DAVID ALLIO MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY AS A
PROFESSIONAL MOTORSPORTS PHOTOGRAPHER IN 1999

SPARTANBURG, SC -- David Allio will mark his 25th Annivarsary as a professional photographer in 1999. Beginning in 1974, at the age of 19, Allio has compiled a resume of over 1500 motorsports photographic assignments on three continents.

"My career began on the local short tracks of Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina," Allio recalled. "I was fortunate to grow up in a time and place where NASCAR Late Model Sportsman racing was thriving. When I was 18, and starting my career, the prominent short track drivers were Dale Earnhardt, Tommy Ellis, Harry Gant, Gene Glover, Ray Hendrick, Jimmy Hensley, Tommy Houston, Jack Ingram, Butch Lindley, Sterlin Marlin, Bob Pressley and Morgan Shepherd. I could see these guys race three times on a good weekend, and that was almost every weekend throughout the summer. The timing was great and the photo opportunities were excellent. With the emergence of the Winston Racing Series and the Road to Charlotte Invitational program, I had the commercial resources for a dream career as a full-time professional motorsports photographer."

Allio's images have appeared in or on the cover of every major motorsports periodical. His motorsports art has also been featured in special exhibitions.

"I am self-taught in photography," Allio said. "All I had in the beginning were a few Kodak technical books, a private darkroom in which to experiment with various films and photo papers, and the desire to succeed. The early lessons learned regarding photography at local tracks - Bristol International Speedway, Kingsport International Speedway, Lonesome Pine International Raceway, Martinsville Speedway, and North Wilkesboro Speedway - proved valuable as my assignments grew to include over 250 race tracks. If I could make it work at these local tracks, it worked just about everywhere. In fact, despite my travels, most of the magazine covers and photography awards I have accumulated over the past 25 years have come from images created at these five race tracks."

Over the past 25 years, Allio has amassed an estimated 250,000 motorsports images from over 1500 assignments at over 250 different race tracks on three continents. Although the majority of the stock images are from some form of NASCAR stock cars, the archive also includes road racing, dirt racing and drag racing.

"My first attempt at starting a professional career came on Labor Day weekend in 1974 at Kingsport International Speedway. It was rained out," Allio recalled. "So, my break-through professional assignment came at Martinsville Speedway in the Cardinal 500 Late Model Sportsman and Modified doubleheader in October, 1974. For every event since then there is a quick story or piece of historical trivia to go with the photographs."

Allio was married in 1977. He and his wife, Lin, have two teenage children, Michael and Linsay. In addition to his Eagles Nest darkroom and studio in Wise, Virginia, David currently maintains a digital imaging office near Chesnee, South Carolina.

"Considering the fact that I was legally blind for the first 24 years of my career as a professional photographer, it's not been a bad 25 years." Allio smiled. "Since my eye surgery in December of 1997, I've had to learn the craft and how to apply the magic all over again."