Dirt
TRIBUTE
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Tim Marshall
rag racing recently lost one of its most iconic
photographers. Tim Marshall, a 53-year drag racing
photography veteran, passed away on January 21, 2018,
due to pneumonia complications. Marshall’s name may
not be a household name like Garlits, Prudhomme
and Glidden, but have no doubt he was just as important to the sport
of drag racing as the big names we all know. I am sure you have all
seen his work.
Marshall was born on November 25, 1946, and grew up in Pasadena,
California. He began shooting races in the early ‘60s at various local
venues. Marshall was an Irwindale track regular back in its heyday
and often shot for both Drag News and National Dragster. He was a
photographer for the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany from 1966 until
1969. In 1977, Marshall was named the photo editor for both Hot Rod
Magazine and Petersen’s Specialty Publications division. During the
1980s, he continued to freelance for Hot Rod, where many of his great
shots often graced the cover. Marshall also covered events for Super
Chevy and Super Stock magazines.
Marshall moved to Las Vegas in 2003. He served as contributing
editor for Drag Racing Online and continued to freelance for various
Dr ag Illustr ated
online and print publications until his sudden passing. He was a track
photographer at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Division 7 photographer for
19 years and was proud to be a big part of the inaugural Nitro Revival
at Barona Speedway in 2017. Marshall was also a very big part of the
local Las Vegas scene as a roving freelance photographer, often shoot-
ing concerts at the Fremont Main Street Experience and other venues.
Marshall was a drag racing photographer long before digital technol-
ogy. Unlike today, there were only a handful of photographers during
the days of film photography. Why? Because if it were easy everyone
would do it. Before there was digital, you rarely wasted a shot, as film
was very expensive. Before digital, you never got to preview or correct
your work, and before digital, you spent hours trying to dial in your
meter, push your ASA and all photographic boundaries to freeze the
action of the fast-moving cars in low light. None of this was easy, yet
Marshall and photographers of his era persevered, producing amazing
work enjoyed by generations of drag racing enthusiasts.
I first met Tim nine years ago on the wall at the Street Car Super
Nationals in Las Vegas. We had a mutual friend in “240” Gordie Bonin
and hit it off instantly. Like Gordie, Tim was a great storyteller. We
would often share the wall, where he always made me, the rookie, feel
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