Ron Haw had been involved in photography as a serious amateur for nearly 35 years when he first started shooting racing events 10 years ago.

Since that time, he’s taken a more serious direction in his photographic interests by offering professional racing photos. PictureMeRacing was formed in 2002, and was the first company to offer racers and race fans the ability to order racing photos on the web in the Kansas City area.

Ron uses Canon equipment exclusively and currently shoots with a Canon 40d. A Canon 20d and Canon Rebel XT are available as backups or as secondary camera bodies. Lenses are typically from Sigma or Tamron and all of the photo equipment used by Ron and all of the other photographers at PictureMeRacing is Digital SLR. Photos are post processed with Adobe Photoshop and several other editing programs at the end of each racing or sports event.

On a more personal note, Ron was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and joined the General Electric Company in 1971. He held various positions in the company in several different cities until leaving 18 years later to start a company, with his wife Mary, in Kansas City. He’s been in the printing industry since 1990. Having always been a race fan, he saw the opportunity to combine a hobby and a business when he began producing the weekly race programs for local tracks in 1996. The “hobby/business” theme expanded when he added PictureMeRacing to his business portfolio in 2002. More recently, Ron and his business partner Dayna Melaas formed Champion Printing Solutions to market a broad range of commercial printing products ranging from business cards and posters to full line color catalogs, newsletters, newspapers and brochures. An offshoot retail business was also formed, Invitations by Appointment, to market wedding invitations, business announcements and greeting cards.

Ron and Mary currently live in Gladstone, MO with their amazing cocker spaniel, Cleo.

Photography has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember, starting out with a simple point and shoot camera doing landscape photos.

With ever-positive criticism and encouragement from friends, I considered it for a career very soon after going to Michigan Speedway for the first time in 1997. I was able to get close enough to take some pretty good pictures with my “simple” camera. Photography and fast cars, I found my calling!

So, I upgraded my equipment to a top of the line 35mm film system, complete with telephoto lenses and accessories, thinking I was on my way.  However, at the same time, a funny thing was happening; called the "digital revolution", and it was taking over fast.

I held out as long as I could, but it quickly became apparent to me that to be competitive in the photography market, I needed to make the change. So, in September 2005, I upgraded again, this time to digital equipment. Shortly after I did, I met Ron and he asked me to come along and shoot with his crew.

I really enjoy what I am doing and look forward to expanding my photography career.

Other than race cars, I also do portrait photography, senior / family pictures and of course, I still do landscapes.

Please feel free to contact me at tjawe@sbcglobal.net for any of your photographic needs.

Doug Hayes
I-70 Speedway

I have been around racing all my life and I love being at the track. My wife says that I have twinkle in my eye when racing season rolls around. Photography started for me in high school where I built my own version of a box camera. From there it went to developing my own pictures and playing around with different filters and screens. I didn’t do much with my photography interest for a few years other than taking a few pictures here and there. About 9 years ago I hooked up with Ron Haw and the rest has been history. I have done everything for Ron from photography to layout work for the weekly racing programs.

About four years ago Ron approached me about doing some photo work for him and I just kind of fell into photography once again.  During the past few years I have had the pleasure of taking photos at several different tracks and have loved every minute of it.  I do all the custom backgrounds for Ron and picturemeracing.com.  Due to other obligations, I am not at every race, but look forward to the weeks that I am there.

On a personal note I have been married for 7 years to Staci and have two great daughters Alyssa and Makenna. During the week besides working on the backgrounds for Ron, I am a Manager for Nebraska Furniture Mart.

Kory Hales
I-70 Speedway

My family has a drug problem. The drug is racing. It started way before I was born. My parents went to Daytona in 1957 to watch the races on the beach. They sat in the North Turn Grandstand. They were hooked. They passed their addiction on to their six children. I'm the baby, and I've got it bad.

I was controlling my addiction pretty well. I had been to many, many races at Daytona, Charlotte, Talladega, etc. But my first Daytona 500 in 1994 sent me over the edge. I took my Mom's camera. It soon became my camera.

Skip forward several years. When Heartland Park Topeka opened their dirt track several years ago, I was asked to be their track photographer. I met Ron Haw on a Saturday afternoon during one of the first practice sessions. We've been good friends ever since. I would say meeting him was one of my "big breaks." Through him I have been able to photograph a lot of local races at Lakeside and I70 Speedways. Other "big breaks" include shooting for National Speed Sport News. Covering races for a highly respected publication and knowing thousands of people are seeing my pictures is a lot of fun! I've been able to photograph races of all forms-- Nextel Cup, Busch, Trucks, IRL, Formula One, USAC, NHRA...the list goes on. No intervention can help me now.

I became a full-time photographer in August 2006. I'm having a lot of fun running my own business doing the one thing I love. In addition to that, I took another full-time job as the sports editor for The Odessan and Focus On Oak Grove newspapers. Although I was already shooting a lot of high school sports, now I get to write about it too! So far it's been a really fun job, and I've met a lot of nice people.

Check out my website...www.koryhalesphotography.com. It features sports photography, senior pictures, weddings...everything except the racing. That's why you visited this site... Picture Me Racing! Check out all of the great photos all of our great photographers have taken!

Click VIEW/ORDER PHOTOS right now!

Dave Probert
Adrian, Butler, Lakeside, I-70

I have always enjoyed photography as a hobby. While in junior high school I would take pictures of sporting events for the local newspaper that my mom worked for. I always had a great time catching the action on the court. My then girlfriend Nikki and I both like taking pictures, so I took a lesson from Homer Simpson who bought Marge a bowling ball and then asked if he could use it when she wasn't bowling. I often buy Nikki some new camera gear and ask if I can use it later (unlike Homer I haven't had my name engraved on the stuff that I have bought Nikki).

Nikki and I went to watch a co-worker of hers race at I-70, and I became truly hooked on racing. I had always liked to watch the races on TV but it is nothing like being at a local short tracks. Whenever we would go to the one of the local tracks, Nikki would always drag her cameras along with her. You will have to read Nikki's bio get the full story of how she became the photographer at Adrian. I would tag along with her on Fridays to Lakeside and eventually starting taking pictures there also.

You will normally find me working at the sales table at the track and be hit up for candy money from our two daughters.

By day and some nights I work as an application developer at Embarq and have been known to play guitar in the Praise Band at Rockbrook Church.

Nikki Probert
Adrian, Butler, Lakeside, I-70

I've always been interested in photography growing up as our official family photographer with my little 110 camera (remember those funny little film cartridges??), moving on to the Canon OneShot my then boyfriend David bought me for Christmas in the 80s, to the Canon Rebel G my now husband David bought me after Gabrielle, our first daughter, was born in 1997. After breaking him financially with my 10 roll of film a month habit (20 at Christmas and vacation times) he finally agreed it was time to go digital. I currently shoot with a Canon Digital Rebel XT.

How did I get into racing photography? I’d always enjoyed following NASCAR but after a co-worker of mine started racing at I70 in 2003 I discovered how much I loved the local racing scene. I took pictures from the grandstands at I70, Lakeside and Adrian Speedways that season all the time wishing I could be down in the infield like “that guy at I70 with the fancy photographer’s vest and the big camera”. Little did I know at the time “that guy” was Ron Haw!

On opening race day in April of 2004, David and I decided to run down to Adrian to watch the races. Naturally I took my camera and gear and after getting David and the girls settled in with snacks, I headed down to the pits to climb atop the fence to take pictures. Unbeknownst to me, a friend of mine saw me and knowing the Portzen family and that they were in need of a photographer, made introductions for me and by the first race that evening I was perched on top of one of the infield berms as their track photographer and have been there every racing Saturday since. And I absolutely love it. Photography and race cars . . . what could be better? I love getting caught up in the victories and have been known to cry after horrific wrecks. You’ll find no better people than in the racing community. What a special place the race track is for good family fun.

Shortly after starting at Adrian, I contacted PictureMeRacing to get some photography tips from Ron Haw and thus a mentorship was born. Inviting me to come have fun and learn with him, Kory and Doug shooting at Lakeside Speedway every Friday night has also been a blast and a learning experience, to say the least. I have also been privileged to have worked with them as a track photographer for the I70 and Linn County Speedways as well. This year I am looking forward to also shooting the racing action at Butler Motor Speedway on Sundays.

My husband David is also a track photographer. We will celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary this summer. We live in Belton, MO with our two daughters Gabby and Addison, ages 6 and 10. Together we enjoy shooting racing photos and using our abilities as part of our ministry at Rock Brook Church by taking couples portraits and photographing special events. I also enjoy taking pictures at weddings and portraits of families, children, babies, and expectant parents (Belly Shots!).

By day I am a plumbing designer for Larson Binkley, an MEP consulting engineering firm in Leawood, KS where I have been employed since 1993.

nikki@nikkiprobert.com

Deb Whalen
Lakeside

My love of racing and photography goes back to the days (1983-1993) of working at and eventually managing the Malibu Grand Prix in Lenexa, KS. I was frequently assigned as photographer to special group events. While there, I met a lady who introduced me to SCCA Solo II Autocross racing. I raced for a little over a year, and loved it, but, found that what I most enjoyed was seeing the smile on other people's faces when they received great photos and videos of themselves and their cars in action.

I was once simply a happy customer of PictureMeRacing.com. Then, while at one of tracks early in the 2005 season, I heard an announcement over the PA that Ron was needing help with on-site sales at Linn County Speedway. "Heck, why not?", I thought, since I was going to be at the track anyway, and I've always loved the photos and services his company provides. "I would love to be part of it.", I said to him. So, in 2005, I did just that, operating the on-site photo sales at Linn County Speedway, in Pleasanton, every Saturday night.

In 2006, I did the same at Lakeside Speedway. Plus, I upgraded my own equipment and started shooting for Ron on occasion too, at Lakeside, Linn County, and Grand River Speedway, and late in the season and early 2007 I acquired a couple of small venues of my own, including Grand River Speedway and Outlaws Retreat.

In 2008, you'll see me working at PictureMeRacing's Lakeside Speedway sales window on Friday nights. Other than that I'll be making the rounds watching and photographing all my favorite drivers at different tracks in the area.

Tim Whalen
Lakeside, I-70 Speedway

I was born and raised in Kansas City.  I currently own a home in Olathe, KS.

I've been going to the races all of my life.  Since before I was able to walk, my parents were taking myself and 3 siblings to the races weekly, to tracks such as Olympic, Riverside, Old-Lakeside, and I-70 (Oops, did I just reveal my age?).

My nephew, Chris Whalen, drives a Factory Stock #00, and is building a B-mod.  I helped him a bit in the pits at Linn County in 2006. He was Factory Stock Champion that year.

In 2005, I started working for PictureMeRacing at the Linn County Speedway (along-side the ex-wife/still-friend, Deb), and 2006 at Lakeside and Linn County.

This year, you'll see me at the PictureMeRacing.com sales window in the pits at Lakeside on Fridays, and as photographer at the I-70 Speedway on Saturdays.

I've earned my living in the trucking industry for over 20 years now; at various jobs including driving, dispatch, dock worker, supervisor.  I maintain a Class-A CDL + Hazmat Cert (perfect driving record too).  Currently I'm a city driver.

See you at the races!

Tom Wiseman
Lakeside, I-70 Speedway

I started taking pictures in grade school in 4-H. When I got a little older my Dad had a salvage yard and garage so I grew up in the grease, with scraped knuckes & at race tracks. I first got behind the wheel in Demolition Derbies at 16, then started racing 200-lap enduros at Topeka, Junction City, then a season at the old Lakeside. I had a stroke the following year and have been unable to drive since.

Going to the track and not being in a race car was tough for many years. Then I was managing a Price Chopper & Brad & Jeanie Meyers (Blue Bunny) came in for a demo. They invited me and Lindsay to I-70 to see John Oneal, at this time Price Chopper was sponsoring John & Tim. My spirit was rekindled then, and, I love the sport now more than ever.

I have a daughter, Lindsay, lucky to catch the race bug too, so we have made alot of wonderful friends and family. Lindsay and I were able to help John & Tim pit, or do whatever we could for them.

Two years ago my health took another turn and it made it hard to be helpful in the pits. I started taking pictures again. Ron ask me if I was interested shooting for PictureMeRacin.com, I am enjoying the PictureMeRacin.com family.

Enough about me... ladies & gentlemen start your engines!