Ron McQueeney
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ron McQueeney was an American sports photographer. He served as Director of Photography at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway starting in 1977 until his retirement in 2011.
Ron McQueeney was born in Denver, Colorado. He was raised in Plainfield, Indiana.[1]
Career
McQueeney started working at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) as a part-time photographer in 1972.[2] He became Director of Photography at the IMS in 1977. Until his retirement, he annually photographed the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400, the United States Grand Prix (when it was in Indianapolis), and the MotoGP. He also managed Indy Racing League's traveling photography staff starting in 1996 until his retirement. He also managed the photo archive at IMS which has over 4 million images in the collection.[1]
He is credited with moving the IMS into digital photography. The first digital photography shot at the track was in 1998 with a Canon that cost $20,000. In 2003, the track stopped using film.[3] He managed photography at other events, including all Team Penske owned race tracks and the Detroit Grand Prix and Dallas Grand Prix. McQueeney has spoken internationally about photo safety at racing events.[1]
McQueeney's work has been used in IndyCar video games.[4] His work has been published in and/or used by National Speed Sports News, Indianapolis Monthly, Motor Trend,[5] USA Today,[6] Street Tech,[7] Today,[8] The Birmingham News[9] and other publications and books.
Notable works
McQueeney was responsible for staging many legendary photographs at the track. In the winter of 1983, he received permission from then IMS track superintendent Charlie Thompson to bring Gordon Johncock's winning car from the 1982 Indianapolis 500 to the track for a photo shoot at the track in snow. In 1989, Emerson Fittipaldi became the first Indy 500 winner to win more than $1 million. Two days after the race, McQueeney set up Fittipaldi's winning car on the track with the Borg-Warner Trophy and had more than $1 million in cash piled upon the car to celebrate the win. The piece has been nicknamed "the money shot."[2]
Awards and recognition
McQueeney collected Corvettes and in 2007, he was named an honorary member of the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car Registry.[1]
Personal life
McQueeney lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was married.[1] He died on July 14, 2025, after complications from a stroke.[10]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Ron McQueefey becomes Honorary Member of the Registry!". Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car Registry. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- 1 2 Ralph Kramer (March 7, 2009). Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 100 Years of Racing. Krause Publications. pp. 202–. ISBN 978-1-4402-1928-3.
- ↑ "Long-Time IMS Photographer Retires". Inside Indiana Business. Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ↑ "Ron McQueeney". Moby Games. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ↑ Demere, Mac. "Pennzoil World of Outlaws - Controlled Crash". Motor Tredn. MotorTrend Magazine. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ↑ Foyt, A.J. "A.J. Foyt bids season farewell with solid showing in finale". USA Today. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ↑ Parker, Scott (March 19, 2015). "Ethanol: Opinions May Vary". Street Tech. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ↑ Baskas, Harriet. "Rev up for Indy 500's 100-year anniversary". Today. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ↑ Demmons, Doug (July 10, 2009). "Dale Earnhardt Jr. apologizes for not running better". The Birmingham Times. Retrieved May 22, 2015.
- ↑ Cavin, Curt (July 16, 2025). "Ron McQueeney, Longtime IMS Photographer, Dies at 80". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
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