Fast Lane: The NASCAR Photography of Darryl Moran

FAST

LANE

The NASCAR Photography of Darryl Moran

WoodmereArtMuseum

FAST

LANE

The NASCAR Photography of Darryl Moran

CONTENTS Foreword by William R. Valerio 4 A Conversation with Darryl Moran 6 Works in the Exhibition 26

July 14, 2018 – October 28, 2018

WoodmereArtMuseum

FOREWORD Darryl Moran is a special artist in the universe of

Thank you, Darryl, for telling us the story of your

Woodmere Art Museum. A photographer of the

experience with NASCAR and for offering comment

highest caliber, he has been our partner in many

when we dissected formal properties of your

projects. He recorded the process of fabricating

photographs. In the context of the history of art

Dina Wind’s monumental sculpture, Spring &

in Philadelphia, where commercial illustration and

Triangle (2016), documented the move of Harry

storytelling are central forces, your work fits neatly

Bertoia’s Free Interpretation of Plant Forms, and

into that trajectory.

recently accompanied me on several trips to the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg to photograph the murals of Violet Oakley. On an ongoing basis, he has captured the excitement of our exhibition openings, parties, concerts, and holiday celebrations. Darryl has a talent for being

As with every other exhibition at Woodmere, our staff, especially Rachel McCay and Rick Ortwein, poured talent and creativity into their selections and installation that built the exhibition into an experience.

right in the middle and out of the way at the same

A special expression of gratitude goes to Nick

time.

Yzzi, Woodmere’s Director of Finance. NASCAR

When I asked him where he learned his craft, Darryl responded that NASCAR “beat it into me.”

This exhibition grew from the curiosity spurred by that comment. Darryl worked for NASCAR for five years in the 1990s, and it was there that he grew fearless in climbing high or low to get the right angle, became expert in responding to varying light conditions, and learned to position himself squarely in the center of the action. He also learned how to hone in on the emotions of a given situation; his job at NASCAR, in the crucial years of the company’s

represented a new area of learning for just about everyone on Woodmere’s staff, but not for Nick.

As he describes in the podcast episode that accompanies this exhibition, Nick was a professional race-car driver in his younger life and he remains an ardent NASCAR fan to this day. The rest of us came to understand Moran’s photographs in part through Nick’s eyes, and he brought the thrill and culture of the race to life for us. Who else would have suggested that Woodmere should host a tirechanging contest?

growth, was to put a face to the race, making it a

Woodmere is immensely grateful to the army of

spectacle that people could relate to on a human

members and donors who made this exhibition

scale. This was to participate in the growth of a

possible.

cultural phenomenon, and it seems right to share the visual record of that with Woodmere’s visitors.

WILLIAM R. VALERIO, PHD

The Patricia Van Burgh Allison Director and CEO

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Above: Rich Bickle with Team Owner Darrell Waltrip and ESPN pit reporter Marty Reid, Martinsville Speedway, Virginia, 1997 Left: Jeff Gordon’s DuPont-Sponsored Car and Engine Before Practice, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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A CONVERSATION WITH DARRYL MORAN

On April 17, 2018, photographer Darryl Moran discussed his NASCAR work with Woodmere’s William Valerio, The Patricia Van Burgh Allison Director and CEO; Rick Ortwein, Deputy Director for Exhibitions; Rachel McCay, Assistant Curator; as well as Stephanie Marudas, Founder and Executive Producer of Kouvenda Media.

WILLIAM VALERIO: Darryl, thank you for meeting

with us today. Tell us the story of how you began working at NASCAR as their first “official” photographer.

DARRYL MORAN: I worked as a color mixing

specialist for DuPont Automotive Finishes in Lionville, Pennsylvania. They had a huge warehouse, storage facility, sales. I mixed paint for UPS, Ryder, and many other corporations’ vehicles.

VALERIO: You were doing this by eye? This was a

job that had to do with the precision of your visual sensibility?

Darryl Moran (left) and Jeff Gordon (right) at DuPont, 1993

MORAN: Yes, to a point, but I also had formulas for

paints, sent them off, and found out that they were

the colors. In 1992, DuPont decided to get involved

actually the paints for Jeff Gordon’s first NASCAR

in NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car

Winston Cup car.

