How it all started...

Tear-Off Heaven Fotos was initially intended to be basically a sprint car only type of racing photography business, as that is where my heart lies as a fan and supporter. I figured, what better way to get as close to the action as possible, and come away with not only lasting memories, but saleable goods as well!

My initial photographic experiences found me shooting the last full season of CRA sprint cars throughout California, Arizona, and on their annual Mid-West Tour to Ohio and Pennsylvania. That experience, along with a few connections in the sprint car business in Northern California, led to an open invitation to shoot the NARC sprint cars in the latter months of 1993 and 1994. The work I was producing seemed to be reasonable enough to gain the attention of several regional racing publications, and I found my work being regularly published in Racing Wheels, Western Racing News, and SprintCar.

During the off-season between 1993-94, I was approached by the Bay Cities Racing Association to become their "official" photographer. BCRA is one of the oldest racing sanctioning bodies in America (founded in 1939), and the prestige of working with them certainly loomed large in my decision. The one catch was, BCRA sanctions midgets, not sprint cars. I decided, however, that this would be a good move, and as it turned out, it was a great move. The BCRA "club" is an outstanding group of racers and supporters, and photo sales went through the roof! Plus, with only 15-18 races on the BCRA schedule, I was afforded the opportunity to shoot both the NARC and CRA/SCRA sprint cars on non-conflicting dates.

In June of 1995, I helped fellow sprint car fanatic Chuck Fry develop and publish the first site on the Web dedicated to sprint car racing, appropriately named The Sprint Car Home Page. This site was originally part of the Sprint Car Home Page, and eventually I obtained my own domain name and went off on my own by September of 1995.

In late 1995, after the BCRA season, I alerted the BCRA business manager of my intent to pursue other interests (mainly, sprint car racing!). My intentions were to freelance, but by early January, 1996, the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) business manager Jim Allen phoned to offer me the position of official photographer with their fine organization. This is an opportunity I simply could not refuse, so I accepted. NARC is recognized as California's premier winged sprint car organization, and one of the finest touring sprint car groups in America, so the challenge to produce fine work to match is there.

At the end of the 1996 season, I announced my "retirement" from NARC as their official photographer in order to spend more time with my family. However, NARC retained my services as Webmaster of the Official NARC Home Page, as I was the founder and original designer of the site. Freelance work on a less frequent basis is the plan for '97.

At the end of the 1997 season, I decided to give up the laborious (and thankless) task of NARC Webmaster, and concentrate on spending more time with my family, and finish up my bachelor's degree work. I'll be staying close to home in 1998, shooting mostly at San Jose, with the occasional trip to The PAS! to shoot my passion: non-winged sprint cars!

As school winds down, 1999 is shaping up to be a fairly good year. I have plans to make the entire SCRA midwest swing, representing them as photographer for the tour. Still plan on making all the San Jose shows (what few are left!), most of the SCRA shows away from The PAS!.

Freelancing is the name of the game since 1998, with no real group affiliation. Most of my work appears online, as a good portion of the racing publications that printed my work are now out of business. I will continue to travel to USAC/CRA races at Ventura, Santa Maria, Tulare, and Hanford, with an occasional trip down to Perris, as non-winged racing affords sprint car photographers the best opportunities for all the angles that I'm looking for.

I am a member in good standing of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) and former member of the Motor Sports Press Association (MSPA). Three times in four years, the MSPA recognized my contribution to motorsports journalism by awarding me the John Ryan Journalism Award, twice for Color Photography and once for Black and White. For 1996, I tied with fellow photographer Dennis Mattish in the color photography category, the first such tie in the 11 year history of the award. Just to be mentioned with the likes of Dennis is an honor in and of itself! In addition, I can claim six photos in the annual Sprint Car Calendar produced by Paul Oxman Publishing and coordinated by Mike and Nan Arthur of U.S. Photographics (check out February of 1995 - Randy Hannagan, December of 1997 - Brent Kaeding, January of 1998 - Scott Nail, April of 1998 - Brent Kaeding and Bobby McMahan, and November of 2001 - three-wide shot at Tulare of Tarlton, Faria, and Murphy).

Home

Samples

History

Tributes

Who are we?

Links to links

Contact