Memories from 2013

What a year 2013 has been.

The highlights? Sebastian Loeb’s mesmerizing Pikes Peak run will certainly be something I tell my grand children (or anyone else who will listen) I was there to see, and hear, in person. Formula One in Singapore certainly stands up at the top as well. It is a city and race venue that has to be seen to be believed. NASCAR roaring around the tight oval at Martinsville. Indycar’s turbo madness bouncing around the confining walls of St. Petersburg’s street circuit. A weekend with an inspiring young up & coming driver named Michael Johnson at Mid Ohio. Watching history unfold with MotoGP rookie Marc Marquez swinging like a jungle monkey on his Honda racing bike at Circuit of the Americas to take his first premiere class win. Lamborghini race cars roaring around Calabogie while I dodged bears, deer, moose and porcupines in the Canadian wilderness. And of course the grueling Sebring 12 hour race watching the Audi R18’s dance around the flat Florida runways. Each photo below is a memory. Each race a unique challenge in it’s own way.

I’m so fortunate to have the support of people who genuinely appreciate the art of pointing a camera at a racing car. Chief among these supporters are the team at Road & Track. The wonderful people who run and are involved with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series. James Moy, Russell Batchelor and Laurent Charniaux who never failed to provide endless laughs in the Formula One paddock and for the opportunities they have provided. Andy Hone (and his addiction to Frank Sinatra) for the amusing company on road trips around the US. The Getty Images team. Greg Tracey, Chris Nazarenus & Mitsubishi for their continued support on Pikes Peak. Al Merion and Rick Dole for the extra this and thats to shoot during the year. Brecht for putting in a good word for me. Rizzo and the Circuit of the Americas team. Racersites. JP & Brett with QC Exclusive. RM Auctions.There are so many more I’m sure I’m forgetting.

It never ceases to amaze me the number of people out there who help me push from one month to another, and the level of support they show in a variety of different ways. Lastly I’d like to thank my family and friends around the globe. Without these people, my life would be getting on a plane going from one place to another. But as it turns out, it always seems like I’m going on a vacation to see friends…and there just happens to be a car race involved.

Long may that be the case.

Happy New Year.

Winter testing is amazing. The light can be stunning at times. Especially in the late afternoon. Testing usually goes until 5pm, so the last 10 minutes or so can be worth your effort to go somewhere nice on track where you might get a chance to shoot these curvy cars running their last laps of the day. Nikon D3s, 135mm, 1/3200, f5 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

I enjoy testing. Not everyone does, but it gives you a chance to be up close and personal with the cars without tons of media, fans, and team personnel in your way. It's low key to say the least. As the cars tear off down the track for the installation run, it's always fun to stand at pit out and watch launch practice. Paul di Resta in the Force India was one of the first cars out this particular morning. It has always made the hair on my next stand up listening to the intense sounds. Nikon D3, 18mm, 1/80, f14 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

The pit lane is much more open and free during testing then it is during a GP weekend these days. So being close to the cars during pitstop practice can make for some interesting images. Sergio Perez was still coming to grips with his new Mclaren and did quite a few stop and goes in his box. Nikon D3, 14mm, 1/30, f14 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

I've always loved open wheel racing for the fact that the super hero, Alonso in this case, is there for all the world to see. The Spaniard's colorful helmet is in stark contrast to his bright red machine and I've always enjoyed photographing him at work. Nikon D3s, 400mm, 1/1000, f2.8 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

What will I always remember about this day? It was damn cold. That's what I'll remember. It was cold and dark all morning but never really rained. Then it came down in buckets for about half an hour in the afternoon and threw down enough water to make for some more interesting images than the dull drab we had all morning. Nikon D3s, 550mm, 1/30, f10 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Light like this is every photographer's dream. It had rained prior to the start of testing for the day, and I saw the clouds starting to break up and spots of sun were poking through the clouds around the track. So off I headed to a spot I knew would be backlit and hoped that there would still be enough water on the track to make this exact kind of image. Nikon D3s, 550mm, 1/8000, f6.3 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

