Tampa, FL – TBARA President Buff Fritz announced today that the club has reached agreement with officials at Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. to be the presenting series sponsor for the 2012 race season. The series will now be known as the Safety-Kleen Systems TBARA Sprint Car Series.

“We are very excited to reach this agreement with Safety-Kleen Systems and look forward to helping market Safety-Kleen’s environmentally responsible cleaning solutions to race fans and racers alike all over the southeastern United States,” said Fritz. “We at the TBARA feel that our passion for providing the best in pavement sprint car racing in the southeast and Safety-Kleen’s passion for keeping workplaces safe by keeping the environment clean is a good fit. Safety-Kleen has partnered with some of the finest teams and series in motorsports so we are honored to have them as a marketing partner for the 2012 race season.”

As one of the few areas in the country that has winged sprint car racing on pavement, when the TBARA competes at short tracks all over the southeastern United States, they generally re-write the track record books and pack the stands.

“We are very excited about partnering with the TBARA for the 2012 race season,” added Drew Patey, Director of Safety-Kleen Motorsports. “The TBARA has an almost 40-year tradition of sprint car excellence and we at Safety-Kleen have a track record of excellence in developing practical green processes for business for over fifty years. We feel this is a good fit and look forward to working together for years to come.”

The Safety-Kleen Systems TBARA Sprint Car Series has a 15 race schedule for 2012, covering Georgia and Florida. The Safety-Kleen Systems TBARA Sprint Car Series kicks off their season during SpeedWeeks at New Smyrna Speedway on February 19. For the entire Safety-Kleen Systems TBARA Sprint Car Series schedule, please visit www.tbara.net.

About Safety-Kleen.

Safety-Kleen is a leading North American used oil recycling and re-refining, parts cleaning and environmental solutions company, with approximately 4,300 employees serving more than 270,000 customer locations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Safety-Kleen provides a broad set of environmentally-responsible products and services that keep North American businesses in balance with the environment. For more information, please visit www.safety-kleen.com or call (800) 669-5740.

All TBARA owner / driver membership dues and car number requests must be turned in and paid in full by February 10, 2012. Please send to:

Buff Fritz,

5661 SE 9th St,

Ocala, FL 34480

The race schedule for the 2012 TBARA Race Season has been released. Go the the schedule section of the tool bar.

Attention all TBARA members, our Annual Meeting will soon be approaching, so please send in any proposed rule changes, nominees for President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasure by December 10th to Buff Fritz. You can contact Buff Fritz via the following:

P: 352.342.6051

E: bfritz123@cox.net

Thank you.

Over the years, many tans have come to identify the sport’s icons through his excellent photographs, which have been featured in most racing publications. One of his latest contributions is on the cover of Doug WoIfgang’s autobiography Lone Wolf. A dinosaur of sorts who slaved over chemicals and film canisters in earlier years, Gene enjoys the camaraderie of his fellow shooters with their digital cameras and as one of their elder statesmen, he strives hard in setting a high standard for them to follow.

Gene Dale Marderness was born on June 15, 1942, in Reinholds, Pennsylvania, to parents (and race fans) Clarence and Margaret Marderness. During his first visit to the races, at age four, he stopped to watch the race cars warm up at the Reading Fairgrounds. When they pulled the trigger and flashed by in near proximity to the front stretch wall, Gene quickly felt a challenge to his well-being and he headed for safety out the front gate. He was quickly reassured by his parents and promised a more fan-friendly spot for future races.

The mold was cast for his future in racing photography when his dad shared his Kodak ‘Brownie’ camera with Gene at the races. Gene started taking photos at Williams Grove Speedway in the late Forties and shortly acquired a better 35mm camera. One of his most treasured oldies was taken in 1952 with the “Brownie” of one-legged speedster Bill Schindler signing autographs at the Grove. Obviously this was during the heyday of Tommy Hinnershitz, whom Gene Marderness also greatly admired.

