Red Dirt Rising

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Red Dirt Rising
PEOPLE-02.jpg
Directed by Kathleen Bobak
James Suttles
Written byJ. Amanda Davidson
Gail Cauble Gurley
Based onRed Dirt Tracks: The Forgotten Heroes of Early Stockcar Racing
by Gail Cauble Gurley
Produced byTodd Morris
Kathleen Bobak
James Suttles
StarringBrad Yoder
Burgess Jenkins
Brett Rice
Bill Oberst Jr
Cinematography James Suttles
Edited by James Suttles
Music byCliff Downs
Distributed byGreen Apple Entertainment
Native Intelligence
Release date
  • January 11, 2011 (2011-01-11)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Red Dirt Rising is a 2011 film starring Brad Yoder, Burgess Jenkins and Brett Rice based on the book Red Dirt Tracks: The Forgotten Heroes of Early Stockcar Racing by Gail Cauble Gurley telling the true story of race car driver Jimmie Lewallen. The film dramatizes the birth of NASCAR in the 1930s and 1940s.

Contents

Plot

The film tells the true story of stock car racing legend Jimmie Lewallen and his friends Bill Blair, Sr. and Fred Harb. Early in his life, Jimmie Lewallen struggles to dig himself out of a life of poverty. Choosing to attempt a living by bootlegging, he and his lifelong friend Bill Blair risk everything but through attempts to build a faster getaway vehicle for bootlegging, they inadvertently become a part of the birth of stock-car racing. As time passes, Jimmie marries his wife Carrie James and starts a family but the pressures of family responsibilities starts to tear Jimmie away from his love of stock-car racing. In one critically historic moment, Jimmie turns down an offer from future NASCAR founder, Bill France Sr. at an opportunity to "buy into NASCAR" for $500.00. Jimmie refused, saying "it would never amount to anything". [1] Set during the 1930s and 1940s, the film portrays the life and times of those involved with stock car racing before NASCAR was a household name.

Cast

Production

Filming began in October 2007 for 24 days and was completed in November, 2007 in Archdale, North Carolina, and High Point, North Carolina, showcasing English Farm. [3] Due to the timing of the production and the release of the Red One Digital Cinema Camera in the United States on August 31, 2007, Red Dirt Rising was one of the first feature-length film shot on the new camera system. [4] Additional photography including the World War II sequences and some minor reshoots were completed in the summer of 2009.

Release

The world premier of the film was held at the North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilksboro, North Carolina, on May 15, 2010, at an outdoor screening to an audience of approximately 4000. [5] Throughout the summer of 2010, the film was in limited release theatrically throughout the Southeast [6] and mid Atlantic in over 25 theaters and also screened at numerous regional premieres around the United States including Buffalo, New York; [7] Columbia, South Carolina; Knoxville, Iowa; Cumberland Gap, Tennessee; [8] and Jacksonville, Florida. [9] The film was screened at the International Reel Wheel Film Festival in Knoxville, Iowa, on April 22–24, 2010. [10] The film was screened out of competition at the Modern Film Fest in Kannapolis, North Carolina, on October 1, 2010. [11] [12] On January 11, 2011, the film was released for rental and retail on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download through Otter Creek Motion Pictures and Native Intelligence Distribution and carried for sell through retailers such as Walmart, Amazon, iTunes.

It was announced throughout the production and release of the film that a percentage of the proceeds would be donated to the Racing Legends Medical Hardship Fund, a nonprofit organization founded in 1991. [13]

Music

The soundtrack and score for the film were produced by Emmy Award Winner Cliff Downs. [14] Artists on the soundtrack include Grammy Winner Steve Wariner, Stephanie Bentley (who also wrote "Breathe" for Faith Hill), and the band Whisky Falls. The score for the film was written by Cliff Downs. Effort was made by Cliff Downs to replicate the sound from the era depicted by utilizing vintage electric guitar sounds from that era.