This is one of my favorite images of 2013. The deck viewing area above Barcelona's pit lane is perfect for this image. I work with the photo team that provides images for Marussia, so I wandered to the bottom of pit lane knowing that new boy Max Chilton would be practicing pitstops during the afternoon session. I wanted to do something with a slow shutter speed, so I set the camera, leaned out as far as I could and fired away as he came in for a quick service. Nikon D3s, 28mm, 1/15, f22 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Road and Track kindly asked me to join them in Geneva for the motorshow. The Lamborghini Veneno was to be unveiled at the VW Group dinner and it was certainly the highlight of the show. I'll probably never see one in real life again since only four will be made. Nikon D3, 14mm, 1/200, f10 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

I waited for an hour and a half for this photo during the Geneva Motorshow. Photographers and journalists were packed against the Ferrari stand's glass railing like sardines prior to the cars unveiling and as Luca Di Montezemelo spoke about the car's name and what it means to Ferrari, two men lifted the silk sheet off of the car unveiling it to the world. I think the image was worth the wait. Nikon D3 16mm, 1/500, f2.8, ISO 640 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

2013 was my first time covering the 12 hours of Sebring. Frankly I don't plan to miss another one as long as I live if I can help it. The track is a pleasure to photograph, especially in the morning during pre-race warmup. 2013 was the last time Le Mans prototypes will be able to race in the 12 hour contest due to the merger of ALMS and GrandAm, so the glimmering #1 Audi bouncing along the concrete slabs during morning warmup is a particularly special image. Nikon D3s, 700mm, 1/40, f14 © Jamey Price

One of the things I enjoy about going to a new track I've never visited is finding something different than what I've seen come out of there before. The big spanish oak trees that line Sebring can be useful for making an interesting image. It was challenging due to the speed and angle of the cars to my position, but I managed to get a few sharp images from this spot. Nikon D3, 14mm, 1/15, f22 © Jamey Price

To date, I think this image has been shared and viewed more times than any other I've taken. At about the half way point of the 12 hours of Sebring, a Viper GT car missed the braking point and speared off the track. As he slowed it down and made it back toward the tarmac he went through a very dry dusty patch of run-off, which showered the car with Florida dirt. I just so happened to be in the right place and right time and picked up my long lens and snapped 3 photos. This was the second of the three. Nikon D3, 500mm, 1/1250, f4 © Jamey Price

Dario Franchitti is an Indycar name that will live forever. The multiple Indy 500 winner sits here doing his pre-race ritual to get in the zone before the first Indycar race of the season in St. Petersburg. Nikon D3s, 17mm, 1/800, f4 © Jamey Price

Indycar can be great fun to cover. On a restart during the race, the cars are usually very bunched up. As the pack flows into the middle sector of the track, Charlie Kimball has no choice but to stare at a wall of cars in front of him. Nikon D3s, 500mm, 1/2000, f4. © Jamey Price

I had the pleasure of covering a few NASCAR races this year with the Getty Images crew. One of our jobs is to cover almost all the major team's pitstops. It's a tough job as the pit stalls are crowded and the pit crews are less than friendly to having you around. So treading lightly is key. But as Dale Jr came screeching to a halt during the Martinsville spring race, I held my camera high over my head and fired off frames to get the intense action going on around him. Nikon D3s, 18mm, 1/1000, f4.5 © Jamey Price / Getty Images

Believe it or not, NASCAR is incredibly photogenic. Some tracks more than others. Martinsville Virginia is one I did enjoy immensely. The short track is filled with fans and team personnel. I was walking back toward the bottom side of pit stalls and saw the opportunity to pan through fans and team equipment, so I stood there and fired a few frames. Jimmie Johnson, now a 6 time champion, is the undisputed Martinsville master. Nikon D3s, 140mm, 1/40, f22 © Jamey Price / Getty Images

Following Formula One's successful first outing at Circuit of the Americas in 2012, MotoGP was next up to use the sprawling Texas track in April 2013. I was dreading the experience to be honest. Small bikes on a BIG track was going to mean LONG glass. Thankfully, I was more than pleasantly surprised as the bikes were a joy to photograph. Rossi is a MotoGP legend, so it was great to see him ride here. Nikon D3s, 500mm, 1/800, f8 © Jamey Price for Circuit of the Americas