Only the sport of baseball posed a bigger threat to his racing-oriented endeavors. Gene was a pitcher in high school, college, and at least 15 years with the semi-pros in the Lebanon (Penna.) Valley League. He was an accomplished ball player and was approached after college by a scout with the New York Mets, a deal he nixed largely because of an injured elbow. He laughs when asked if his interest in racing photography was driven by a quest for cash. He says the only time he could rely on an income from his shooting was “during a short stint as the track photographer at Collier County Speedway (Florida) from 1977 to

The move to Florida, where he taught school until recently retiring, was made in 1970. During this time, he has served as the photographer for both the Tampa Bay Area Racing Association (TBARA) and the Checkered Flag Sprint Series (CFSS).

The cost of traveling has proven to be a major obstacle in Gene’s endeavors, but he has seen races from coast to-coast in his search for the perfect shot. His semi-pro baseball reimbursement wasn’t going to cover his expenses, so for the majority of the time his trips were subsidized by his teaching pay.

In the late Sixties through the mid-Seventies, Gene’s efforts at documenting the sport were focused on his 8mm movie filming. But, by 1976, Gene realized that still shots were the only way he could pay his way and fans today continue to reap the rewards. Gene continues to produce his beautifully-colored, razor-sharp images of the men and machines in the fleeting moments that make our sport magic. He is very respectful of the men at work, the teams, and he is not expecting any special rights to be granted with his pit pass.

He speaks glowingly of the access that he has been granted to the sports legends, including Jan Opperman and Gary Patterson amongst others. One of his more famous photos is from the very first World of Outlaws (W00) awards banquet in 1978, featuring Bobby Marshall, Shane Carson, Rick Nichols, Dub May, Bobby Allen, Steve Kinser, series organizer Ted Johnson, Danny Smith, Johnny Beaber, Rick Ferkel, Sammy Swindell, Lee Osborne, and Don Mack. The late Dick “Toby” Tobias was another favorite of Gene’s to photograph.

He has developed many life-long friendships with members of the media, fans, and the competitors themselves. Life on the road provides opportunities to share, and a common bond is natural among the traveling band of brothers.

Gene first teamed up with supreme storyteller John Sawyer in 1977 at East Bay Raceway and they formed the perfect pairing to share their experiences at races coast-to-coast. Their works regularly appeared in Stock Car Racing magazine and they hounded editor Dick Berggren to produce an open-wheel racing edition. Thus, Lopez Publications’ Open Wheel magazine was born and shortly became the open-wheel racing fan’s most-treasured possession. Gene’s 1979 posed shot of Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Rick Ferkel with their (non­winged) sprint cars, with Ted Johnson in the background, was featured in Open Wheel magazines issue number one.

In the earlier years, most of the racing photography was on-track action. Marderness was in awe of the work of John Mahoney with his more personal driver shots. As one who appreciates the artistry of those around him, Gene started concentrating on getting more portraits of the sport’s icons.

Gene also credits shooter Mike Arthur, whose work he admired for years, for helping him make the transition from film to the more modem digital ‘memory storage’ disks. Mike continues to lend him advice on getting the best results with a computer. Marderness is amazed by anyone who races, whether they are regular winners or not. He enjoys the work of other photographers and says that as a group, they are very helpful with their advice.

Besides writer John Sawyer and photographer Gene Marderness, the ‘Three Amigos’ included shooter Ken Coles, whom Gene befriended in the mid­Eighties. Gene says that neither he nor Ken was particularly technical about the use of their cameras, but the results are legendary. Ken was masterful at his art and it took Gene’s urging to finally get him to put his images on sale via a website. That was shortly before Ken Coles’ passing away in the spring of 2010.

Gene Marderness continues to live in Fort Myers, Florida, with his wife, Sue. They have three children, Matt, and twins, Melissa and Jennifer.

By Tony Martin

Thanks to all of the TBARA car owners for coming out and supporting the club this year.

Thanks to all TBARA competitors for coming out and racing with us this year.