Mark Roden MRA Racing Images

I have been using a camera in one fashion or another since I was 6 years old.  In the beginning I took what I could get, whether it was an instamatic Polaroid, 8mm video or small, disposable negative film cameras.  If you could take a photo with it, it was in my hand.

Starting out with landscapes, I quickly moved into racing photography in the early to mid-80’s, when I began going to drag races.  A local SCCA Porsche Club happened to have an event at the small town airport near my home, and I developed a taste for road racing.  As luck would have it, the next few years would supply me with ample opportunities for exactly that.  In 1985 I attended my first Indianapolis 500, and it blew up from there.

Over the years I have photographed top fuel dragsters, indy cars, many other classes of road racing vehicles, the Race Across America, which consists of vintage road cars, dirt track racers such as Sprint cars and Modifieds, boat dragsters and jet cars. 

In all this time, I figure the most exposures have been at Indianapolis and at a few drag strips in Texas.  I have honed my skills trackside, from the grandstands, and occasionally have been lucky enough to sport a media badge. 

My focus has been on gaining the best access possible in order to take the best photos that I can.  I would like to continue growing as a photographer and will spend many weekends out of each year devoted to doing just that.  If I can manage to put together a nice yearly portfolio then that would be a good end result of my efforts. 

My latest work starting in 2023 is being posted to the PistonClick website as well as my own MRA Racing Images website.   I will continue to focus on road racing, as well as gaining an interest in 2-wheel classes such as Superbikes and MotoGP as the opportunities present themselves.

MRA Racing Images reports for PistonClick