Dark Matter Photos (2026)

01/03/2026

Joe S Salazar definitely won a few awards (and hearts) the night Street Invasion hosted a meet at Roswell Aquatic Center and Park

RHD, RB26, wrapped in a stunning Blue
This is definitely a car you need to stop and admire. The signature body lines, circular taillights and audible exhaust, scream memories of running the 317 through Tokyo, while taking championships at Japan Grand Touring Championship.

Even if domestic is your flavor, the craftsmanship of the Nissan Skyline is one for all to enjoy.

01/03/2026

A combination of photos from Friday night and the Saturday No-Prep event.

With a freshly scrubbed track, finding traction alongside finding a personal best was one of the few challenges many racers faced.

With a new type of event at Alien City Dragway , we surely hope this will be something we will see on a regular basis.
Whether you live here or traveled from afar, or if you raced or was a spectator.
ACD greatly appreciates each and EVERY single person that came out to watch some weekend racing.

As for the man behind the lens, I'll be looking forward to seeing you at the next one 😎👉

28/02/2026

Here. There. Gone.

A fun night of shooting with a day full of new opportunities will lead to a weekend to remember.

27/02/2026

IG: Jeezyy_hd sitting tucked

15/02/2026

My stint at Smoke Mayhem was brief due to time constraint, but the impact was immediate. The event doesn't just live up to its name—it defines it.

It’s a masterclass in contradiction: a wild collision of showroom-clean trucks and total mechanical destruction. Shrouded in a thick haze of tire smoke, there’s an underlying current of respect that you simply have to witness firsthand to understand.

What looks like pure chaos from the outside is actually a high-energy community fueled by mutual love and a shared adrenaline habit. It’s "controlled madness" in its purest form.

A massive shoutout to the organizers and vendors for providing this community with a sanctioned stage. In a world of restrictions, Smoke Mayhem offers a rare, safe haven for those who live to let the rubber fly.

01/01/2026

The love for the track started early with trips to the strip with my dad. After a long break, I found my official way back in mid-2024—this time behind the lens.

Dark Matter Photos began in 2023 as a simple project for the local Autocross scene. Coming to current fruition in May 2024, since then, it’s exploded into a near full-scale media presence across SE New Mexico and West Texas.
My goal has always been simple: encourage more racers to show up and make sure the memories of the day last forever.

I run DMP as a labor of love. It’s a near-zero-profit mission, aside from a few tips, to highlight the best (and most affordable) racing in our corner of the map.

From the smoke of the drift pads to the roar of the drag strip—and even the occasional airshow—I strive to give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

The bar for 2026 is officially raised.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who has liked, shared, and followed, mentioned, recommended, referred, and supported me, with everything else in between. Without you, this page wouldn’t exist.

I have big goals for next year, and I can’t wait to achieve them alongside all of you.
-Dave, DMP

31/12/2025

Day 31 of my Top 31 features Jon Fierro and his custom built open wheel racecar designed to race specifically out at AutoX Roswell, NM

With the help of Adam as the mad scientist and Fierro as the willing assistant,
It began not in a high-tech laboratory or a pristine design studio, but on the cold, unforgiving surface of a garage floor where the two men gathered like ancient architects plotting a revolution.
Fierro sat cross-legged on the concrete, watching in silence as Adam took a piece of chalk and began to manifest a mechanical dream directly onto the gray slab, sketching out lines that would soon transform into a tubular reality.
This wasn't just a project; it was a debt of honor being paid in steel and sweat, guided by the ghost of legendary designer Colin Chapman and the weathered pages of Formula 1 technical manuals salvaged from the 1960s.

The machine’s structural soul took shape as a Mittler Brothers bender arched chrome-moly into a skeleton echoing the legendary Lotus 49, though reimagined for the technical violence of autocross rather than the sweeps of Monza. This engineering alchemy required flipping a Super Beetle transmission’s ring gear to suit a mid-engine layout, powered by a Porsche 914 flat-four meticulously massaged for peak efficiency.
Adam performed surgical back-cuts on the valves and shaved the cylinder jugs to skyrocket compression, while filing piston rings in anticipation of the massive turbocharger and racing cam waiting to be bolted on before next season.
This power reaches the pavement via a Stage 2 clutch and a fully adjustable pedal box, allowing Fierro to tune every millimeter of engagement. The chassis transitions into a masterpiece of physics through a split-beam front suspension with inboard shocks, a setup designed to slash unsprung weight and centralize mass for telepathic turn-in.
With Wilwood brakes featuring cockpit adjustable bias and sticky Toyo R888R tires, the car responds to every input from the Momo wheel and quick-ratio rack with surgical precision, feeling less like a garage project and more like a direct extension of the driver’s own nervous system.

30/12/2025

Day 30 of my Top 31 features Charlie and his 1998 328i.

Don’t let the understated Bavarian lines fool you; this E46 is a total monster in hiding. Under the hood, the European heart has been ripped out in favor of a 400hp 6.0L LS powerhouse, mated to the bulletproof CD009 transmission for lightning-fast shifts under pressure.

This setup proved to be the winning formula for the 2025 season, where Charlie absolutely dominated the Whiskey Garage Drift Series. By clinching two round wins and securing two more top-six podium finishes, he solidified his spot at the top of the leaderboard.

The carnage didn't stop there, as Charlie took his talents to Drift Colorado Group B for a guest appearance. Even against a fresh field of competitors, he threw down enough angle and smoke to sn**ch a second-place trophy. Reflecting on a massive year, Charlie sends a huge shoutout to his tire sponsors at for providing the consistent, reliable grip needed to keep the car on line. He also wants to extend a heartfelt thanks to the crew and friends who have been in the trenches with him, helping him progress through the beautiful, tire-shredding chaos we call drifting.

