Look outside the lines

Posted by on Oct 17, 2011 | Comments Off

At sporting events and other competitions it’s all too easy to focus on the activity between the sidelines. Sometimes, however, the best storytelling photos happen outside the lines.

This happened at a recent quarter-midget race in Yakima. (Quarter-midget race cars are scaled-down versions of sprint cars ,the stubby-looking race cars with the wing on top.

Speeds are moderate on the small track and accidents seldom happen.  Cars occasionally spin out but absent that, it’s simply small cars going around and around the oval-shaped track.

Racing photos are nice, but lacking drama or emotion.

Garrett Huffines, right, leads Kaiden Anderson in their quarter-midget race Sunday, Oct. 9 in Yakima during the 6th annual Duel in the Desert race. Huffines took second while Anderson took third. The race draws racers ages 5-17 from Washington, Oregon and Canada. It's the closing race of the season for the Racing Rascals, Yakima's Quarter Midget Racing Club. The club sponsored the race. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

Nearly all the racers’ helmets have mirrored or dark face shields so their faces (and expressions and emotions) are not visible.

The hundred or so racing images I shot look pretty like the image above.

In this instance,  however, the photos were much better outside the track than on the track.

Mykala Anderson wishes good luck to fellow racer Cody Walker before Walker's qualifying run at the 6th annual Duel in the Desert quarter-midget race Sunday, Oct. 9 in Yakima. The race, sponsored by the Racing Rascals, Yakima's quarter midget racing club, draws racers ages 5-17 from Washington, Oregon and Canada. It's the closing race of the season for the quarter midget racing club. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

The 6th annual Duel in the Desert race, sponsored by the Racing Rascals, Yakima's Quarter Midget Racing Club. The race draws racers ages 5-17 from Washington, Oregon and Canada. It's the closing race of the season for the quarter midget racing club. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

Sure, the race was important and the primary reason for the gathering but what impressed me most during my two hours at the track was the camaraderie among racers and families. It truly was a family event and that’s what I felt was the real story of the event.

The 6th annual Duel in the Desert race, sponsored by the Racing Rascals, Yakima's Quarter Midget Racing Club. The race draws racers ages 5-17 from Washington, Oregon and Canada. It's the closing race of the season for the quarter midget racing club. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

The 6th annual Duel in the Desert race, sponsored by the Racing Rascals, Yakima's Quarter Midget Racing Club. The race draws racers ages 5-17 from Washington, Oregon and Canada. It's the closing race of the season for the quarter midget racing club. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

We had very limited space in the newspaper to devote to the race so we ran the one photo of Mykala Anderson wishing good luck to her fellow racer. Along with that photo we ran an extensive online photo gallery which included many racing photos.

–Gordon King