Photo Illustration by Jason Smith/Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Cars that scraped the wall during practice are repaired in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dodge Challenger 500 on May 9, 2008 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina.

With a new track surface at Darlington Speedway, it looks like few are ready try and take on the “Lady in Black” this weekend. Both rookie drivers and veterans are getting their very own “Darlington Stripe” today during practice.

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Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

TALLADEGA, AL – MAY 01: A general view of the start of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Aaron’s 499 on May 1, 2005 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.

I was recently approached for an interview for Three Wide Life, an entertaining and informative TV show about the people who make the green flag drop week to week. The show examines life inside the garage, targeting the hard-core race fan.

The nationally syndicated series focuses on real life, behind-the-scenes racing action and is created and produced by Charlotte-based motorsports agency Leverage Sports. Three Wide Life cuts to the core of true racing fans, whether stock car, open wheel, dirt or anything in between.

To watch my interview, click here and scroll to the bottom link “Streeter Lecka – Race Photographer.”

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Sports fans in Florida are spoiled compared to most states across the country. We have three NFL football teams. Two very good NBA teams (one of which won the NBA Championship two years ago). Two NHL hockey teams, and countless other college teams that consistently challenge for titles.

But if you are a NASCAR fan, you don’t first think of Florida. You think of North Carolina, Georgia or maybe even Alabama. Fans in those states can be considered borderline rabid for the sport. Still though, Florida gets the “Super Bowl of NASCAR” with the Daytona 500 in February. Not to mention the Pepsi 400 in Daytona during the summer.

But this last weekend, fans got the opportunity to come to South Florida to crown a champion at Homestead Speedway in Homestead. I am so lucky that I get to cover two of the biggest events that NASCAR has to offer every year.

When I arrive to the track on Friday and get my assignment, I am told by my boss that I will need to do an assignment for Direct TV on Sunday during the race. Then he goes on and tells me what that assignment will be. I will be photographing the Direct TV blimp in flight from a helicopter over the track, from the beginning of the race until just after sunset. Inside I am very excited. On the outside, I try and remain calm because you never know what can happen and change the assignment completely. The more I talk with the sales team and emails start flying, I realize, this is really going to happen. I start picturing what he images will look like and what equipment I will have to bring with me.

On Saturday night on my way out of the track, I get a call from our sales staff, explaining that there have been some changes. She tells me that TSA approval for the flight has been late and my not arrive at all. So what does that mean to our shoot? Well, we can fly up until one hour before the race and beginning again one hour after the race. I am given the pilot’s phone number and we are to connect sometime the following morning to make sure we are on the same page.

In the morning, I call my pilot Juan Carlos before he leaves his home airport. He tells me that he will meet me at the Homestead General Aviation Airport at 1 pm. Anticipating the usual race traffic; I get on the road early and arrive at the airport over two hours before Juan is to pick me up. As I drive into the airport, I see the Direct TV blimp is also docking there and hasn’t left to join the pattern over the raceway. This is my chance to get as much information as I can about how their flight might impact my shoot.

I find Ian Schwilk, and engineer that flies on the blimp when it is over the event. I start asking all kinds of questions; some pertaining to my shoot and some out of plain unadulterated curiosity. Ian is very patient as he tells me what their flight pattern will consist of and how we might be able to get a decent shot of the video screen on the side of the blimp. We exchange phone numbers as he prepares along with his crew to take off and do their job. Along with that phone number, he gave the the frequency they will be using while over the stadium. Not sure if I will need it, but it doesn’t hurt to have it either.

Doug Benc/Getty Images

Juan arrives a half-hour later in a Robinson R44 helicopter. This helicopter is known as a very affordable dependable aircraft that is used in a variety of purposes including law enforcement, training and a variety of civilian applications. In the military, I flew in much bigger machines that had tubine engines and power to spare. With a mere 260 horsepower (I had cars with more horsepower) to get us up in the air and keeps us flying, I decided not to eat breakfast that morning. The less weight the better I figured.