What can you say about Marquez. Rookie season and he became the world champion. Truly unbelievable. From practice 1 at Circuit of the Americas, he was riding harder and better than any body else, hands down. That weekend he became the youngest motogp rider to win a premiere race. His style is fun and exciting to watch as he hangs off the Honda like a monkey swinging from trees. Nikon D3s, 700mm, 1/2500, f5.6 © Jamey Price for Circuit of the Americas

Not forgetting my past as a horse racing photographer (and former jockey) it's always good to see friends and get back to racing with a little less horse power every once in a while. This was my second year coving the Kentucky Derby festivities at Churchill Downs in Louisville Kentucky in early May. Nikon D3s, 500mm, 1/640, f4 © Jamey Price / Getty Images

The Derby isn't just about horse racing though. No no! There are sights and sounds to see everywhere. The horrific spring weather in Kentucky had pretty ladies in fancy sundresses diving for cover anywhere they could find shelter from the storms. Nikon D3s, 200mm, 1/125, f2.8 © Jamey Price / Getty Images

Danica had a difficult year in NASCAR. Part of working for the Getty team is covering all the big names. And no name is bigger than NASCAR's leading lady. She has an intensity to her that is unmatched. You know to stay out of her way on a race weekend because she is all business. Nikon D3s, 190mm, 1/500, f2.8, ISO 640 © Jamey Price / Getty Images

Compared to Formula One, NASCAR can be fun to cover because the drivers are very accessible. Kasey Khane came out of the garage and was leaning on a piece of equipment for a minute or two watching his rivals drive in and out of the garage during practice. It made for a nice photo. Nikon D3s, 160mm, 1/1000, f2.8 © Jamey Price / Getty Images

Travis Pastrana's car is wild. Photographers live for light and color. His car certainly is not lacking in the latter. As a driver, he is also a pleasure to work with. Always smiling, always nice. I wish more racing drivers were as easy to work around as he is. There are some real divas out there. But not Travis. Nikon D3, 21mm, 1/15, f22 © Jamey Price / Getty Images

Night time in Darlington SC. Jeff Gordon's 700th race start was certainly a historic milestone. Slowing down the shutter and firing the camera at the right time created an interesting photo of his final pitstop of the race. Nikon D3, 32mm, 1/15, f5.6, ISO 125 © Jamey Price / Getty Images

I love Formula One. Not just because the cars are loud and fast. But the detail is extraordinary. Each car is unique. Each winglet and curve are for one purpose. GO FASTER. Canadian GP practice was wet. I took the long lens and pointed it at the Lotus front wing end plate and focused on the water droplets. Lotus F1 team even liked it enough to give it a retweet on twitter! Nikon D3, 550mm, 1/5000, f4, ISO1000 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Launch practice in the wet during Canadian Grand Prix practice. Raising the shutter speed on my camera freezes the drops of water coming off the Force India's wet tires as it heads off down the track making for an interesting image. Nikon D3, 550mm, 1/5000, f4, ISO 640 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

America. Rejoice. We have a driver capable of getting an F1 drive. Alexander Rossi, whom I had the pleasure of meeting in Austin a few months later, was given a friday practice drive during Canadian Grand Prix weekend. Love his eyes and the intensity before he took to the track for the session. Nikon D3, 550mm, 1/400, f4, ISO 1600 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

It was a dreary day in Canada for Friday practice during Grand Prix weekend. But the drying line after a light rain made for interesting images. Nikon D3, 550mm, 1/800, f4, ISO 200 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

This is a tough photo to make. Hunkered in the Canadian jungle shooting through the fence between advertising boards as qualifying gets underway at Circuit Gilles Villenueve. Nikon D3, 550mm, 1/1600, f4, ISO 320 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Formula One cars are at their most impressive through corners. Alonso feathers the throttle through the second chicane during the Canadian Grand Prix at Circuit Gilles Villenueve. Nikon D3, 400mm, 1/4000, f2.8 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Kimi Raikkonen is one of my favorites to photograph. Listen to him give an interview and he may come off as dull and characterless, but in the car he is anything but. This was shot through the trees on a long lens as he powers around the island circuit during the Canadian Grand Prix. Nikon D3, 550mm, 1/2500, f4, ISO 250 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

