Stuart's winning speedway shots are crash hot

Stuart Whitaker has won Speedway Photographer of the Year, for the third time.

Putting in the extra effort to snap the "money shot" has earned a Tauranga photographer a national sports photography title for the third time.

Stuart Whitaker won Speedway Photographer of the Year at an awards ceremony held in Wellington on Saturday night - having won the same award in 2007 and 2009.

The winning shot. One of the images that helped Bay of Plenty photographer Stuart Whitaker claim national sports photography title for the third time. Photo/Stuart Whitaker

Judges said it was awarded to the photographer who excelled in their camera work in the 2014/15 season.

Once a hobby, photography had now become a weekend profession for the Bay of Plenty Times sports reporter who had also worked as a snapper at Baypark for 10 years.

"The last two or three seasons I've tried to think a lot more about it, trying to get different angles, look for different places to stand," he said.

He submitted a diverse range of images in his portfolio including a couple of "the big crash shots".

"I think with the big crash shots there's a lot of luck involved."