The Trackside Perspective - Round 1: Trackhouse Karting Challenge

Pit Gate - Morning

I rolled through the pit gates at Trackhouse Motorplex at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning ready for Round 1 of the 2026 Karting Challenge. Pulling into the track and seeing how packed the property was with not only trailers, but also cars and campers I knew it was going to be a busy day. Overnight rain left the track damp, with a light drizzle hanging around as practice began. Before karts were even out on track the pits were filled with a sort of chaos in a way. Crews swapping from dry tires to wet and drivers discussing among each other the best line to take through turn 1 compared to turn 4. Or how much to curb to take in turn 6.

One of my first frames of the day that I ended up capturing was of a driver sitting on the pre grid getting ready to head out on track. The rain and the puddles created an almost perfect reflection of his number on the ground but unfortunately/fortunately I had someone walk in front of my shot and kinda take away the reflection. I could have scrapped this shot but I am so glad I didn't. Will I check my surroundings a bit more next time before I hit the shutter? Absolutely!

The Grind - Midday

As the day unfolded, the biggest challenge was not finding action. It was choosing where to be in order to capture it. With the rain gone but the track still pretty damp I decided to stand on the exit of turn 6 to catch drivers jumping the curb. Only a handful were able to make it work while maintaining speed. Some didn’t take enough curb and were pushed off line, while others took far too much, unsettling the kart and costing momentum onto the next corner.

Throughout the day I was able to visit some cool areas around the track. Although turn 6 was quite the spot turn 4 really became my favorite. The downhill backstretch that feeds into a sweeping right hander before climbing back uphill on corner exit. This gave me about three different vantage points all in one area. From one position I could could capture drivers heading downhill with the pack fanning out behind them. A few steps down I could get the karts pointing at me. By moving yet another few feet I could also get drivers heading up the hill (Not the best but still cool to put the whole corner together).

Checkered Flag - Final Thoughts

As the final checkered flag flew, I couldn’t help but think about how crazy the whole day had been. In total, I spent about 13 hours at the track covering everything from early morning grid shots to filming a driver celebrating his win. It was a long day, but one that felt incredible from start to finish.

For a while, I was working primarily with individual teams, covering two or three drivers and taking only around 400 to 500 photos a weekend. This weekend was different as I walked away with just about 1,700 photos. Covering multiple clients forced me to operate differently. I couldn’t stay planted in one corner or lock in on just a single driver. I had to constantly move, anticipate if a bold move was going to happen which would either end in a spectacular crash or contact between drivers.

The final checkered didn’t just signal the end of the day it reminded me how much I genuinely enjoy chasing that shot, the long hours, and just trying to capture the moment. Overall it was a super successful weekend.

Next up is the Cup Karts North America Spring Nationals @ Charlotte Motor Speedway.