I found this spot during the previous year's GrandAm sports car race. In the right light and right time of day, it is very dramatic....isolating the car from the foreground and background. Romain Grosjean was carrying a lot of speed through this part of the track. Fun to watch for sure. Nikon D3, 550mm, 1/3200, f4 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Spectators, media and competitors climb the 12 mile road up Pikes Peak before practice for the 91st running of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. The early morning wake ups to be on the mountain by 3 am are well worth it when you have views like this to enjoy. Nikon D3s, 24mm, 20 seconds, f4.5, ISO100 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

Alarm goes off at 2:15am. On the mountain by 3:00am. Cars start heading up at first light. The sun rises make the lack of sleep utterly and completely worth it though. Here a Porsche heads up the middle sector of Pikes Peak with the sun rising across Colorado behind. Nikon D3s, 170mm, 1/320, f2.8, ISO 250 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

What else can I say about this man. I think the highlight of my 2013 was watching Sebastian Loeb in the Peugeot powered 208 blast up Pikes Peak in Earth shattering time. It was magic. I'm incredibly grateful to have been there to witness it in person. Nikon D4, 400mm, 1/4000, f2.8 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

Pikes Peak is the epitome of motorsport photography. No catch fences. No guard rails. Just a car and a mountain. I love it that way. The whole mountain is a canvas to work from. Romain Dumas in his purpose built hill climb race car works his way from switch back to switchback through sector two on practice day before the big race. Nikon Nikon D4, 14mm, 1/640, f13, ISO80 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

Trust me. This is not the place you want to have an off. Remember Jeremy Foley's big crash where he just flew off the side of the mountain and rolled a thousand feet down the side? This is that same spot. Fortunately this mustang kept it on the mountain. Right place right time for this photo. Nikon D4, 130mm, 1/320, f2.8 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

Monster Tajima is a legend on Pikes Peak. But I love this photo not because he is in it. This to me is what Pikes Peak is all about. Fans lined up to watch the cars make their practice runs up the mountain. No safety barriers to keep everyone safe. This place is not for the feint of heart. Meanwhile, Im standing on a 30 foot cliff with loose gravel footing underneath me. Nikon D3s, 70mm, 1/1600, f3.5 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

One of the most inspiring and fun jobs I had this year was one I did exclusively for Road and Track. Michael Johnson is a young racing driver who is working his way up the Mazda Road to Indy ladder. His story is inspiring to say the least. I throughly enjoyed spending the weekend at Mid Ohio with Michael, his family and personal trainer. Watch for this guy in the future. He's fast. Nikon D3, 20mm, 1/800, f2.8 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

Michael's Mid Ohio weekend ended poorly. Sadly, through no fault of his own, he got dragged into a multi car pile up before he even crossed the start line. But that's part of being a racing driver. Bad luck happens and you have to move on from it. It was a pleasure to work with him that weekend and a change of pace from the usual manic coverage of photographing an entire series. Nikon D3s, 17mm, 1/1000, f2.8 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

Mid Ohio was my second Indycar race of 2013. The rolling hills make for great racing, but especially fantastic photography. Standing in a crowd of people soaking in the sun and noise, I panned with the cars as they entered the rolling middle sector of the track halfway through the race. Nikon D3, 200mm, 1/40, 1/18 © Jamey Price for Road and Track

My first race I covered for Lamborghini was the Kansas GrandAm weekend which Super Trofeo was running as a support series for. The track leaves much to be desired in terms of photography, but it was an interesting juxtaposition having these high end sports cars running on the banked oval and road course. Nikon 550mm, 1/1600, f4, ISO1000 © Jamey Price for Lamborghini

