About the Photographer & Writer

A seasoned photographer and photojournalist, Karen Will Rogers shot all the photography featured in Pit Road Pets. Laura Lacy gathered and compiled the stories shared by those featured in the book. Both Rogers and Lacy collaborated on an earlier book, Music Row Dogs & Nashville Cats: Country Stars and their Pets (Simon & Schuster, 2004), which featured photographs and stories from country music stars and their pets. That book, which benefited humane efforts in their hometown of Nashville, Tenn., served as the inspiration for Pit Road Pets.

About the Photographer, Karen Will Rogers

Karen Will Rogers, a professional photographer, owns and operates
the Karen Will Rogers Photography Studio in Nashville, Tenn ( www.karenwillrogers.net ). After leaving Los Angeles 10 years ago, she started her own photography business with a focus on music and entertainment clients, portraits, models, fine art, weddings and commercial photography.

With a soulful eye and a passion for animals, Rogers uses her talent with the camera to capture the relationships between people and their pets, creating timeless images of their bonds. She did all the photography for a previously published book, Music Row Dogs and Nashville Cats: Country Stars and Their Pets, released by Simon and Schuster.

Rogers has been living in North Carolina to shoot the photography for Pit Road Pets, and in doing so has developed a new love for racing. As she says, "I believe it’s essential to be the voice for the animals to help send the message to honor our pets, because they are gifts; and to stop excess pet litters, because the truth is that they all don’t get
homes."

About the Writer, Laura Lacy

On the fast track of the entertainment speedway, Laura Lacy has worked with movie stars, country music stars and NASCAR stars to learn about their love of pets. A native Virginian, Lacy comes to this project by way of New York, Los Angeles and Nashville, where she ran her own event planning company for executives and celebrities. Lacy has held diverse positions in the entertainment industry, including assistant to the stars, art direction and production, and now writing her second book about the furry and the famous, all for “the cause.” As Lacy says, “We have beautiful animals in shelters that need loving homes.  These generous celebrities will help us make a difference because they care, and they have a voice that can be heard.”

Lacy and Rogers have teamed up on two projects to date: Music Row Dogs and Nashville Cats: Country Stars and Their Pets (Simon & Schuster 2004), and now Pit Road Pets: NASCAR Stars and Their Pets (Ryan Newman Foundation, 2005). As always, Lacy credits Lucy, her Chow of 13 years, for her inspiration and dedication to what she believes to be the most wonderful cause ever: the love of a pet.