POWRi National Midgets make their debut at the at Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway

Arrival and Track Walk

Before the fans even arrived for the POWRi National Midgets meeting, I was walking the pits and checked out the track. The safety crew was about to start their track prep in anticipation for the cars to enter the oval for engine heats. There was still great light, as there usually is in Texas so I was looking forward to this shoot.

With the track preparation in progress it meant I could spend some time looking for the best angles around the track. I wasn’t the only one getting their eyes on the track. Kale Drake, driver of the #4 Envirofab, was photographed overlooking the oval.  

POWRi National Midgets – Afternoon Practice and Heat Races

At the start of the action, I positioned myself on the infield near turn 3. Setting up here allowed me to see the cars come into the corner under power, sliding, and throwing a lot of dirt. The sun was perfect for viewing the roost popping from the back of the cars. 

Warren driving #12w, and Smith driving #9 were some of the drivers throwing big plumes of dirt as they attacked the corners.  Getting a clean front three quarter shot of the #67, driven by one of the star drivers Jacob Denney, was a goal of mine.  Seeing his bright orange JBL car against the dark dirt made for a great shot.

Between Sessions – Drivers and Officials

During the breaks, there was never a lull in opportunities to take some photographs. Track officials on ATVs were constantly moving around. This gave me time for some clean environmental shots with the big Texas sky behind them. The POWRi safety team is top notch, the Director of Safety, Ralph, is always out on his ATV making sure the spectators and competitors are safe.

Feature Night – Golden Hour into Darkness

When it was time for the feature races, the sun decided to start its descent. This allowed for really great opportunities to pan the front and back stretch of the track. I spent most of my time in the low light, selecting longer exposures to blur the grandstands.

This enabled me to capture the cars in sharp contrast against the background. The Factory Fourteen #14 car was especially photogenic both, in side profile and in the longer pans.

Victory Lane

As soon as the feature race finished, I headed to victory lane and positioned myself beside the winning car. This allowed me to hopefully get an image of the driver celebrating against the iconic american flag light wall at the Texas Motorspeedway. In classic Jacob Denney fashion, he hopped out of his car and gave the crowd the hero shot of the night. A classic dirt track victory photograph to end the night.

POWRi National Midgets at Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway

Lil’ Texas delivered a solid night of POWRi Midget racing and some strong visual opportunities. From the afternoon light all the way into full darkness it was a pleasure to shoot here. I will be back and looking forward to the next meeting at the Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway.

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You can find more information about Matt Spano Photography from the links below.