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ABOUT JERRY
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I started taking
racing photos shortly after getting my first camera at age 7. My
first action shots were from the 1972 Donnybrooke Trans-Am road
course race in Brainerd, MN. They weren't the greatest, however my
dad did teach me how to pan and I actually got a few okay shots that
day. The majority of the shots I took, however, were from the pits
or paddock after the races up until mid-1979. In that year I got my first 35 mm SLR camera, a Pentax KX, purchased for $150 with paper route money. This was my primary camera that I used at rallies, ice races, and road races until 1998 when I upgraded to a Pentax P3. In 2005, I upgraded again and went digital buying a Pentax ist*DS digital SLR. In the mid-80's I had pretty much mastered taking action photos at road course races at both Brainerd International Raceway and Road America. In 1986 I went to my first rally, the Ojibway Rally, held in Grand Rapids, MN. From that point on I fell in love with the sport. I started posting my first photos online from the 1998 STPR rally on Jim Konkler's site, www.rallysport.com/comicozzie after being urged by fellow rally organizers. This made it one of the first U.S. rally photo sites, if not THE first. After taking trips to Prescott Forest and Lake Superior Pro Rallies later that same year, I posted even more photos online and the site was born. In 2004, Jim helped me start www.comicozzie.com as its own site.Why ComicOzzie? In 1978, my brother Tim started the Comic-Ozzie Racing Team in the International Ice Race Association series. Tim, along with my other brother Mike, raced Datsun 510's in the early 80's. In 1985, I joined the team at age 19. The team was known for the Japanese rising sun flags painted on the hoods, doors or entire sides of the cars. (Get the connection: Comic-Ozzie = Kamikaze) By 1987, Tim and Mike had both retired from regular ice racing competition, but I continued on with the Comic-Ozzie Racing Team name through the years. I kept the name for the site, however I shortened it to ComicOzzie. Unlike many of my other fellow photographers, I try to shoot the entire field at an event, not just the front-runners. I've seen a lot of careers start and have taken photos of many of the top drivers BEFORE they made it big. Over 2008, I hope to keep adding more photos from the over 75 individual rallies that I've taken photos at since 1986. I plan to also add more old photos from various road races (IMSA, CART, Trans-Am, Can-Am, Grand-American, ASA, etc.) and ice races (IIRA, I.C.E., and Pro-Ice) held in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and occasionally Canada. Keep checking back. Thanks for checking out the site! Jerry |
