These pictures were taken 11/11/05 and 11/13/05 at the 2005 Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix Int'l Raceway. Click on any thumbnail and a new window will open with a larger version so you can see the details. These pictures were taken with our Panasonic Lumix FZ20, 5 mega pixel, 12 power optical zoom camera.

	Saturday morning Nextel Cup Qualifying. Jeff Green heads towards his car. He'll be first out.		Jimmie Johnson walks down pit road towards his car. Jimmie rolls off second.
	Michael arrives at his car. Sure are a lot of photographers on pit road.		Jeff Burton walks past Michael on the way to his car.
	Jeff Burton reaches his car as Michael climbs into his car.		Ryan Newman crashed Friday at the very end of "Happy Hour". His qualifying run will be the first lap on the car. A crewmen checks something in the wheel well as an Official watches very closely!
	Almost Carl Edwards' turn. Jack Rousch keeps a watchful eye on the proceedings.		You can just make out Ricky Rudd at the back end of his car. Bobby Labonte is leaning on the pit wall chatting with Ken Schrader.
	Rusty is up next. A cameraman shoots through the passenger window to record Rusty's preparations for his last qualifying effort at Phoenix.		Mark Martin is in a retro paint scheme. This car got a lot of cheers all weekend. It's a throwback to his ASA days.
	Sunday morning - driver introductions and a lap around the track. Starting 43rd is Jerry Robertson Starting 42nd is Michael Waltrip		Starting 33rd is Ken Schrader Starting 32nd is Mike Bliss
	Starting 31st is Scott Riggs Starting 30th Travis Kvapil		Starting 29th is Mark Martin Starting 25th is Jamie McMurray
	Starting 27th is Mike Skinner Starting 26th is Rusty Wallace		Starting 25th is Jeff Burton Starting 24th is Elliott Sadler Couple crewmen were tossing a football on pit road. They threw to Elliott but were a little late & it passed behind the truck.
	Starting 23rd is Jimmy Spencer Starting 22nd is Kasey Kahne This year Jimmy got way more cheers than boos. Seems he is gaining in popularity!		Starting 21st is Dale Jarrett Starting 20th is Ricky Rudd
	Starting 19th is Dale Earnhardt Jr Starting 18th is Joe Nemecheck		Starting 16th is Matt Kenseth Filling in for the suspended Kurt Busch and lining up 17th on the starting grid is Kenny Wallace. Kenny is in uniform borrowed from Greg Biffle. He'll drop to 40th starting spot after the pace laps.
	Starting 11th is Ryan Newman Starting 10th is Jeff Gordon Man that truck is packed with media people!		Starting 9th is Tony Stewart Starting 8th is Kevin Harvick
	Starting 5th is Bobby Labonte Starting 4th is Greg Biffle		Starting 3rd is Carl Edwards Starting 2nd is Jimmie Johnson
	And in only his sixth Nextel Cup start Denny Hamlin will start from the pole.		The scoring pylon shows the starting grid. {I wish PIR had a pylon that shows all 43 starters instead of just the top 15}
	Pretty cool fly over in a clear blue sky!		Couple pace laps and they'll be ready to race.
	Denny is hoping to lead the first lap.		PLEASE Bobby - have a good run!
	Bunch of guys in their next to last run before going to new rides in 2006
	Kenny Wallace in the #97 drops to the back of the field. He must be nervous.		Tony Stewart sure wants to get past Jeff Gordon.
	Pit stops and Denny's team is hustling to best Greg's team.		Greg gets out of his pit first.
	But Denny's pit is closer to the line and he crosses 1st.		The rest of the field makes a mad dash to gain position.
	Mike Bliss has a rather long pit stop.		Finally Mike is away but he'll be deep in the field.
	Shadows are getting long in Turn 1. The sun down the front stretch must be right in the driver's eyes.
	More pit stops. Watch out Ryan - Matt is right there!		Greg is gonna beat Denny this time.
	Lap 208 -- CAUTION: After being tagged by Bobby Labonte, Scott Riggs spins and hits the wall. Jamie McMurray also spins.