Auto Racing). Their tagline was that DuPont was the official paint finish of NASCAR.

The following year, in 1993, Jeff completed his first full season in the NASCAR Winston Cup series.

DuPont drafted or signed on Jeff Gordon, who was

From day one, DuPont gave all of us who were

an up-and-coming sprint car driver with a lot of

involved in the Refinish Division in Lionville pit and

talent. They already knew he was going to make it

garage passes. We went to Dover International

to NASCAR, to the Winston Cup series, which was

Speedway and Pocono Raceway and had access

the former name of the highest level of NASCAR

to the driver’s area, pit row, and the garage area.

racing.

My full-time position was with DuPont, and I

One day at work I was given paint mix formulas for colors I had never seen before. They were rainbow colors with a metallic base coat. So I mixed up the

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was photographing weddings and parties on the weekends. Going to the races opened up a whole new opportunity for me to photograph something completely different. I took my gear to the races,

Jeff Gordon with Then-Wife Brooke Observe the National Anthem, Dover Downs International Speedway, Delaware, 1997

and just started shooting everything I could that

trucks you see stickers—marketing, marketing,

showed what NASCAR was behind the scenes. I

marketing. Every vehicle had stickers, which meant

had the amazing experience of being there with

that they paid to have that logo on there, and they

Jeff Gordon at numerous races over the years.

wanted it to be seen.

Most of my photos at the time were around the DuPont car. I eventually started shooting for DuPont at charity events and other private events involving the DuPont crew as well. My images were used in their publications, and their sales team gave out prints of my Jeff Gordon images as perks for their customers.

I started getting the sponsors’ contact info and mailing my photos to them. For them, the corporate names and logos were important in my shots. I was printing eight-by-tens of what I thought were cool shots of their drivers in the pits, or in the garage, or with their crew chief, or with their team. I just really loved the behind the scenes

VALERIO: A quality of your photography is how

of NASCAR. I loved being right there in the middle

the words and logos interact with the action.

of it.

Your upside down Flinstones image (page 65) is a favorite of mine.

At some point, without me knowing, sponsors were sending my photos to NASCAR headquarters.

MORAN: At the races, I started getting to know

NASCAR saw the photos and one day my phone

other sponsor reps, and I started understanding

rang. I remember looking at my caller ID, and it

that NASCAR was about racing and selling

came up “D-Y-T-N-A I-N-T-L S-P-W-Y” Daytona

products. Everywhere you look on the cars and

International Speedway! I kinda froze, and didn’t

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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answer right away. My wife said, “Are you going

here we go—I’ve broken some kind of copyright

to answer the phone?” I snapped out of it and

law. I said “I’m not selling these pictures, I swear to

answered. A woman named Robin said, “Hi, I’d

God, I’m doing it for fun!”

like to speak to Darryl Moran.” She said, “My name is Robin. I’m the PR and marketing director for NASCAR.” Needless to say, at first I’m like, okay,

Before I got a chance to say anything else, she said, “I just want to let you know that we’re sitting here with a number of your photos spread out on our table in the boardroom. You’re capturing images of NASCAR the way we want it to be captured. You’re capturing the behind-the-scenes moments—“ and her exact quote was—“the human dimension that we’ve been asking the guys on the media circuit to do. All we’re getting from them are the cars on the track, the trucks on the track, the cars wrecking or the trucks wrecking, and then Winner’s Circle and nothing else.”

She asked if I would be interested in coming down to Daytona, to NASCAR headquarters to discuss becoming NASCAR’s first official photographer.

Jeff Gordon (back row at center) with Darryl Moran and DuPont Colleagues, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1993

VALERIO: Wow, that’s an incredible story!

MORAN: That same trip, after the meeting, I got

measured for my race-day uniform. I had three different uniforms—practice, qualifying, and the full race-day uniform. I met Bill France, Sr., the founder of NASCAR, who was the president of the organization at that time, and then was shown the schedule, which I believe began on January 26 in Orlando on a track that doesn’t even race anymore.

