a better deal. Here are my predictions:
Suburban Stadium
In a desperate move to reverse the ever-tanking fortunes of the ballclub and the American automaker who manufactures trucks just down the street, the greatest suburban stadium will be sponsored by the most suburban nameplate in SUVs: The Suburban. As an added promotion, season ticket holders who drive the big ute from Chevy/GMC will receive free parking, however, the gas expense will offset any potential savings.
KBR Park
In a brilliant no-bid contract that won’t be announced to the public until several years after the deal is in effect, the naming rights will secretly be sold to the private security firm quietly running much of the action in Iraq. In exchange for the naming rights, KBR will be hired to “rebuild” the Rangers minor league system, but will rack up a bill several times the size of A-Rod’s infamous contract and lose large quantities of cash because Frisco “lacks quality accounting standards.”
Wal-Mart Yards
In this deal, Tom Hicks will actually pay Wal-Mart $3 billion dollars and the city of Arlington will give Wal-Mart a tax abatement in exchange for the company building a store in Wal-Mart SuperCenterfield. The dot race will be run by a field composed entirely of whistling, yellow smiley faces and Hebrew National dogs and Dr. Pepper will be replaced by Sam’s Choice “Probably not Horsemeat” dogs and Great Value “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Battery Acid” cola.
Halliburton Park
To balance out the negative publicity of moving their HQ from Houston to Dubai, the company formerly run by the most famous former Rangers owner’s VP will jump at a chance to work a naming rights deal in “America’s Pastime.” Of course, the deal won’t be without influence from our regal Arabian overlords. Despite the 100o mid-season temperatures in Arlington, the gigantic Liberty Bell in left field will be replaced by an artificial snow skiing slope and a gold-leaf-covered chair lift. Beer sales will cease immediately.
Pfizer Pfield
In a deal that will feature Rafael Palmeiro’s triumphant return to sports marketing, the ballpark will be renamed “Pfizer Pfield.” This deal will be worth several million on top of the naming rights to include other on-and-off field promotions throughout the year including:
- “Lipitor Dollar Dog Night”
- “The Detrol Dot Race” (In a race sponsored by an “overactive bladder” medication, the yellow dot is a pretty safe bet.)
- “The Relpax Reliever of the Year” award will be sponsored by Pfizer’s best selling migraine medication. The award won’t go to the reliever with the most saves, holds, or lowest ERA. It will go to the reliever whose late inning disasters end up causing the biggest increase in Relpax prescriptions among the coaching staff and front office.
- The late August “Viagra Stretch Run” will feature discounted tickets after the Rangers have taken their typical late summer flop and provide a lift to sales after the team has been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs