Pace Images’ Top Ten of 2019

Ben Roehlen of Pace Images photographed the big events through 2019. Here’s his much anticipated Top Ten of the year.



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#10 – Kicking off the 2019 Top Ten countdown with this pack shot from the Gold Coast 600 Race of Stars. The Cadet 12 fields have been massive all year, and it’s always a busy track when the lights go out. This was the start of the final with every inch of the track being used on the approach to turn one.
#9 – The sun sets over Newcastle Kart Racing Club on the Thursday evening at round 2 of the 2019 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship. The clear skies didn’t hang around, with a huge downpour on Saturday morning flooding sections of the track.
#8 – Sunday at the final round of the 2019 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship at Todd Road and Ky Burke crosses the line to seal the Cadet 9 Championship. In the rush for me to get from the finish line to the scales shed to cover as much of the celebration as possible I passed his dad Scott. The pride and emotion on his face says it all!
#7 – Respect and sportsmanship are the most important values I think every sports person should hold and thankfully we see plenty of it at the kart track between drivers. I was pleased to capture lots of moments of sportsmanship this season across all classes, but this one stood out to me. This is the Eastern Lions Kart Club’s annual Junior Sprint meeting, as Nicholas Sacco and Bailey Collins cross the finish line in the KA3 Junior final. Normally the winner looks for the camera or their team/family and celebrates but after a great weekend of battling, Nick and Bailey wasted no time congratulating each other over the line.
#6 – Was great capturing Toby Callow’s Tasmanian Kart Championship win at the Southern Tasmania Kart Club recently. With the finish line being so close to the scales shed, it allowed me to cover the win as well as the reaction with family shortly after. Toby’s older brother Jackson was the first to congratulate him on his KA3 Junior State Title.
#5 – This was a fun photoshoot with Zed Corse to kickstart the 2019 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship at Ipswich. The Burns twins were patient for a long time as we played around with flashes and lighting on the Thursday night of the event.
#4 – One of my favourite sessions of the year is Practice 1 at the Newcastle Kart Racing Club on the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship weekend. I always head to the “Ski Jump” to see who is testing out the infamous kerb. This year I caught heaps of karts in every class launching into the air. Taylah Agius set the bar pretty high in her KZ2 kart right at the end of the session getting all four wheels clear of the tarmac in a big way. It was a beautiful sunny day adding great colour and the wind blowing the SP Tools flags the right way at the right time completed the background. Although its not the fastest line, or the friendliest line for your chassis, it sure makes for an awesome photo.
#3 – Round 1 of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship at Ipswich and a quiet moment at the out grid gate between Jon Targett and his son Oscar. Jon needs no introduction, with a huge list of achievements as both a driver, mechanic and mentor to karters around the world. Love capturing natural moments like these in the pits as weekend strategies get murmured between drivers and their dad, mum or team. Maybe they’re talking about lines, pressures or setup. Or maybe they’re just discussing what they’re having for lunch?
#2 – To date, this is the most shared photo that Pace Images has posted. The smiling cadet 9 racing the City of Melbourne Titles at Todd Road ended up being shared by pages based as far as Texas and Finland. I’m glad the joy on Preston’s face wasn’t hidden by a tinted visor because it turns a pretty simple, basic image into a very special one. Where he finished the heat race didn’t matter, he was having a great time and enjoying himself which is all that matters. What this image doesn’t show is him patting his steering wheel on the cool down lap as if he was thanking his trusty steed.
#1 – Capturing the emotion in sport is important. Capturing it in a sport where the drivers are covered from head to toe can be a big challenge, so you need to be on your toes to be in the right spot at the right time. It’s always fun grabbing win shots at the finish line and in the scales shed, but capturing the other side of the sport is just as important. Unfortunately in motorsport, there are more hard luck stories than there are victories. There can be only one winner in a class of thirty plus drivers. It’s a character building exercise, as drivers turn disappointment or frustration into motivation for the next race. This shot was captured midway through the KZ2 Final at the Monarto round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship. Following a mechanical issue in Qualifying, Henry had his work cut out for him in the heats. Passing 37 karts across four races he was set for a great result in the final. Unfortunately the last race came to an early, crushing end following an on track collision. I didn’t enjoy taking this photo as he returned to the pits, because I know how much work and passion Henry pours into his racing. But I knew it was a moment that needed to be captured as I think that every driver would know this feeling. The bad days make the victories that much sweeter.
  • Several of the images from this countdown appear in a 2020 Calendar that Karting Australia’s COO, Lee Hanatschek, is selling to raise funds for Tour de Cure Australia. They’re only $15 with all proceeds donated directly to the cause. See HERE.
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