Earlier in the summer, I was asked if I would go to Singapore for the Formula One Grand Prix. Of course the answer was yes. It is a wild weekend. One which your body doesn't really understand or know what is happening with the time change you are dealing with. Thursday is filled with the usual interviews and driver briefings. Here Massa talks to the media after Ferrari announced Kimi Raikkonen would be rejoining the squad replacing the Brazilian. Nikon D3s, 175mm, 1/1250, f2.8, ISO400 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

It's hard to beat that view. Formula One cars and the stunning Singapore skyline. This corner was where the old one, two, three chicane used to be, but is now dubbed the Singapore Sling. A fast left hander but provides great views of the city and cars at speed. Damn if it wasn't loud too. Nikon D3, 21mm, 1/160, f2.8 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Sergio Perez had lots to prove toward the end of the season. Rumors were flying that Mclaren were looking to replace him, so the Mexican driver was pushing harder than ever. Almost too hard. Here he gets close to the wall on the exit of a corner heading into sector three at the Marina Bay Circuit. Nikon D3, 800mm, 1/250, f5.6, ISO2000 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

This ride was one of the most memorable of the year. I spent practice 3 in the Singapore Flyer which sits right inside the circuit. At the right time of day, you can mix the setting sun's colors and skyline with the track lit up below. It just tells the whole story. It was a fantastic memory to have from an incredible race. Nikon D3, 14mm, 1/250, f5.6, ISO2000 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Mix a slow shutter speed, a star filter and a Formula One car and you get a weird mix of color and speed. Jenson Button keeps his foot on the floor as he screams past during qualifying 1 on Saturday night in Singapore. Nikon D3, 32mm, 1/8, f16, ISO100 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

I covered three Grand Prix this year. And all of them were won by this man. Amazing to think he is my age (almost exactly) and he's a four time world champion. Sebastian Vettel's talent behind a race car is without question. But the men and women within the team that support him deserve just as man accolades. I've been fortunate to spend some time with Vettel and much to the dismay of his haters, he is very funny and very personable. Nikon D3, 400mm, 1/500, f8, ISO3200 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

I've loved working with Lamborghini this year. Not only are the people wonderful, but the cars are awesome. Angry, loud, fast and the racing has been great. Virginia International Raceway was the high point of the year with Lamborghini. They had 14 cars on the grid and lots of people in the hospitality unit. It was a great weekend at a great race track. Nikon D3, 400mm, 1/200, f4 © Jamey Price for Lamborghini

Not only have the cars been great, but the series has become a great launch point for a young driver's career. Andrew Palmer came and drove his first race at Virginia International Raceway. He put the car on pole, then finished second in race one, and won the second race. A month or two later, he was the Lamborghini World Champion beating drivers from Europe, North America and Asia in the world finals held in Rome, Italy. Go Andrew! Nikon D3s, 550mm, 1/800, f4, ISO200 © Jamey Price for Lamborghini

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America's champion Kevin Conway is nothing but class and has become a good friend as well. It makes it fun when the people you work with not only appreciate the work photographers do, but also work with you to make awesome photos. I can't thank the people who drive, work and run the series enough for a fantastic year. Stay tuned in 2014 for what this series will be doing in North America. Nikon D3, 50mm, 1/1600, f2 © Jamey Price for Lamborghini

United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas is fantastic for photos. The more you walk the track, the more places you find to make cool pictures. This is nothing new, but it is a cool perspective of Jenson Button in his McLaren Mercedes at the top of the hill at turn 9 with nothing but blue sky behind him. Nikon D3s, 400mm, 1/320, f14 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

Turn 1 at Circuit of the Americas. It is one of the most defining features of the track. The cars climb up the tremendously steep hill before braking hard into the left hand hairpin and scream off back down the hill. Sergio Perez was blowing carbon dust plumes out of his front brakes as he stomped on the brake pedal during qualifying. Nikon D3s, 800mm, 1/640, f8 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

I love the fanfare of a Grand Prix. Circuit of the Americas has the good looking Texas grid girls holding the flags of all the nations represented by drivers walking toward the grid before the pre-race festivities began. Nikon D3s, 500mm, 1/2000, f4 © Jamey Price / James Moy Photography

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