An exhilarating photographic essay on racing culture and an intimate,
insider view of NASCAR
Photographer Hunter Barnes (born 1977) is one of the foremost
documentary photographers working in America today. For this book,
Barnes was given extraordinary access to document NASCAR (National
Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) culture. In order to capture the
true essence of NASCAR, Barnes went on the road with the Ganassi team,
spending timein the parking lot with fans for a week before the race to
really get a sense of the spirit of the culture andhow it originally
started--in the South, with the moonshiners building cars to outrun the
revenuers.
Spirit of the Southern Speedways presents an exhilarating photographic
essay of racing culture and gives an intimate and insider look at
NASCAR, capturing some of the most recognizable figures in racing,
including Richard "The King" Petty, the legend Junior Johnson who has
won 50 races as a driver and 139 as an owner, Jack Roush, the owner of
Roush Fenway Racing team and famed race car driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
The book also reflects on the intimate relationship between the fans and
the drivers.
Barnes is known for documenting American communities that have been
ignored or misrepresented by the mainstream media, including the dying
communities of the Old West, and inmates in the California State Prison.