I had to tell DuPont that I was resigning.

STEPHANIE MARUDAS: What a whirlwind of

changes for you. There are probably some visitors who’ll come to see this show who’ve never watched NASCAR. Take us onto the track. What does it feel like? What does it look like? What does it sound like?

Darryl Moran at DuPont with Jeff Gordon’s DuPont-Sponsored Car, 1993

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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Flagman Chris Morgan Drops the Checkered Flag, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997

MORAN: Did you ever hear the term “rolling

front of them and draft behind to get less wind

thunder?” Well, when you’re at a field with about

resistance.

forty-five cars with 800 horsepower, and they go by you at 140 to 150 miles an hour, you see why they call it rolling thunder. You feel the power of the cars when they go by. You can almost feel the suction of the air, that whoosh as they go by you. I was

MARUDAS: So, as a photographer, you start out in

wedding photography and now you’re down there, almost on the race track. Did you have to try to block out all the stimuli around you?

dirty by the end of a race from the cars kicking up

MORAN: No, I looked for it! Once I was working

everything on the track. I’d take off my goggles and

for NASCAR I began looking for the high-action

my ears were all white—it was a mess.

moment, the enthusiasm and the interaction. From

It pulls you in. I hear people say all the time, “Oh, NASCAR, who wants to sit and watch a bunch of cars just go round, and round, and round?” But it’s more than that. When they go by you at 150 miles an hour, you feel it. What you’ve got to remember is that those guys are strategizing. They’re trying to pass each other. They want to win this race. All

my point of view as a photographer, I appreciated that I could look at the inside, the making of, the behind the scenes, and I always wanted to share that. This is how they start, how they get ready, what the engines look like, how they climb into the cars. I really loved being able to show people all of that.

of them are vying for position out there. Every one

I was more like a photojournalist telling a story. I

of them wants to climb to the front. Drafting is one

would start out each race from the beginning, from

of their techniques; they’ll tuck up near the car in

the time we got to the track with the officials to FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

the unloading of the vehicles, inspection, practice,

MORAN: NASCAR—like any business, company,

qualifying, and so on. Then, when you get to race

professional sport, organization—had its ups and

day, the excitement starts building up and the

downs over the years, but eventually refined itself in

crowd starts coming in. Someone once said, “Every

the 1990s and became what it is today, expanding

NASCAR race is like a Super Bowl.” I wanted to

its market, reaching out into areas around the

capture that feeling and enthusiasm from the fans

country where it hadn’t been, building more diverse

and the buzz of the action. Every single race is like a

crowds. They opened up new tracks in places like

Super Bowl. Every track is always sold out.

Topeka and Seattle and Bakersfield, California.

VALERIO: NASCAR’s focused on your ability to

NASCAR hadn’t been in those markets before.

capture the human side of the race. Your work

Around that time they also decided to try to reach

also shows the transformation of NASCAR into a

another part of the fan market by introducing the

national and international sport, a growth that took

NASCAR Craftsman Truck series. A lot of today’s

place in the 1990s.

top Cup drivers started in the Craftsman Truck

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series.

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Jasper on Steps, 2015, by Elizabeth Osborne (Courtesy of the artist and Locks Gallery, Philadelphia)

One of the biggest forces in the growth of NASCAR

VALERIO: They had image needs for specific

in the 1990s was the star power of their top drivers,

marketing initiatives like trading cards. Did you

Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Gordon was the

shoot photographs for that?

golden child of NASCAR and Earnhardt was “the Intimidator.” He was the seven-time Winston Cup champion, the guy that nobody would ever beat or replace. There was a rivalry between the two of them and it generated attention and enthusiasm, and led to new avenues for marketing the sport. For example, NASCAR started issuing trading cards.

They developed the same type of marketing and advertising that’s used in football, baseball, and

MORAN: Probably, but I would never know what

happened to my photographs unless I happened to recognize my work in a magazine or on a billboard. After every race, I handed over all of my photographs to the NASCAR marketing rep.

He took them back to Daytona and I would have no clue how they used them until I saw a track program or something with my name on it.

hockey.

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Mike Bliss, Winner of the No Fear Challenge Race, California Speedway, Fontana, 1997

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Watkins Glen International, New York, 1996

I had two different cameras all the time. NASCAR

RICK ORTWEIN: So it was a seven-day-a-week job?

would give me an itinerary, a list of things that they

MORAN: Sometimes I would literally go to the lab

wanted me to photograph. I had to get pictures of

that Monday night, or that Sunday night if we were

the Winner’s Circle, for example. With my second

on the East Coast. Back then I used FedEx and UPS

camera I could photograph whatever interested

to get the photographs to the sponsors. The closest

me. These were mine to keep and then drivers,

FedEx overnight was in Allentown and I dropped all

marketing sponsors, executives, team owners, crew

that stuff off and then had to get back home and

chiefs would ask me for them. After every race,

get ready for the next race.

I’d have a complete album from the week with all the images numbered, and they would come

I loved doing it. The drivers were some of the least

through, pick out what they wanted, and write

egotistical people I’ve ever met, and they’ve got

down the sizes, and I’d go back to my buddy’s lab in

more money than anybody I know. You’d never

Pittsburgh and he’d develop them.

know it. They didn’t live like it, they didn’t act like FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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it. You could tell that they really appreciated where

VALERIO: Is this aspect captured in any of the

they came from and where they were.

photographs?

One of the first things that NASCAR told me before

MORAN: No. Anytime there was a serious crash

I went out to my first race was that it’s good to get

I had to hand over all my film to NASCAR. I’m a

to know the drivers, just don’t get close. I never

sports fan. I love all major sports. I bleed Eagles

really understood what that meant until I became

green; I love the Flyers and the Sixers. One thing

very good friends with Kenny Irwin, Jr., and he was

that NASCAR has always prioritized is that they’re

killed at Loudon in New Hampshire. It really tore me

very family-oriented, way more than I’ve seen in any

up. Then I understood what they meant: it’s OK to

other professional sport. You could tell that these

be friends and to get to know them, but don’t get

guys cared about each other and the causes they

too close, because you never know. You never know.

got involved in and family.

MARUDAS: Were you there, unfortunately, when he

When you’re in NASCAR, you’re looked at as

passed?

part of the NASCAR family. Even if you’re the

MORAN: Thankfully, no. He was killed after I had

resigned. Even the fans become like family at that moment, at that point.

photographer, you’re still part of that family. If something happens to you, everybody is there for you. Everybody would be there to support you, whether you’re a crew chief or one of the pit crew

ORTWEIN: When there’s a tragic event, is there a

or the transport driver. Everyone was very close-

memorial at the next race?

knit, very open, and very appreciative of the fans.

It’s the fans that are buying DuPont automotive

MORAN: Not really. Every driver knows and accepts

finish, Tide laundry detergent, and Valvoline motor

the risks. They know if you get in that car this might

oil, and so on. The drivers, the crew, and the team

be the last time. It’s not something they talk about.

of NASCAR have never forgotten that. It’s why the

By the time of the next race, during the driver

drivers make themselves accessible. They’ll set up

meeting, they might say, “We all lost so-and-so last

hospitality tents and invite their guests over, the

week. It was a tragic loss,” but then we’ve got to

employees of the sponsor companies.

move forward.

RACHEL MCCAY: You mentioned in a previous ORTWEIN: It’s not hanging over the fans?

MORAN: The fans will pay tribute, probably even

for the rest of the season, like in other professional sports. When somebody from the team that had a big impact dies, they’ll put their initials on the helmet or something like that. You’ll see that on

conversation that NASCAR is a team sport. It’s not just the driver, it’s a team and your photography captures the teamwork of the race. One that stands out for me is Jeff Gordon and His Pit Crew; it captures the fact that everybody on the team has a job, and they’re working like clockwork.

the cars or the trucks. It wasn’t like they just forgot

MORAN: This photograph shows a pit stop. During

about them, but it’s just like anything else. They

a race, a driver pulls into the pit stop and gets four

have to move on.

new tires, a full tank of gas, and a little adjustment

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Kenny Irwin Jr., Team Owner Brad Daugherty, and Crew, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Jeff Gordon and His Pit Crew (Rainbow Warriors), Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

in the suspension if needed. It’s all pretty much

This race was in Phoenix, so the windshields would

done in under twenty seconds.

be covered in bugs. The cars would either have tear-

VALERIO: Can you describe what the individual

people are doing in the photograph?

strips, like a plastic strip over the windshield or the guys would literally stand there and scrub them off.

The guy standing over the windshield is probably

MORAN: The guy on the far right is holding a metal

taking care of the bugs. Usually it was a tear-strip

sign with Jeff Gordon’s number so when he drives

because they could get all the bugs off in one shot.

into pit row he knows where to stop. The guy on the passenger side of the car is the jack man. When they jack up the car, it’s usually done in one pump and the car’s up. By the time the car’s in the air, the lug nuts are already off, then the tires are off, and the new ones are on before you can even blink.

The guy at the back of the car with the wrench is there for the suspension. It means the driver was complaining that the car was tight or loose.

When they tighten it or loosen it that helps adjust the suspension so the driver doesn’t feel like he’s slipping on ice when he hits a turn, or fighting to

The guy pushing the tire toward the car is pushing

bring it down into the turn. There are little tiny

a new tire out. You can tell the tire hasn’t been used

adjustments they can make and again, it all happens

yet, because you can still see the center line. There’s

in the pit stop within about twenty seconds.

a guy whose job it is to pull the old tire off while the other guy’s standing there rolling the new tires out.

You’ll hear every driver say, “I’ve got to thank my team, my crew chief, my sponsor.” I photographed all team members: crew chief, pit crew, everyone.

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Dale Earnhardt Celebrating with the Driver of His NAPA-Sponsored Car, Ron Hornaday, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 1996

Jack Sprague Congratulating NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Winner Ron Hornaday, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 1996 FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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VALERIO: Your photographs also capture a sense

of the space of the tracks. How do you compose a photograph like this one with Glen Plake?

MORAN: I shot this from the flag stand, at the start

of the race. When the drivers come around the track they look up at the flag man who tells them how many more laps there are with the pace car before the race starts. The race begins with three laps, during which everyone is driving behind a pace car.

When the pace car pulls off the track, the drivers can let loose. They drop the green flag and the race begins. I was standing right next to him when the field of cars came down the track. I positioned myself there because it was a great opportunity to get the field and the fans in the same frame. It’s a unique vantage point.

VALERIO: It’s a brilliant shot that captures the

sensation of the race. You also use the stadium and the field as large masses that interplay with the figure stretching horizontally as the road reaches back in space with mountains in the distance. The dynamism of the picture has to do with the way the

Glen Plake Dropping the Green Flag, California Speedway, Fontana, 1997

masses interact. The photograph of the NASCAR transporter was a strange beauty; again it’s about

in there. There were about thirty of us. We didn’t all

a contrast of forms: the hard edge of the truck

work in there. All the race action would be reported

against the organic mountain range.

to the truck. Once the back was opened up, the

MORAN: This is Fontana, California. The mountain

drivers would come in and register, and so on.

range is usually covered by fog. The truck is actually

Other trucks of this size brought the NASCAR cars

the NASCAR headquarters. My locker was in there.

in them. Each team had its own transporter that

The templates for the cars were in there along with

would bring their car or cars or trucks. The racing

all kinds of computer equipment.

cars and trucks don’t drive on the road. They have

VALERIO: So, this is the office truck?

MORAN: That’s the office—they called it “The White

House.” The president of NASCAR would ride in there as well. Behind the driver there was a full seating area with a TV. All the officials would ride 18

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to be transported from race to race on these giant trucks.

ORTWEIN: Once you were hired by NASCAR, did

you have any difficulties gaining deep access?

“The White House” NASCAR Officials Transporter Arriving at California Speedway, Fontana, 1997

MORAN: No, I had access to anything, everywhere.

better? How could I get the cars to look a little bit

At the driver’s meeting, they would ask me, “So,

better? What didn’t I get? I built plans for ways to

where you are starting the race today?” If they

improve. Now when I look back and I see my years

had a special guest, like they’d have two people

and years of prints and publications and magazines

in the pace car, they would let me know, “So-and-

I know that NASCAR opened up so many doors for

so’s going to be driving with a special guest in the

me. It gave me the professional experience I needed

pace car today. Do you want to start from the flag

to make a career out of photography.

stand?”

NASCAR also constantly kept me practicing and

MCCAY: How do you think working for NASCAR

taking nearly every kind of photograph, from the

has informed the rest of your career?

technical to the candid. I’m dealing with vehicles going 150 miles an hour, night races, action, pit row,

MORAN: One of the most amazing things about

guys moving, running, jumping, moving equipment

NASCAR was that there was always so much going on, so I had to think fast. I had to learn to anticipate.

This definitely helped me—it honed my skills, but

around, throwing things. There’s also wives making funny faces and kids sleeping on tires. My time at NASCAR taught me to constantly look for things

it did it quick, because every single race flew by

from a different perspective. I’ve always been that

and you only have one chance to get the shot

way, but it just kept me constantly practicing and

sometimes. I also had to learn to handle pressure. I had to learn to handle fast turnaround. I also literally

constantly getting better.

had to learn how to travel and live out of a suitcase,

VALERIO: You used a Canon camera with

which got old really quick. This was the most

35-millimeter Kodak film. Did that have an impact

challenging part of working for NASCAR.

on how these pictures looked? We will include some

As a photographer, I was able to improve my skills from race to race and I would always look back at each race and go, well, what could I do a little bit

of your printed photographs that you developed.

For example, we’re including the signed portrait of Harry Gant. There’s an intensity of color and a way

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Inside Mark Martins’s Team Valvoline–Sponsored Car, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997

that light and dark is captured that’s different from today’s digital photographs.

MORAN: I miss the look and feel of film, but that’s

it. I prefer everything else to be digital. There’s a depth and a realism that you don’t get with digital.

I’m not saying you don’t get great photographs digitally, but there’s something about the look of film. It’s almost like comparing the sound of a CD to a vinyl record. I still enjoy listening to vinyl records, and honestly think it’s the best format to listen to music.

VALERIO: One of my favorite photos gives a sense

of the interior of a spaceship-like, white car. Is that a human being in there?

MORAN: That’s Mark Martin, one of the coolest

drivers. He is a genuine guy on and off camera. This is inside his car, where he’s surrounded by a steel cage and roll bars.

VALERIO: Those are the things that protect the Harry Gant, 1996

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driver?

Boris Said Federated Auto Parts-Sponsored Truck, Texas Motor Speedway, 1997

MORAN: Yes, they prevent the driver from being

through the window. It’s like Richard Petty said,

crushed. NASCAR is very safety oriented. They take

“there’s nothing stock about a stock car.”

it extremely seriously. If there is an incident and

VALERIO: The way his hand comes torward the

somebody gets hurt, NASCAR will go above and

viewer, it pulls you into the photograph, and you

beyond to correct or prevent it from happening

expect to see a human face, and you don’t.

again, but again, in racing, nothing is guaranteed.

That car could flip at 150 miles an hour, roll ten

MORAN: It puts you right in there with him. Now

times, lose every piece of sheet metal on it, all the

think how they feel when they’re inside there.

tires and everything else, and the driver will get out and have a glass of water. I’ve seen it happen. The

VALERIO: Could we talk a little bit about gender in

steering wheels come off, by the way. Otherwise the

the world of NASCAR? I mean, it’s a man’s world.

drivers couldn’t get in or out.

MORAN: You could say that about just about any

MCCAY : Because you said the car has no door?

pro sport.

MORAN: There are no doors. The drivers climb in

VALERIO: Are there women drivers now in

NASCAR? FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Tammy Jo Kirk, 1997

Miss Winston, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997

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Tammy Jo Kirk’s Lovable-Sponsored Truck, The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wisconsin, 1997

MORAN: Danica Patrick drove the Go Daddy car

standard cars and trucks into modified vehicles

until 2017. There have been a few others. Tammy Jo

that could outrun the police as they hauled their

Kirk drove the Loveable-sponsored truck back in

moonshine at Daytona Beach.

the 1990s.