Two music videos were produced by the producers of the film to accompany the release of the soundtrack and film. The music video "Carolina Moonshine" by Matt Dylan [15] in which NASCAR Legend Junior Johnson appeared, [16] became a viral hit with over 200,000 views. The North Carolina Highway Patrol provided the antique police car used in the filming of the music video "Carolina Moonshine". The second video, "Carrie James" by Jeff Tillman was written as a love letter to Jimmie Lewallen's wife.

Related Research Articles

Junior Johnson American racecar driver

Robert Glenn Johnson Jr. , better known as Junior Johnson, was an American NASCAR driver of the 1950s and 1960s. He won 50 NASCAR races in his career before retiring in 1966. In the 1970s and 1980s, he became a NASCAR racing team owner, winning the NASCAR championship with Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. He produced a line of fried pork skins and country ham. He is credited as the first to use the drafting technique in stock car racing. He was nicknamed "The Last American Hero" and his autobiography is of the same name. In May 2007, Johnson teamed with Piedmont Distillers of Madison, North Carolina, to introduce the company's second moonshine product, called "Midnight Moon Moonshine".

North Wilkesboro Speedway Motorsport track in the United States

North Wilkesboro Speedway is a short oval racetrack located on U.S. Route 421, about five miles east of the town of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, or 80 miles north of Charlotte. It measures 0.625 miles (1.006 km) and features a unique uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch. It has previously held races in NASCAR's top three series, including 93 Winston Cup Series races. The track, a NASCAR original, operated from 1949, NASCAR's inception, until the track's original closure in 1996. The speedway briefly reopened in 2010 and hosted several stock car series races, including the now-defunct ASA Late Model Series, USARacing Pro Cup Series, and PASS super late models, before closing again in the spring of 2011. It is being re-opened in late 2022 for grassroots racing and is currently being renovated.

Occoneechee Speedway American auto racing venue

Occoneechee Speedway was one of the first two NASCAR tracks to open. It closed in 1968 and is the only dirt track remaining from the inaugural 1949 season.

1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock Series 1st season of NASCAR stock-car racing

The 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock season was the inaugural season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Beginning at Charlotte Speedway on June 19, 1949, the season included eight races and two exhibition races. The season concluded with the Wilkes 200 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on October 16. Raymond Parks won the Owners' Championship, while Red Byron won the Drivers' Championship with a 16th-place finish at the final race of the season.

Truman Fontell "Fonty" Flock was an American stock car racer.

The 1950 NASCAR Grand National season was the second season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Beginning at the Daytona Beach Road Course on February 5, 1950, the season included 19 races. The season concluded at Occoneechee Speedway on October 29. Julian Buesink won the Owners' Championship, while Bill Rexford won the Drivers' Championship with a 26th-place finish at the final race of the season.

Jimmie Lewallen American racing driver

Jimmie Lewallen was an American stock car racing driver from High Point, North Carolina, USA. He competed in NASCAR's Strictly Stock/Grand National division from its first race at Charlotte Speedway in 1949 until 1960.

William Ivey Blair was an American stock car racing driver in the 1940s and the 1950s, and he was one of the pioneers of NASCAR.

The 1951 NASCAR Grand National season was the third season of professional stock car racing in the United States. Beginning at the Daytona Beach Road Course on February 5, 1951, the season included forty-one races. The season concluded at New Mobile Speedway on November 25. Herb Thomas won the Drivers' Championship with a 21st-place finish at the final race of the season.

The 1953 NASCAR Grand National Series began on February 1 and ended on November 1. Future NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Herb Thomas, driving his own No. 92 Hudson Hornet, won the championship and became the first repeat champion of the series. It is also the season with the most one-off races. 9 of the 37 races took place on racetracks that only held a cup race in the 1953 season.

