Midvale Speedway - 5/7/25
On Wednesday, May 7, Midvale marked the beginning of its 73rd year with Fan Appreciation Night. The festivities included $5 entry, $1 hot dogs, and $1 sodas (I’m from California — it’s soda). Even on a Wednesday, there were hundreds in attendance to watch their favorite drivers in Street Stocks, Crown Vics, and Compacts — which had higher stakes with a 40-lap Joker’s Wild race.
I had never been to a short track race, let alone shot a race night. I came equipped with my Canon R6 Mark II and my favorite lens, Canon’s 70-200mm f/2.8 II, which stayed on my camera most of the time. I also brought my Tamron 28-70mm f/2.8 and Instax Mini Evo. Not knowing what to expect, I arrived 40 minutes before the gates even opened. I didn’t feel like standing in line, so down went my windows and down I went into my social media escape.
There was an older couple in the vehicle next to me — a Chevy HHR finished in Sunburst Orange. They didn’t feel the need to be first in line either and started to shoot the breeze. While chatting, they told me they had been going to Midvale religiously every Saturday, calling it their date night. Both were retired: the husband had worked in a warehouse, and the wife as a caregiver. When the gates opened, we made our way in; I happily paid my $5 admission, and we went our separate ways.
Before going, I checked their website to look for any photography policies. I didn’t find any, so I figured I was in the clear. Still, I wanted to be respectful of the staff and stay out of anyone else's way. Basically, I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to myself or be seen as just a spectator with a decent camera.
The first few moments after the gates opened were dedicated to walking the concourse, scoping out the track, finding potential spots for unique shots, and getting a feel for the overall vibe.
Practice got off to a later start than anticipated — moisture on the track, I believe. That was fine with me; it gave me extra time to scout the area while keeping an eye on the concession stand line for $1 hot dogs. I hate lines, so I decided to wait it out.
More fans continued to make their way into the track, buzzing for any kind of racing action. Midvale, like every other track in Northeast Ohio, had been forced to cancel events due to weather and track conditions.
Practice finally got underway. It seemed like each group of cars from the category got about 5–7 laps before heading back to the pits.
Time to lock in and practice with my kit. My main goals were to dial in panning shots, stillish shots that exhibited elements of speed. Since I was in the stands I wanted to give some context about being amongst the people. I also took the chance to experiment with some more adventurous compositions.
The Super Stocks got underway, with the first heat going to Vinnie Tantarelli, the second to Kylee Wood, and the feature race to Zack Cogar. During the Super Stocks, I mostly worked the front stretch, turn one, and turn four.
While shooting, I ran into my pre-race pals as they were visiting some friends. I offered to take their photo with my Instax Mini Evo and printed a copy for each couple. Hopefully, it was fridge-worthy!
The Compacts were next, with heat race wins going to Wes Enis, #2 Braden Furbury, #3 AJ Andrews, and #4 Steven Lest. The first 20 laps of the Joker’s Wild went to Josh Robin, and after the shuffle, the second leg went to Blaze Bacon.
I’ll be honest — I was satisfied with my shots and didn’t stick around for the Crown Vics. I also wanted to beat the traffic out of the parking lot. Yes, I’m that guy sometimes.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time hanging out in the stands. I just hope to break into motorsports photography and pick up some work. In the meantime, support your local track.
