The Hot Spot is a 1990 American neo-noir film directed by Dennis Hopper, based on the 1953 novel Hell Hath No Fury by Charles Williams, who also co-wrote the screenplay. It stars Don Johnson, Virginia Madsen, and Jennifer Connelly, and features a score by Jack Nitzsche played by John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis, Taj Mahal, Roy Rogers, Tim Drummond, and drummer Earl Palmer.
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American sports action drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, and Michael Rooker. It also features appearances by real life NASCAR racers, such as Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett, and Harry Gant. Commentator Dr. Jerry Punch, of ESPN, has a cameo appearance, as does co-producer Don Simpson.
Riverside International Raceway was a motorsports race track and road course established in the Edgemont area of Riverside County, California, just east of the city limits of Riverside and 50 mi (80 km) east of Los Angeles, in 1957. In 1984, the raceway became part of the newly incorporated city of Moreno Valley. Riverside was noted for its hot, dusty environment and for being somewhat of a complicated and dangerous track for drivers. It was also considered one of the finest tracks in the United States. The track was in operation from September 22, 1957, to July 2, 1989, with the last race, The Budweiser 400, won by Rusty Wallace, held in 1988. After that final race, a shortened version of the circuit was kept open for car clubs and special events until 1989.
Robert L. Bondurant was an American racecar driver who raced for the Shelby American, Ferrari, and Eagle teams. Bondurant was one of the most famous drivers to emerge from the Southern California road racing scene in the 1950s, and achieved success in North America and in Europe. His Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving has been responsible for training generations of American racing drivers.
Graham Peter McRae was a racing driver from New Zealand.
John Cooper Fitch was an American racing driver and inventor. He was the first American to race automobiles successfully in Europe in the post-war era.
Biker Boyz is a 2003 American sports action drama film, directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood and written by Bythewood and Craig Fernandez, based on the 2000 New Times LA article of the same name by Michael Gougis. The film is about a group of underground motorcycle drag racers, and the intense rivalry between a legendary motorcyclist and a young racing prodigy who has formed his own biker club.
James Dennis Alan Hamlin is an American professional stock car racing driver and NASCAR team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. He co-owns and operates 23XI Racing with the basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. He has won a total of 50 NASCAR Cup Series races, including the Coca-Cola 600 in 2022 and the Daytona 500 in 2016, 2019, and 2020; he is the fourth person to win the race in back-to-back seasons, alongside Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, and Sterling Marlin.
David George MacDonald was an American racing driver noted for his successes driving Corvettes and Shelby Cobras in the early 1960s. He was killed in the 1964 Indianapolis 500, along with fellow driver Eddie Sachs.
Lightning McQueen is a fictional anthropomorphic stock car, and is the protagonist of the animated Pixar franchise Cars, primarily voiced by Owen Wilson. His appearances include the feature films Cars, Cars 2, and Cars 3, as well as in the TV series Cars Toons and Cars on the Road. Lightning is also a playable character in each of the Cars video game installments. Lightning McQueen is the face of the Cars brand, and he is a popular mascot for Disney.
James Sherwin "Bud" Ekins was an American professional stuntman in the U.S. film industry. He is considered to be one of the film industry's most accomplished stuntmen with a body of work that includes classic films such as The Great Escape and Bullitt. Ekins, acting as stunt double for Steve McQueen while filming The Great Escape, was the rider who performed what is considered to be one of the most famous motorcycle stunts ever performed in a movie. He was recognized for his stunt work by being inducted into the Stuntmen's Hall of Fame.
The Corvette Stingray Racer is a sports racing car and concept car that debuted in 1959. The car was developed in the styling studios at General Motors (GM) at the behest of Bill Mitchell, GM Vice President of styling. The design was based on a sketch by designer Pete Brock, and was further developed by Larry Shinoda. The car strongly influenced the styling of the second generation (C2) Corvette Sting Ray.
Paul Van Valkenburgh is an American journalist and author, best known for his work in the field of auto racing. His last name is sometimes abbreviated "VanValkenburgh". He bears no immediate relation to Paul Van Valkenburgh of Ormond Beach, Florida who claimed to have written the song "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini".
Hollywood actor James Dean was killed at age 24 in an auto accident on September 30, 1955, near Cholame, California. He had previously competed in several auto racing events, and was traveling to a sports car racing competition when he was involved in a car crash at the junction of U.S. Route 466 and SR 41.
The Martin Auto Museum is a privately owned non-profit automobile museum located in Glendale, Arizona. The museum is dedicated to the preservation of collectible automobiles for educational purposes. Admission is a $10 donation per person over the age of 12. Some of the services provided by the museum include guided tours for such groups as local schoolchildren, veteran organizations and car clubs.
Mary McGee is an American motorsport racing pioneer. She was the first woman to compete in motorcycle road racing and motocross events in the United States. Starting out as a sports car racer, she competed in motorcycle road racing and motocross from 1960 to 1976, then began competition again in 2000 in vintage motocross events. In 2013, McGee was named an FIM Legend for her pioneering motorcycle racing career. She was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2018.
Anatole Carl "Tony" Lapine was an automotive designer and racing driver. Lapine worked for General Motors (GM), Opel, and Porsche. During his time as chief designer at Porsche he oversaw development of the front-engined, water-cooled 928, 924 and 944 that began to appear in the mid to late 1970s, as well as two revisions to the Porsche 911.
23XI Racing is an American professional auto racing organization that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. It is owned and operated by Hall of Fame basketball player Michael Jordan, with current Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin as a minority partner. The team name represents a combination of Michael Jordan's No. 23 he wore during most of his NBA career and Denny Hamlin's No. 11 in his Cup career. The organization fields the No. 23, 45, and 67 Toyota teams for drivers Bubba Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Travis Pastrana, and Kamui Kobayashi. They currently have a technical alliance with JGR.
The 2022 M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 was a NASCAR Cup Series race that was held on July 24, 2022, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Contested over 160 laps on the 2.5-mile (4.0 km) speedway, it was the 21st race of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports would win the race after Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch, who originally finished first and second respectively, were both disqualified for failing post-race technical inspection. Elliott became the first NASCAR driver to win a race after both the original first and second-place finishers were disqualified since 1955. Hamlin was also the first NASCAR Cup Series race winner to be disqualified since 1960, ending a 62-year streak. It was also the first disqualification of the Next Gen car since its debut earlier that year.