The 1955 NASCAR Grand National season began on November 7, 1954, and ended on October 30, 1955. Even though the season was resolved in the course of two different years, all NASCAR personnel were allowed to have their traditional two-month silly season that traditionally comes between mid-November and mid-February. Tim Flock won the 1955 championship by a margin of 1508 over top of Buck Baker. This season was unusual because of its 11-month season. As the ninth season of the series now known as the Cup Series, most of the drivers involved were still the first-generation race car drivers. They did not have any ties to the stock car racing world through their parents or grandparents although some of them served in World War II prior to their NASCAR careers. However, the generation that would gain notoriety and fame through nepotism would emerge about ten years later. The average horsepower of a stock car competing the 1955 NASCAR Grand National season would be 230 horsepower.

1956 Wilkes County 160 Auto race run at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1956

The 1956 Wilkes County 160 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on April 8, 1956, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, United States.

1952 Wilkes County 200 Auto race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1952

The 1952 Wilkes County 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on March 30, 1952, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Roy Hall, known as "Rapid Roy" and "Reckless Roy", was a pioneering American stock car racing driver, who achieved success in the early days of the sport driving cars owned by Raymond Parks and prepared by Red Vogt. Hall was also involved in the moonshine trade in north Georgia in the 1930s and 1940s and would compete in three events in the NASCAR Strictly Stock Series shortly following its formation.

1955 Richmond 200 Auto race held at Richmond Fairgrounds in 1955

The 1955 Richmond 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on May 22, 1955, at Richmond Fairgrounds in Richmond, Virginia. Two hundred laps took place on a dirt track spanning 0.500 miles (0.805 km). The exact time of the race was one hour, fifty minutes, and thirty seconds.

The 1960 International 200 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on June 26, 1960, at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

1953 Wilkes 160 Auto race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1953

The 1953 Wilkes 160 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on October 11, 1953, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

1949 Wilkes 200 Auto race run in North Carolina in 1949

The 1949 Wilkes 200 was a NASCAR Strictly Stock Series racing event that took place on October 16, 1949.

The 1954 NASCAR Grand National season consisted of 37 races from February 1, 1954, and to November 1. Lee Petty, driving for Petty Enterprises, won the championship, his first of three in the series.

Fareed "Fred" Joseph Harb Jr. was an American stock car racing driver. The High Point, North Carolina resident made 144 NASCAR Grand National Series starts from 1955 to 1965, earning 13 top fives and 42 top tens. He raced in the NASCAR Convertible Division, making 24 starts.

References

  1. ↑ "Legends of NASCAR - Jimmie Lewallen". Legends of NASCAR.
  2. ↑ "ASU bred actor in Red Dirt Rising". Mountain Times.
  3. ↑ "Western North Carolina Produced Films". Western North Carolina Film Commission. Archived from the original on 2013-05-12. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  4. ↑ "First Official Still from Red Dirt Rising". Red Digital Cinema - Reduser.net.
  5. ↑ "Mount Airy News - 'Red Dirt Rising' to premiere at North Wilkesboro Speedway this Saturday". Mount Airy News.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Moonshine and Racing Take Center Stage". NC FIlm Commission.
  7. ↑ "Hollywood Meets Racing at DunnTire Raceway Park". Salem News.
  8. ↑ "White Lightning Festival in Cumberland Gap, TN Promotes Area History". Yahoo Network. Archived from the original on 2014-03-04.
  9. ↑ ""RED DIRT RISING" SCHEDULES HOMETOWN JAX SCREENING". Florida Film Commission. Archived from the original on 2011-01-20.
  10. ↑ "International Reel Wheel Film Festival". National Sprint Cup Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  11. ↑ "Modern Film Fest Returns". WBTV.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. ↑ "Modern Film Fest". Modern Film Fest. Archived from the original on 2013-06-19.
  13. ↑ "Changing Gears – A movie tribute to his race car-driving dad puts an alumnus on the fast track". Western Carolina University.
  14. ↑ "ASCAP Awards Recognition". ASCAP.
  15. ↑ "Country Music Tattle Tales - Matt Dylan "It All Started With a Batch of Moonshine"". CMTT - Nashville. Archived from the original on 2011-04-24. Retrieved 2013-07-17.
  16. ↑ "NCFilm.com - Carolina Moonshine Music Video Released". North Carolina Film Commission.
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