VALERIO: What about Miss Winston?

VALERIO: I can’t think of any aspect of driving that

makes a difference if you’re a man or a woman.

MORAN: Her character name was “Miss WInston,”

but her actual name was Blaire. She is the model

MORAN: I think that fewer women are interested

face of NASCAR. She’s the one you see in the

in becoming NASCAR drivers, and more interested

Winner’s Circle with the drivers when they’re

in everything else around it. Why aren’t there more

getting their pictures taken. She’s also the one who,

female drivers? If you look at the stands, roughly

at the time when the championship was sponsored

one-third of the fans are women, but the field is

by Winston cigarettes, walked around with the big

all men. Women were and continue to be involved

case full of cartons of cigarettes for the drivers

in NASCAR not only as fans, but also as owners,

and the crew chiefs. She knew this driver smoked

officials, sponsors, and executives. NASCAR was

Winston, this driver smoked Camel.

a Southern sport that began with men turning FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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MORAN: My wife called when I was in Phoenix and

told me that my youngest son, Bryan, had said his first words—and I wasn’t there. Not long after that I was in, I believe, Northern California, at Sears Point Raceway and Bryan took his first steps. I had missed other things, too, with having two other kids, Briana and Logan. I still regret missing those moments. I decided I didn’t want to miss anything else. It was also starting to take a toll on my family in other ways.

It was a bittersweet decision to stop working for NASCAR, but I don’t regret it. A lot of people asked me over the years, “Do you regret that you resigned?” Not even a little bit. I will always be able to look back at NASCAR as an amazing opportunity.

NASCAR opened the door for me to develop my craft in photography, the profession that I’m passionate about. It led to where I am today. Not only am I proud to say I’m a regular photographer for Woodmere, but also the University of Pennsylvania, the Franklin Institute, the Barnes Foundation, Eastern State Penitentiary, and many other places in and around Philadelphia.

Ricky Rudd, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

VALERIO: Thank you, Darryl. Yours is a fascinating

story in the arts of Philadelphia.

VALERIO: Back in the 1990s, were there black

drivers?

MORAN: There were a couple who tried in the

1990s and didn’t qualify. NASCAR encouraged black drivers. Expanding the sport to reach an African American audience was also a goal of the expansion of the 1990s. There are some black drivers today.

ORTWEIN: Why did you stop working for

NASCAR?

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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Flagman Chris Morgan Drops the Black and Red Flags, Texas Motor Speedway, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION All photographs are by Darryl Moran (American, born 1966) and are courtesy of the artist.

PRE-RACE Fuel Crew Member at the Pumps, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

Fans Gathered at Drivers’ Meeting, Flemington Speedway, New Jersey, 1997

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Crew Chief for MBNA Driver Ward Burton, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

Fans Gathered at Drivers’ Meeting, Flemington Speedway, New Jersey, 1997

Fans Gathered at Drivers’ Meeting, Flemington Speedway, New Jersey, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Rusty Wallace’s Miller-Sponsored Car and Kenny Schrader’s Budweiser-Sponsored Car Before Practice, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997

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Jerry Nadeau’s Cartoon-Network Sponsored Car on Scale for Race Day Inspection, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1998

Mike Skinner’s GM Goodwrench-Sponsored Car, Texas Motor Speedway, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Right: NASCAR Official Dani Riggs Holding Jack Sprague’s Quaker State– Sponsored Truck on Pit Row during Practice, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, 1997

Kenny Wallace, Derrike Cope, and Michael Waltrip, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

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Darrell Waltrip, Ernie Irvan (with daughter), and Mike Skinner (in background), Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

Kyle Petty’s Hot Wheels–Sponsored Car, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1998

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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California Speedway, Fontana, 1997

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Johnny Benson, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

Ernie Irvan (with daughter), Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Goodwrench-Sponsored Car Loading onto Transporter, 1997

