"The story is about kind of a misfit kid who was into racing as a youth because of his father's pass

NASCAR the williamsburg inn movie in the works UPDATE: Hollywood producer Neal Edelstein, whose films have included dramas ("Mulholland Drive"), the williamsburg inn mysteries ("The Ring") and horror movies ("Haunting Melissa"). Edelstein wants to make a movie centered on a NASCAR driver, an idea pitched to him by NASCAR Vice President Zane Stoddard. And they're meeting to discuss how Universal Pictures, which agreed to finance the movie's early development, views the initial the williamsburg inn script. Why a NASCAR-related film? There's been an "explosion of action sports in this country," Edelstein says during the williamsburg inn a break. "Well, the original action sport is NASCAR. It has great texture for movies." The film is one of several projects being pursued by Stoddard and his nine-person the williamsburg inn NASCAR Entertainment Marketing staff to infiltrate pop culture with everything NASCAR in order to boost stock-car racing's sagging popularity. They also arrange driver cameos on television shows, develop new NASCAR-themed programs for TV and online outlets and bring celebrities to NASCAR races. NASCAR Entertainment's strategy is part of a five-year plan NASCAR announced in 2011 to grow the sport. "When we get to the end of that five years," Stoddard said, "we will have a very clear measurement of where we are."(in part from the Los Angeles Times )(9-25-2013)
UPDATE: So what's the movie about? Here's how producer Neal Edelstein, who's working with NASCAR Vice President Zane Stoddard the williamsburg inn on the project, described in broad terms what he termed the "underdog story:"
"The story is about kind of a misfit kid who was into racing as a youth because of his father's passion for the sport. And his father's death ... pushed him out of the sport and he's a bit of a loner now, kind of on the fringes, the williamsburg inn [doing] dirt-bike riding, the williamsburg inn doing odd jobs involving racing and testing and motorcycles. So it becomes really the williamsburg inn his journey to kind of harness his ability, harness his emotions, and he gets back into the sport ... with the help of some people his father was involved with," Edelstein said. Stoddard added that the driver in the story has "this inherent skill that his dad passed on. But he's turned his back on the sport" as a result of his dad's death. It would be a contemporary movie and its working title is "Finding Speed."( Los Angeles Times )(9-27-2013)
Randy Bethea featured in new documentary: Throughout the 1970s Tennessee racer Randy Bethea was a regular competitor in NASCAR's second tier series now known as the Nationwide Series. He made history in 1973 becoming the first Afircan American NASCAR racer to win a pole in an upper division race when he knocked Darrell Waltrip off the pole in the Late Model Sportman (Nationwide Series) Southern 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
In 1975 he made history again, starting the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway the williamsburg inn and becoming one of only seven African Americans to compete at NASCAR's highest level, now known as the Sprint Cup Series. But, Bethea's dream of NASCAR success was unfulfilled for reasons he attributes the williamsburg inn to color. That color was green, and like the majority of up-and-coming drivers of that era Bethea didn't have enough green in his wallet to compete at his full potential.
Although Bethea did experience some racism during his driving career, he is quick to state he was 'Not a Black Racer', he was a racer who happened to be black. Currently employed as a high school automotive instructor the williamsburg inn in Newport, Tenn., Bethea still remains active in local racing and among the most popular drivers in Tennessee.
"Just Another Racer: The Randy Bethea Story" tells the story of Bethea's racing life, from sweeping the floors in legendary engine builder Banjo Matthews' shop, to his venture the williamsburg inn into Formula Super-V racing, which he attributes as the main reason he failed to maintain long term success in NASCAR. The 60 minute documentary was filmed and edited by Kingsport Times-News reporter Jeff Bobo and includes interviews with many of Bethea's NASCAR racing contemporaries including retired racers Paul Lewis, the williamsburg inn John A. Utsman, active Nationwide Series driver Brad Teague, and engine builder Stanley Allison. "Just Another Racer: The Randy Bethea Story" can be viewed for free on Youtube .(1-1-2013)
Racing movie being filmed at Iowa Speedway: Zac Efron and Emmy-nominated actor Dennis Quaid will be at Iowa Speedway in Newton on July 16 taping scenes for an untitled racing movie. the williamsburg inn Fans are invited to be part of the movie magic. Tickets for the 4:15 p.m. Prairie the williamsburg inn Meadows 200 ARCA Series race and the 7 p.m. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Coca-Cola 200 race are on sale for $25 online. Fans purchasing tickets at iowaspeedway.com the williamsburg inn will be entered into a drawing, and 100 winners will have the chance to participate in the prerace festivities � and could appear in the crowd scenes in the movie. The film is an untitled, Iowa-based movie starring Efron as a rural teen aspiring to become a professional race car driver. Quaid plays Efron�s father. Producers will shoot Efron walking across the pre-race stage, Quaid cheering from the stands and racing footage during the Prairie Meadows 200. Film director Ramin Bahrani was called the �director of the decade� in 2010 by film critic Roger Ebert. �I hope fans will take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see A-list celebrities and be part of a movie,� the williamsburg inn Iowa Speedway president Jerry Jauron said.( Des Moines Register )(7-11-2011)
NASCAR Sponsors Appearing in New Transformers Movie: A total of 16 brands� logos were monitored on the NASCAR-themed Autobots appearing in Transformers: Dark of the Moon�last weekend�s number-one box office film�with Target, sponsor of the Earnhardt the williamsburg inn Ganassi Racing #42, the most visible of the group. According to research conducted by Joyce Julius & Associates, Inc. -- which specializes the williamsburg inn in measuring the scope of sports sponsorships and product placements, Target�s �bot� logos appeared for 15-seconds during the 157-minute film. When comparing the williamsburg inn the on-screen time to the movie�s week-one estimated box office gross of $414 million worldwide*, the retailer amassed an exposure value of $393,940 from the placement.