29/12/2025

Day 29 of my Top 31 features a 2 car stable, a 1991 Camaro and a 1968 Nova, both piloted by John Kennard

In the world of bracket racing and heads-up hauls, consistency is king—but raw power is the crown jewel. From a tube-chassis 1/8-mile rocket to a championship-devouring '68 Nova, this team is proof that when you find the right combination of driver, tuner, and steel, the winner's circle becomes a second home.

When it’s time to get aggressive, the team rolls out Ben Thomas’s 1992 Camaro. This isn't your average F-body; it’s a full tube-chassis beast designed for one thing: survival at high velocity.

Under the hood lies a screaming 496ci Supercharged Big Block Chevy that provides enough boost to wrinkle the slicks on every hit. Channeled through a bulletproof Powerglide transmission, this setup is a model of efficiency. With the owner watching from the lanes, the driver puts this machine through its paces, consistently lighting up the boards with blistering 5.40s in the 1/8-mile. It’s a violent, beautiful display of forced-induction fury.

While the Camaro brings the thunder, the 1968 Nova brings the hardware. Owned by the driver and piloted by John, this Chevy has become the most feared car in the staging lanes.
The heart of this legend is a 509ci Big Block sourced from the wizards at Reher-Morrison, paired with a precision-shifted Powerglide. Crew Chief CJ Kennard is the secret weapon here, ensuring the dial-in is deadly and the car is flawless.

The results speak for themselves. This Nova hasn't just been winning; it’s been dominating:
3-Time Consecutive Super Pro Class Champions
3-Time Consecutive "King of the Track" Winners
3 Straight Track Championships
Out at Alien City Dragway

In a sport where a thousandth of a second can end your day, winning three straight championships is more than luck—it’s a dynasty. Whether it’s the supercharged rush of the '92 or the bracket-breaking precision of the '68, this team has found the winning formula.

28/12/2025

Day 28 of my top 31 features Charles and his 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder.

While the Spyder is often celebrated for its nimble, lightweight chassis, Charles has transformed this midship runabout into a precision-engineered sleeper that punches far above its weight class.

The journey starts beneath the surface, where the handling is sharpened by a suite of TRD underbody bracing and a front strut tower bar. To keep the car glued to the asphalt, he opted for BC Racing BR coilovers featuring aggressive 8k/10k springs and Whiteline sway bars, ensuring every corner is met with flat, predictable turn-in.
Under the rear decklid, the stock 1zz engine has been given a massive personality shift thanks to a Monkeywrench Racing air-to-air intercooled Garrett GT2860RS turbo kit. Fueled by DeatschWerks 700cc injectors and orchestrated by an AEM EMS-4, this forced-induction setup breathes fire through the mid-engine layout, with vital signs monitored via a crisp set of AEM gauges.

Harnessing that power requires more than just a heavy right foot, so the drivetrain was reinforced with a Fidanza lightweight flywheel and a rugged MWR Gorilla Clutch. The power flows through an MWR-built 6-speed transmission, upgraded with SSC 3rd and 4th gears and a TRD L*D to ensure every bit of the 252 hp finds traction. That power finally meets the road through a set of 16" O.Z. Racing Ultraleggera wheels, wearing a staggered grip setup of Toyo R888R rubber up front and R1R’s in the rear for a perfect balance of steering response and launch stability.

This MR2 Spyder is a true workhorse, clocking triple the track time of most competitors because both of Charles's sons also get behind the wheel to race it.

Charles is a long-time veteran of the sport who has been a mainstay at AutoX Roswell, NM since it began. His passion for racing started in high school and continued throughout his college years, where he competed as often as possible.

27/12/2025

Day 27 of my Top 31 features and his 2001 Lexus IS300
While the world sees a refined Japanese luxury sedan, Mike sees a canvas for mechanical chaos. His IS300 is a masterclass in the "built, not bought" philosophy, trading leather-wrapped comfort for the raw, visceral feedback of a dedicated drift machine. The heart of this build is the naturally aspirated 2JZ-GE, an engine Mike humorously downplays, yet when paired with a manual swap and a one-piece driveline, it transforms the Lexus into a high-revving scalpel on the tarmac.
To handle the violence of competitive drifting, the drivetrain is anchored by a 4.10 differential featuring solid bushings, ensuring that every ounce of torque is transferred instantly to the rear wheels. This setup is designed specifically for an aggressive driver who isn't afraid to stay pinned against the rev limiter. Getting a long-wheelbase sedan to dance requires a total reimagining of the footprint, which Mike achieved using Silvers coilovers for high-speed stability and a angle kit for the "steering-lock" wizardry necessary to save a run from a spin.
Mike’s precision behind the wheel can be traced back to his roots in the dirt. Raised under the wing of sprint car veteran Richard Herrera, Mike treated every gravel path as a training ground. These early lessons in car control at the edge of stability made him a natural when he officially hit the pavement in 2020.
Now, five years into his journey, that practice has paid off in gold; Mike solidified his status as a local legend this season by taking two 1st-place finishes at the Whiskey Garage competitions.
Behind every great driver is a crew that keeps the wheels turning. For Mike, that is SkidSquad—a team that functions less like a formal club and more like a family dedicated to the art of the slide.

From the grip of his NRG bucket seat, Mike isn't just driving a car; he is orchestrating a symphony of tire smoke, extreme angles, and mechanical persistence.

Dark Matter Photos

01/03/2026

01/03/2026

28/02/2026

27/02/2026

15/02/2026

01/01/2026

31/12/2025

30/12/2025

29/12/2025

28/12/2025

27/12/2025

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