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Rich Bickle Sears Diehard-Sponsored Truck, Texas Motor Speedway, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Pit Crew for Butch Miller’s New Orleans Hotel and Casino-Sponsored Truck, California Speedway, Fontana, 1997

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I-70 Speedway, Odessa, Missouri, 1997

Watkins Glen International, New York, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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National Anthem, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, 1997

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National Anthem, Indianapolis Raceway Park, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Mesa Marin Raceway, Bakersfield, California, 1997

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FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Robert Pressley Signing Autographs, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

John Andretti Signing Autographs, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

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Kenny Wallace Signing Autographs, Dover Downs International Speedway, Delaware, 1997

Ward Burton Signing Autographs, Dover Downs International Speedway, Delaware, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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START OF RACE

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Flagman Chris Morgan Signaling Drivers before Start of Race, California Speedway, Fontana, 1997

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Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Jeff Gordon’s DuPont-Sponsored Car, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

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Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Kenny Irwin Jr. with Team Owner Brad Daugherty, Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, Florida, 1997 (Woodmere Art Museum: Gift of the artist, 2018)

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PIT ROW

Bill Elliott’s McDonald’s-Sponsored Car during a Pit Stop, Phoenix International Raceway, 1998

“Who Said Races Aren’t Won and Lost in the Pits?,” Mike Bliss’s Pit Crew, 1997

Richard Petty’s NASCAR Cummins Diesel–Sponsored Truck Driven by Rich Bickle during a Pit Stop, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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RACE

Jimmy Howell Throwing a Caution Flag, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

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FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Pit Crew, California Speedway, Fontana, 1997

Pit Row, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

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Jerry Nadeau’s First Trust Bank–Sponsored Car Blowing a Tire, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1998

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Crash, Kevin Harvick Spears–Sponsored Truck, Watkins Glen International, New York, 1997

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Spinout in Turn 4, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Left: Spinout in Turn 4, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

Right: Spinout in Turn 4, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

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Spinout in Turn 4, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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WINNER’S CIRCLE

Kenny Irwin Jr. in the Winner’s Circle, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, 1997

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Kenny Irwin, Jr. and his Mother, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, 1997

Junk Tire, The Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wisconsin, 1997 FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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DRIVERS

Ernie Irvan, 1996

Kyle Petty, Dover Downs International Speedway, Delaware, 1996

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Jeff Gordon, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997 FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Michael Dokken in his DANA Dodge-Sponsored Truck, Texas Motor Speedway, 1997

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Darrell Waltrip, 1998

Terry Labonte, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Dale Earnhardt, Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

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CAR DESIGN

Above: Jerry Nadeau’s Cartoon Network– Sponsored Car, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

Right: Cartoon Network–Sponsored Car, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1996 (Woodmere Art Museum: Gift of the artist, 2018) FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Right: Darrell Waltrip’s TabascoSponsored Car, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1997

Kyle Petty’s Hot Wheels–Sponsored Car, Pocono International Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania, 1998

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Right: Bill Elliott’s McDonald’sSponsored “Mac Tonight” Car, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997

Left: Kenny Irwin Jr.’s TonkaSponsored Car, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997 FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

Phoenix International Raceway, 1997

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OWNERS, OFFICIALS, AND CELEBRITIES

Brad Daugherty Viewing His Driver Kenny Irwin Jr., Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, Florida, 1997

Singer Tanya Tucker, Phoenix International Raceway, Arizona, 1997

Chuck Norris and His Son, NASCAR Truck Driver Eric Norris, Indianapolis Raceway Park, 1997 FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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NASCAR Vice Chairman Michael Helton, Race Day Director Wayne Auton, and NASCAR Vice President Dennis Huth, Richmond International Raceway, Virginia, 1997

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Woodmere Art Museum receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

Š 2018 Woodmere Art Museum. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.

Support provided in part by

Photography by Darryl Moran unless otherwise noted. Catalogue designed by Woodmere Art Museum and edited by Gretchen Dykstra.

The Philadelphia Cultural Fund.

Cover Image: Phoenix International Raceway, 1997 FAST LANE: THE NASCAR PHOTOGRAPHY OF DARRYL MORAN

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