Horsepowerheaven.com presents an internet exclusive   by Larry Pfister In the world of drag racing photography they are the upper echelon. They take more drag photos at one event (average of 100-36 exposure rolls per national event) than many of us do in a decade or more. They are the staff photographers of NHRA's massive in-house publication National Dragster, and they all work in the aura of the legend that is the late Leslie Lovett. At the 1999 Prolong Seafair Nationals in Seattle HH took some time to get to know a few of them a little better, and came away with a greater sense of respect than we had going in.

Leading the Photography team is Photo Editor Teresa Long. This diminutive woman stands tall among her peers and has since she entered the NHRA fold in 1983 with a position in the photo lab. She moved out onto the starting line beside her close associate Lovett "a couple of years later".

Each national event usually sees Long with two of three staff photographers at her side. At this event the imposing veteran Richard Brady and the youthful Marc Gewertz were on hand to cover the race. Unlike in years gone by the majority of the equipment they use belongs to NHRA, a similar fact many major sports publications don't advertise. (nor do the camera manufacturers who feel everyone should own an high-end SLR...just like the pros.) When a photo enthusiast sees the multitude of the latest Nikons, those cannon-like telephotos, and the ultrahigh dollar extreme wides, water forms inside many open mouths. But it is this kind of hardware that is absolutely necessary to not only get the shot, but stand up to the rigorous handling this sport demands.

You will ausually see the team of 'blue-shirts' gather in the early morning to go over their particular assignments.

While not exactly carved-in-stone, they all basically know their roles once the action begins. The first couple of days of a race is "cover shot time" says Long. This is when the big glass comes out, such as the huge 600mm Nikkor that provides those amazing head-on beauties. "Sunday is two car day" she continues, look for zooms, normal and wide angle lenses that day.

The trio was more into their work than usual this day, for it marked, in Long's words, "the first time in 1999 we've had light this good". Such is Seattle International Raceway on a cloudless day. In fact when asked what is the most photogenic drag strip they go to, her answer is this one. The most vocal fans? "New Jersery" she smiles without a doubt. Bob Frey would most certainly be impressed.

Long still does darkroom work and mentioned that Tuesday is the 'pro' issue deadline for National Dragster. I also learned that sometimes the paper supplies dimensions that they have to try a fit a particular image into. Not something for an amateur.

I asked about the equipment and why they don't use the digital backed bodies so common in many other pro sports such as NASCAR and CART. "We're just starting to get into that" she says with a hint of embarrassment. She also added that NHRA has an amazing library of images on hand including 56,000 rolls of black & white negatives and some 25,000 rolls of color slides, all in labeled binders, that Gewertz says is "an absolute rush to look through".

In a sport full of veterans, this northern California native has been on staff for all of four years, but you would hardly know it from his classic works. Gewertz also likes this track to shoot at. "The big AA grand stand in the corner of the pit makes a great background" he says. When asked about his favorite type of shooting he answers "top end", I smile as inside I agree with him.

"There's more to this than most realize" he says. "From the top end to the pits, and the awards. We also take all the photos for the many brochures, tickets, and sponsors." When I asked him if sponsors were the reason why there seem to be more side shots in Digger than other kinds he answers with a swift "no". I just had to ask.

Gewertz jaws with veteren Rick Shute of Auto Imagery.

Richard Brady (seen in the foto at right beside another vet Les Welch) is easily the most recognizable shooter NHRA has ever had. His towering height has earned him all kinds of nicknames and I cannot recall him ever needing a ladder. He was the Division 3 photographer for 25 years and began his career at Rockford Dragway in Oswego Illinois way back in 1957. "I'm as excited now as I was back then" he says with a smile. "This IS my family" he ads in a more serious tone, referring to the fact he has no parents or brothers or sisters. "My neighbors dad took me to my first race. I loved everything. The sounds, the colors, the cars, the shapes." While he still loves it, he did mention that by this time in the season "it's difficult to stay creative".

Later during some downtime he approached me and spoke more of his friend Les Lovett. "It's still hard for Teresa" he says with much respect, but I gotta tell 'ya I, and everyone else here, owe so much to him." He went on to tell of his other photographic love, landscapes. Brady told me of a fog-shrouded Grand Canyon image that is his favorite. Nearly every story he voiced included something about Les Lovett.

So it was that what began as a story about the present day 'dig shots' of National Dragster became a loving tribute to the one person who remains the greatest drag racing lensman of all time. Like I said, I came away from these three people with more respect than I had going in. The spirit of Les Lovett strikes again.

BACK to HH nav page