Pacific Raceways - Capturing A Classic Track
By David Stenhouse
I first visited Pacific Raceways around 1990 as a college kid capturing the NHRA event on a large VHS camcorder borrowed from family. I wish I still had the tape. That day, I received autographs from Bob Glidden and Kenny Bernstein, and was bumped into by Joe Amato’s wife while watching an engine rebuild. I remember spots I stood and the fun I had. After 1994, I stopped going to this track and stopped watching the sport altogether. But that changed in 2021 when I attended the NHRA Gatornationals, taking along my camera and capturing the action. My love for drag racing photography suddenly reappeared and I returned to visiting this Puget Sound track.
Pacific Raceways starter Rick Straley returns to the starting line after inspecting the track. Photo by David Stenhouse.
Pacific Raceways is old school. Even the time slip shack has a bit of nostalgia to it. The track lacks a large structure directly behind the starting line like some NHRA facilities, sticking with an old tower off-set from the track. Although the accompanying stands on the south side are a huge steel structure, the stands on the north side and behind the starting area are dated and made of wood. This place has weathered time and it’s still going.
The sport doesn’t need my help to make it look cool. It does that on its own and Pacific Raceways provides me ample opportunities to capture what I enjoy—American cars and the people that race them.
I’m estimating over 75,000 photos have been shot by my cameras since that trip to the Gators—mostly at Pacific Raceways. I was fortunate Manager Jeremy Scrivner came across my Instagram account, messaging me after seeing some of my posts and further providing me unrestricted access these past two seasons. What more fun can I have? This place has become a getaway from my career.
The Wakefields frequently find themselves in my shots. Dad watches son leave the starting line on a summer evening.
My photography skills are constantly evolving, learning new angles, lighting, and composition. Shooting around a track is a lot of work capturing thousands of images and hoping for 1 out of 10 to be good. I’m constantly moving and have mapped out spots for sun location and the speed of class running. The fun resides in photographing the people at the track and learning how to make my shots represent what others see when visiting.
I lean towards a classic look in my photographs—probably due to spending time churning through my Dad’s 35mm slide collection. With some of these cars, I want to have the viewer believe the same shot could be from the 1970s. This place has supplied me with more kindness and smiles than I have experienced in all other event venues. Not once have I met a person irritated with me taking a shot of them or their car; however, I have been told to move a few times for my safety. That all said, I look forward to continued learning at this wonderful spot.
Carrying around a camera since childhood, David Stenhouse has a love for capturing machinery, people, and America. He is now so blessed to spend each day running a business with his best friend, high school sweetheart, and wife, Shay.