Juan had the doors removed so I would have a better chance to make images and he was right. The air was crystal clear as we left the airport. As we climbed to our operating altitude of 2500 feet, you could see the Florida Keys stretching south and still see Miami and Fort Lauderdale to the north. Conditions were perfect for the flight and the assignment.

Doug Benc/Getty Images

The closer we get to the track, Juan has to change frequencies and keep in constant contact with the local traffic controllers. He tells me all the rules that we are going to have work around during the flight. At the same time he tells me to keep an eye out for any aircraft that may come up on his blindside, which happens to be my side of the craft.

We spend about an hour shooting and moving and trying to get as close as we can without breaking any of the flight restrictions that have been place on us. But I really can’t seem to get a good shot of the opposite side of the blimp. Then I remember that I have the frequency that the blimp is operating on. I tell Juan that I have it and can we dial it in and call them? He gets them on the radio and I tell the pilot that I could really use the opposite side of the blimp and would he be willing to turn the blimp around and goes in a clockwise pattern for me? He tells me he will check with the tower and let me know. After about 5 minutes of waiting, I look down and see the blimp making a big wide turn out over Biscayne Bay. At the time, I get a call saying they will be able to make one pass in the opposite direction.

Doug Benc/Getty Images

After getting the shot, I tell Juan we have what we need and I call the Direct TV blimp and thank the pilot for his cooperation and we begin the 20 minute flight back to the airport. I thank Juan for his effort and I jump in my car and head to the track so I can shoot the race and festivities well into the night. My only regret is we couldn’t get a shot during the race. But we will probably work that out next year somehow.

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Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images

The NASCAR season has finally come to an end after 10 months, 36 races, more than 180 days on the road and a ton of Marriott points.

We saw a lot of big story lines this year such as, where will Dale Earnhardt Jr. go when he leaves DEI, the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow and the passing of Bill France Jr. In the end, we return to where we started in the season, with the domination of Hendrick Motorsports.

Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon dominated the early part of the season, and by winning the last 4 out of 5 races and the championship, Jimmie had complete control of the end of the season. A lot of people have already started making predictions for who will win next season, but for the regular crew of photographers and editors that cover NASCAR for Getty Images, we only know one thing for certain. It’s only 90 days until the start of the 2008 NASCAR season.

Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images
For the final race of the season we decided to do something a little different. Rusty Jarrett, our fearless leader, got permission from NASCAR to place a remote camera on the top of the stage where the championship is celebrated. Early Sunday morning, equipped with a full bag of remote gear more suited for an NBA event and a new Nikon D3 camera, we headed off to the stage to place the remote. After about 30 minutes we had the camera secured and ready to fire. Now all we had to do was wait 12 hours to fire it, and hope that not only would the camera stay in place, as the stage it was on was attached to an 18 wheel truck that had to be driven into place, but also hope that the car, the trophy and the hundreds of people would all line up properly.

Sometimes a remote doesn’t work too well. But sometimes you get something completely unexpected. The first image of Jimmie Johnson getting out of the car, spraying Gatorade in a sea of confetti and celebration is just what we were looking for. But when Johnson held up the trophy by himself at the top of the stage, we got what we were hoping for. Something unique.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

There are a lot of lessons to be learned when we look back at the season, but one of the biggest is that it takes teamwork to put together a successful season. On the track, it may seem like there is only one driver in the car, but there are hundreds of pit crew members, crew chiefs, mechanics that all put in to make a successful team. It’s no different for photographers. To coordinate flights, hotels, meals, let alone coverage of an event that moves from week to week, state to state, even cross country is a pretty big task. After my second full season of NASCAR, I still find it pretty amazing how many people it takes to run the sport.

The season is over, and I’m glad to have worked with a group of talented photographers both staff and stringer alike, and without the editor crew, we would probably be still sitting at the track.

90 days and counting – see you in Daytona!

From left, Jason Smith, Todd Warshaw, Chris Graythen, Maxx Wolfson, Justin Heiman, Marc Serota, Jason Arnold , Rusty Jarrett, Robert Meggers, Jake Harris, John Harrelson, Robert Laberge

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There I am (blue shirt) shooting the race from the flag stand. Photo by Rusty Jarrett.

