Kart shot at Miller

[tri99sprint]

Still working on my panning skills.....long way to go.
C&C welcome.
This driver is 9 years old, competing in our Jr1 4-cycle class. Great racing, if you ever get a chance to watch Jr1's race....you will be highly entertained.

[DC Fan]

Looking at that kart image brings up an observation.

Among the quirks of getting an effective "panning" image is that some of the unwritten rules of sports photography don't apply when you're trying to create motion blur.

The above image has an exceptionally clean background in the wonderful, blue sky. However, the sky is so exceptionally clear that there's not much to blur, and a blurred background - as seen below - helps greatly to create the illusion of movement.

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090927aa0004.jpg

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090927aa0103.jpg

So often, we're told that action photographers need to watch their backgrounds to isolate subjects from clutter, and need to use the fastest possible lens, used wide open, to help with that isolation. Panning shots can bring situations where that clutter can be used in your favor.

This is not a criticism of the original image in this thread. It was taken from a great angle and has no shortcomings. In just about any case, the sky can be the best background you can find. That sky would be a wonderful backdrop for a portrait and it does a great job of framing and isolating the kart.