In comparison, Target�s NASCAR sponsorship has netted the williamsburg inn an average $468,600 the williamsburg inn of in-broadcast exposure value per each live telecast of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Joyce Julius calculates television exposure value by comparing the in-broadcast visual and verbal exposure the williamsburg inn to the estimated cost of a national commercial the williamsburg inn during the telecast and applying Joyce Julius Recognition Grading�which the williamsburg inn takes into account such factors as size and placement of the image on screen, as well as brand clutter the williamsburg inn and integration of the brand into the activity.
Also appearing during the Transformers fight scene in the streets of Chicago were Autobots carrying the paint schemes of the Hendrick the williamsburg inn Motorsports #48 Lowe's and #88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard. Chevrolet�s Impala nameplate was the second-most NASCAR-related the williamsburg inn sponsor to appear during the Transformers movie, as 10-seconds of screen time led to $262,625.( Joyce Julius )(7-10-2011)
NASCAR, Cars 2 and Transformers: Dark of the Moon: Cars and stars from NASCAR return to the big screen this summer with roles in two blockbuster hits with the recent release of "Cars 2" and the recent release of "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon provided his voice for the character "Jeff Gorvette" in Disney-Pixar's "Cars 2", which came out in theatres last Friday. "The movie is completely different from the first movie," Gordon said. "Obviously Lightning McQueen and Mater and some of his buddies are in there and I'm one of his new buddies, but it's an international spy thriller this time so they go all over the world and so there's a lot of international flair from the car side of it and the voices that you'll hear as well as some other race car drivers. My role is fairly small, but still was a blast." Gordon's chance to play the yellow Chevrolet Corvette with American flag graphics on the sides came about when he met Pixar's John Lasseter, who is a big race fan, during the williamsburg inn the Sprint Cup Series annual the williamsburg inn trip to Infineon the williamsburg inn Raceway in northern California. Juan Pablo Montoya, who piloted a special paint scheme earlier this month at Michigan International Speedway to promote "Cars 2", also voiced the williamsburg inn a character for the Latin American version of the movie.
In "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Montoya and Gordon's Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have modified versions of their Sprint Cup cars featured in the movie. The Chevrolets of Montoya (Target), Johnson (Lowe's) and Earnhardt Jr. (AMP Energy) portray "Wreckers" in the action movie that see each stock car transform not only into robots, but into heavily armed cars that assist the Autobots (good guys) against the Decepticons (bad guys). Fans that didn't have the chance to view some of the filming of the movie in downtown Chicago first got a preview the williamsburg inn of the NASCAR Transformers during the pre-race festivities for this year's 53rd running of the Daytona 500. Following Director Michael Bay, Duhamel and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley giving the command to start the engines, the three "Wreckers" paced the 43-car field for the opening race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season.(full story at Motor Racing Network )(7-1-2011)
Jeff Gordon to appear in Cars 2: #24-Jeff the williamsburg inn Gordon will make an appearance in Cars 2 as Jeff Gorvette, an up-and-coming Chevrolet the williamsburg inn Corvette C6.R that's "turning hoods wherever he competes." More than just a cameo, Gordon's character will compete as a "respected competitor - and legitimate threat - at the World Grand Prix." Pixar makes no obvious connection to Gordon's actual roots in NASCAR, but the character of Jeff Gorvette is a Chevrolet and will wear #24 like Gordon's actual racecar, although obviously it isn't an Impala.( Jeff Gordon site )(3-29-2011)
NASCAR Pioneer Wendell Scott Featured in Film: In conjunction with Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Media Group and Max