Four races to go in the NASCAR Nextel Chase for the Cup, and it’s shaping up to be a Jeff Gordon/Jimmy Johnson battle which many predicted the first time we came to Martinsville earlier this year. Martinsville Speedway, located in Virginia, is celebrating its 60^th year in operation, and is one of those tracks on the NASCAR circuit that not only provides some great racing, but also has a lot of tradition to it. There have been a lot of victories, tragedies, and hot dogs here.

This weekend, I was fortunate enough to be able to shoot the start and the finish from inside the flag stand which sits just above the track. I have been lucky enough to shoot from here before, and I’ve talked before about the holes in the fence, the roof, but really there is no place like the flag stand. It’s a completely unique shot, although a little tricky to pull off properly. The stand is only about 5ftx5ft and you’ve got 2 NASCAR officials, a still photographer and a TV cameraman in there as well. The stand sits just inside the catch fence and over the track, the cars can run right under you, and each time they go by, the force of the wind is incredible. You literally sit inside the track and all the HDTV cameras in the world can’t replicate the feeling of being there.

It’s a tight squeeze, but the best place to be for capturing pictures (that’s me in the orange vest). Standing next to me is Kim Lopez, she is NASCAR’s 1st female flagstand official.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

With 9 laps to go, I headed up into the flag stand, armed with the widest lens I could get my hands on, as the flagman, Rodney Wise would be waving the checker flag less than a foot from me. For those 9 laps, it’s got to be one of the most exciting places in all of sport. The cars roar by, the stand is shaking from the force of the wind, the green, white and checker flags combine with the cars coming 200mph right at you in a blur of color and as the checkered flag flies, it’s all over. You’ve got one shot to make the picture that will illustrate the end of the race. And once the race is over, it’s one of the coolest places to see a burnout. Ten feet below, Jimmy Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet spun the car in circles giving the TV cameraman and I a birds-eye view of his win. The new ‘Mr. Martinsville’ had taken his third straight win at the track.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

As I said before, Martinsville is a track with lots of tradition, not only on the track, but also off of it as well. And the one tradition that every rookie must endure at Martinsville is the famed hotdog. The Martinsville hot dog is simple – Bun, bright red hot dog, chili, mustard and cole slaw. Wrap in wax paper, charge $2 and you’re ready. Every rookie on his or her first trip to Martinsville has to at least try the hotdog.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

This weekend we had 3 rookies on our crew, Editors Justin Heiman, Robert Meggers and photographer Todd Warshaw. On Friday, we all knew what that meant. $16 later and 8 hotdogs richer, we gathered for a group photo, (around the Tums trailer as well) and took part in Martinsville history.

From left, Chris Graythen, Robert Meggers, Jason Smith, Streeter Lecka, John Harrelson, Todd Warshaw, Rusty Jarrett and Justin Heiman at bottom.

This weekend we head off to Atlanta Motor Speedway, winding our way down towards Homestead, Miami for the final race, and the crowning of the NASCAR NEXTEL Champion. See you on the road!

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Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

With only six races left in the NASCAR season, the picture for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup is coming a little clearer into view. Jeff Gordon looks like he’s got a tenuous grasp on the first spot with two wins in a row, but we all know racing is unpredictable and anything could happen. This past race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte and the race before it at Talladega Super Speedway provide a perfect example of the challenges not only for the drivers from week to week, but also for photographers.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Every track we go to has different rules on where we can, and cannot shoot. At all tracks, we are allowed to shoot from inside the pit areas of each team, as well as having spots marked for the Victory Lane Celebration. However, at Talladega, we can shoot racing from a spot inside of turns 1 and 2, as well as from one spot at the apex of turns 3 and 4, as well as my favorite position, shooting from the roof of the grandstands. Lowe’s on the other hand, allows us to walk the full length between all four turns, on the roof, as well as from outside the track in special cages where part of the fence has been removed so we can have a clear view down at the cars. It’s a little dangerous, and there have been many times where cars have come scraping along the wall causing us to duck out of the way, but with a little experience it’s the best seat in the house.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

