INDIANAPOLIS — Bravo, Max!
Max Dolder has a big day coming up on June 3, when he’ll step forward to be inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Iowa. It’s a thrilling and emotional payoff for a lifetime of pressing the shutter release on a camera and recording racing history for this and all coming generations.
We’ve seen that photo credit countless times through the years — Max Dolder Photo — so it isn’t surprising that Max made it to the Hall of Fame. He earned his way with all those road miles, all those nights at the track, all those hours in the darkroom and at the keyboard. Max is a “lifer,” the kind of guy who devoted just about everything to the love of his life — sprint car racing.
My mind drifts back to our early days, when Max and I first crossed paths at the Little 500. Max and I share a mutual love for that race, and that’s when I first experienced Max’s most endearing trait: enthusiasm. Max loves racing and he wears that love on his sleeve. Spend just a few minutes with him and you, too, will love racing — all the more.
Max is definitely a free spirit. Born and raised in Iowa, he discovered racing as a young boy at places like Newton and Knoxville. One day, at 22 years old, Max left for Florida on a whim with a friend. He’s been a Sunshine State resident ever since.
Along the way Max built a reputation as one of the top racing photographers in the country. It was exciting to get to know the guy responsible for those great images in Open Wheel Magazine. That magazine was a big deal, and so was Max. His images were sharp and interesting, capturing major stars and weekly racers with equal definition. I’m sure it took many years to learn the craft, but Max made it look easy.
Max also loves music. If you want to really get him going, hand him a harmonica and engage him in a discussion of the low-down dirty blues. His eyes will widen and he’ll speak with great love for the icons: Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King. He’ll also talk with great affection for modern blues artists as well. When Max feels it, you’ll hear it. He’ll grab that harp and blow away all of the worries of the moment.
So much has changed during the arc of Max’s career. The early days of shooting film yielded to slides, and then digital came upon the scene. Whether one would argue that this is good or bad doesn’t matter; it just is. The media world has changed as well, and today an image can be shared with the world almost instantly. It’s a constant fight to get people to place value on your craft and your images, and everyone seems entitled to consume “content” free and clear, all they want and right now.
The good news is that all the angst and upheaval in today’s world cannot take away the joys, friendship and happiness of previous days. Max is part of a dynamic and enduring generation of racing media people who forever shaped our sport and laid the foundation for today. The people he met and the places he visited are like a ray of sunshine that can’t be shaded.
Speaking of friendships, Max has made more than a few. I can’t help thinking of some of his photography soulmates that have left us: Jack Gladback, Steve Remington, Ken Coles, Dennis Krieger, Doug Auld … it’s a formidable list. That’s all the more reason to celebrate Max going to the Hall of Fame, as it is a validation that his work — and his impact — is enduring.
Max is a low-key guy, not prone to blowing his own horn. He still sees himself as a common guy who took pictures. I see him in a different light, and always have. He’s a superb shooter who also happens to be a superb person. He has contributed more to our sport than he could ever receive in return.
Guys like Max, they make the world a better place.
Enjoy your big day, Max, when you take your place in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. You deserve it, buddy, every moment. I’m privileged to call you my friend and I’m forever in awe of your ability behind the camera.
Bravo, Max!
This story appeared in the April 19, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
