Motorsports Americana

My name is Matt Trgovac, and this is my new blog.

The goal is to document my journey into motorsports photography and to share the memories I make along the way. However you found me, I hope you enjoy it and stick along for the ride.

I discovered photography in August of 2025 and quickly fell in love. I had always enjoyed taking photographs of my travels and adventures but could never quite capture the beauty I wanted with just my phone. I found this frustrating and always disappointing. So when I picked up my Canon Rebel T6i with a couple of kit lenses at a garage sale for free, I jumped at the opportunity and never looked back.

Having been a NASCAR fan since I was 13 years old, I have been to hundreds of races across the series. I have seen some of the most memorable and iconic NASCAR moments in person. Think 2009 Brad Keselowski winning Talladega after sending Carl Edwards into the fence. The 2020 Daytona 500 with Ryan Newman’s flip at the finish. The 2011 Daytona 500 with Trevor Bayne’s victory. The 2024 Atlanta three-wide photo finish with Daniel Suárez winning. Jeff Gordon’s fifth Brickyard 400 victory. Bubba Wallace’s first win, just to name a few.

All of these memories I caught with a crappy digital camera (2011 Daytona, 2009 Talladega) or my cell phone (2024 Atlanta, Jeff Gordon’s Brickyard, and Bubba). I could never quite capture the moment the way my eye saw it, until now.

My first race I took my camera to was the 2025 Enjoy Illinois 300 at Worldwide Technology Raceway. I rented an enormous 70-200mm lens for this race and had really no idea what I was doing, but I was determined to make it work. You can see the results on my website. They certainly aren’t my favorite; however, I feel it is important to document the journey from beginning to end.

The next race up was Martinsville Speedway in October of 2025. This was my first proper weekend of coverage with a clear idea of my goal: make photography, and motorsports photography, my career.

I went into the weekend focused on “coverage.” I wanted to begin growing my portfolio, producing high-quality images that would get me recognized by teams and eventually hired. However, as I went through the weekend, there was more there to be discovered than I thought. As I explored the track, I began to be drawn not just to the cars, but to the people.

The important part is that I discovered what I was meant to do with my life, to capture the world through my eyes and document the culture that basically raised me. These are my family portraits. This is Motorsports Americana.

The first weekend I went into with the intention of shooting this project was the AutoTrader 400 weekend, February 26th–28th, 2026. I didn’t have a specific character in mind, just a feeling I was going for. A feeling of nostalgia, generational transfer, or simply an overall sense of comfort. I also knew I wanted to get coverage for my portfolio, so I had two set modes: Americana Mode and Coverage Mode.

I went into the weekend prepared with my Tamron 70-200mm and Canon 17-55mm f/2.8. I used my preferred body, the T6i paired with the 70-200mm, and a T7 with the 17-55mm. The difference between the two camera bodies is a bit jarring, as is switching lenses. It was a challenge all weekend switching modes, styles, and frames between the two setups.

I landed in Atlanta on a beautiful Friday morning, with the sun warming the air to a spring-like feel. It was an amazing way to start the weekend. I picked up my rental car and went straight to the track.

The goal for the day was to shoot qualifying for the Craftsman Truck Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. I knew I wanted to practice panning. The single-car qualifying runs made it easy to focus on one subject at a time and really work on panning speeds.

I quickly realized how much more difficult it is at a place like EchoPark versus Martinsville. It took a while to dial in focus points, shutter speed, and aperture settings. It was a fun experiment, and I learned so much.

While there, I scanned the stands in Americana Mode when I quickly spotted a father-son duo quietly watching qualifying high up in the stands, under the suites and in the shade. It was the quintessential image: a kid with oversized headphones and checkered flag sunglasses. I thought to myself about what wisdom the father was passing down. What was he telling him about the races that happened here before? Was this his first race?







Questions I could only answer in my imagination, which is the beauty of this type of photography. The story can be, whatever you want it to be!

Saturday was race day for the Trucks and O’Reilly Series.

Rain and thunderstorms arrived in the morning, blew through, and delayed the start of the truck race by about an hour and a half. This complicated the schedule. NASCAR had a certain broadcast window before the O’Reilly Series began. Lots of fans took to X (formerly Twitter) and complained that NASCAR was robbing fans of what they paid for by not going the full distance.

I thought this was ridiculous. Jeff Gluck accurately pointed out that fans were still getting two races in one day with one shortened  versus one race Saturday and one on Monday. The choice was obvious, and I thought it was correct.

As the truck race unfolded, the lighting was flat and uninspiring due to the overcast skies. I was able to get some nice pans, but I decided to lean into Americana.

One of my favorite frames came from under the stands.

The grandstands at EchoPark create an incredible tunnel effect. The entrances run down the concourse on the left, flanked on the right by concrete columns. The way the stairs and entries are built forms a corridor where light funnels through the entryways and spills underneath the grandstands.

I discovered this scene and knew it could be special if the right subject came along, so I set up camp.

This was after the truck race and before the O’Reilly cars took the track, I had about an hour to observe. At one point, I noticed a younger girl — she couldn’t have been older than 16 or 17 — dancing as if she were filming a TikTok. I found her lack of social anxiety charming. The thought of myself at 38 doing the same thing was amusing. I snapped a few frames, but nothing stood out. Her purple shirt blended into the darkness.

So I waited.

I paid attention to clothing, hoping for something that would pop — maybe a bright yellow Blaney jacket.

Then I saw it.

I was in the middle of adjusting settings and had my aperture stopped down more than I wanted, but the moment arrived perfectly. A bright orange shirt emerged from the darkness like a beacon. I grabbed the frame and smiled.

“There it is,” I whispered to myself.

There is no mistaking the subject of that photo.

Absolutely stunning.





This was such a satisfying photo to get and will be one of my favorites for a very long time.

Sunday brought another character.

A woman wearing a giant Ryan Blaney mustache and a shirt that read “Respect the Stache.” I first noticed her while photographing some beautiful pink cherry blossoms. She was walking with a young man who I initially assumed was her boyfriend — turned out to be her son. Whoops.

I grabbed a few quick frames and continued along the midway. She would show up again later.

As the day went on, I took shelter from the brisk wind in my rental car and later under the stands. It was perfect for people-watching. I experimented with slow shutter speeds and was pleasantly surprised with the results. I’m excited to try it again with more specific ideas in mind.

Later in the afternoon, I ran into my mustached friend again at The Bootleggers Bar — one of the best spots at EchoPark Speedway. The bar overlooks Turn 4 and the front stretch. The sunset views are incredible, and the stools offer an unobstructed view of the race. First come, first served.

She and her son had secured two of those coveted seats, drawing attention with their matching mustaches. They even made it onto the big screens during a fan interaction segment. It was a memorable moment for them — and for me.

I grabbed several great frames and was thankfully able to connect with her afterward to share the photos.





Overall, it was an amazing weekend. I learned a ton, had a lot of fun, captured some images I’m proud of, and came home with stories.

If you’d like to view my photos from that weekend, you can click below or visit my portfolio and check out the EchoPark Speedway gallery.

I plan to continue this blog with every race weekend.

However you found this page, I hope you enjoyed the read.

For now, I'll leave you with a dad joke. For those of you who do not know me, that is my signature so to speak.

You were expecting something more like a regular dad joke weren't you? Guess i kinda took a left turn on ya huh?

Until next time,

Matt Trgovac

MCT Photography