While shooting on the ground in a small cage with 43 cars heading towards you at almost 200mph is quite a unique experience, especially once they pass and you get covered in rubber, smoke and rocks (that can cut you!), for some reason I prefer sitting on the roof of whatever track I go to. I’m not exactly sure why, but being up top above the track, where you can see the entire 2.66 tri-oval of Talladega, or the 1.5 mile Lowe’s oval is exciting. Once you get up on the roof the entire scene becomes surreal, almost like you’re watching remote control cars. Of course it’s the best place to look for the inevitable ‘Single or Multi-car Incidents’ that sometimes happen around the track, but as a photographer, everything becomes very graphical, with strong curves and lines that work well in still photos.

Of course with 36 races in a season, (Martinsville next week I’ll have shot my 17th race of the season) it’s important to mix things up, and even more important, when traveling with a rotating crew of 5-6 photographers and 2 editors, it’s very important to keep everyone happy and working together. What better way to do this (especially for me as a New Orleanian) is with food! We’ve been very fortunate this year to have access to the motor coach that our esteemed leader Rusty Jarrett has been driving to select races, as well as having a grill and a place to store groceries. Nothing promotes togetherness like eating fresh grilled steaks and chicken while the rest of the media is chowing down on bologna sandwiches.

Photographers get to go many places 99.9% of the fans do not get to see, last weekend we had the rare opportunity of having a driver join us for dinner. Scott Speed, a Formula 1 driver, and the newest addition to the Red Bull team (running in the ARCA series) came over with the Red Bull PR staff after his first run at ‘Dega. Scott’s one of the nicest and down to earth athletes I’ve met in a while. After talking at good length about everything from his home in Austria and the latest news in the cycling world and a good meal of steaks, chicken, salad, shrimp cocktail (yeah, we eat well), we took a group photo.

Next week is Martinsville, the half mile ‘paperclip’ where the Chase for the Cup will continue. I’ll be sending dispatches from there, and most of the 6 remaining races, but really I’m just looking forward to grilling at the track again!

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From L: John Harrelson, rusty Jarrett stand in, Chris graythen, Todd Warshaw, me, Justin Heiman and Jason Smith with towel. Picture by Jonathan Daniel

With the possibility of another day of rain on Tuesday, the Getty Images crew did the only two things we could think of to help get the track dry. We bought rain jackets and wore rally caps.

We felt with the combination of rally caps and rain jackets Mother Nature would finally let up on the rain that has poured down all over Michigan the last three days.

It worked.

But only after two postponements, one fog delay and an overtime, the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway finally ended and it was well worth the wait.

Not only did I finally get my first NASCAR race in I was able to get on pit row and shoot the pits throughout the race.

I have a new found respect for all the pit crew, fire crew, NASCAR Nextel officials, the photographers who are just a few feet away from grave danger and the drivers who risk their lives each time they get behind the wheel for the entertainment of their diehard fans.

And speaking of the fans, they were also pretty great at MIS.

After having to come to the track for three straight days in the cold rain, the fans finally got what they paid for or didn’t pay for. Admission for many race fans was free yesterday because the track couldn’t staff enough security to check tickets.

Not a bad deal for those NASCAR fans who stuck it out.

What the fans did get was a great race with the #2 car driven by Kurt Busch (who we saw at dinner just two nights before) getting the victory.

Our photographers captured some great shots of Busch, especially some our new staff photographer Chris Graythen captured from the flag stand.

So now for me and the rest of the “NASCAR Rally Crew” it’s on to the night race in Bristol, Tennessee – not Connecticut as Justin Heiman and I first thought.

As I check the weather report once again, it doesn’t look good.

Saturday night’s forecast has a 50% chance of thunderstorms and a high of 92 degrees.

Looks like those rain jackets might come in handy again.

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

BROOKLYN, MI – AUGUST 21: Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, does a victory burnout across the finish line after winning the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 3M Performance 400 at the Michigan International Speedway on August 21, 2007 in Brooklyn, Michigan.

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