A lot of work and preparation goes into the process of preparing for a new NASCAR season. Obviously team members are working hard on building new cars, testing equipment, parts and pieces and developing a strategy for the start of the next year.
While the race teams themselves are busy with competition preparations, marketing and public relations representatives for sponsors and teams are just as busy with preparations of their own. A new season means revised materials, new paint scheme and uniform designs and more. Media materials are in the process of being prepared as well as merchandise for souvenir sales. An important element in all preparations is photography.
UPS faces the task of preparing materials for two drivers for the 2008 NASCAR season as veteran driver Dale Jarrett will run a total of seven events in 2008 before up-and-coming driver David Reutimann takes over the driving duties of the #44 UPS Toyota beginning at Martinsville Speedway in late March. Both drivers participated in a photo shoot in late November to capture images of the drivers and the new paint scheme for the 2008 UPS Toyota.
The 2008 UPS Toyota features the familiar brown and white that has become synonymous with the NASCAR program. Orange 44s grace the driver and passenger sides of the car. New to the 2008 edition of the car are yellow accents highlighting various areas of the car. The splitter and roof rails are yellow which accents the predominant brown and white color.
The driving suits are opposites for 2008 as Jarrett will wear a predominantly brown uniform while Reutimann wears a predominantly white firesuit accented with brown along the arms and legs. Individual shots were captured of each driver with and without the car as well as some images of both drivers together with the UPS Toyota.
Capturing images of the drivers and the car however, was only one element of the day-long shoot as a film crew was also on hand capturing audio during interview sessions. For Jarrett, it marked the last such photo shoot in which he'll participate as he prepares to pass the torch to his successor Reutimann. Jarrett took the opportunity to advise the younger driver as they both prepared for shots of the two by the car.
"I forgot to tell you this is the worst part about this whole thing. I've been here since 5 a.m.," said Jarrett, who actually arrived at 9 a.m. the day of the shoot where soft music was routed through a sound system.
"Well they do have some nice opera music going on for you so that is good," Reutimann bantered back.
A lot of directives and poses were shouted across the room throughout the nearly six-hour photo session. Jarrett has participated in a number of photos shoots since he started competing on a full-time basis in NASCAR more than 20 years ago. For Reutimann, the process is still something of a novelty.
"I'm not a seasoned pro like DJ is at this sort of thing," Reutimann said.
Throughout the day a number of different images were secured. Drivers posed by themselves while the photographer secured images of the drivers from the waist-up, full body, with and without a helmet, with sun glasses and without, from the side and more.
In a more poignant moment at the shoot the film crew captured Jarrett removing his own name from above the driver side door of the car so as to replace with Reutimann's name for the second half of the shoot in which only the younger driver would participate.
"Last show," Jarrett grinned, signaling his own "wrap" for the day. It was the first "last" of a lot of things.
