IMAX film gives viewers a seldom seen perspective

NASCAR, Warner Brothers and IMAX could spend a lot of money on a marketing campaign for the new movie "NASCAR: The IMAX Experience."

Or, they could simply repeat what former NBA star and Gastonia native James Worthy said after seeing a sneak preview of the film last week.

"That," Worthy said as the credits rolled, "makes you want to get a Winnebago."

An Imax 3D camera is moved into position to capture a perspective close to that of a NASCAR driver, during the production of 'Nascar 3D: The Imax Experience' in this undated photo. The movie, opening at theaters nationwide March 12, 2004, is a 45-minute primer on the history of stock car racing, its stars and what has gone into making NASCAR a multibillion-dollar sport with 75 million fans

It's a shame, though, that people who'll see the movie when it opens this weekend in The Charlotte Observer OMNIMAX theater at Discovery Place won't get to see the movie with the same full 3D effect that Worthy and the rest of those who saw the preview in Las Vegas did.

The Charlotte theater, as well as one in Myrtle Beach where the film also will play, does not have the 3D format that would allow viewers wearing special glasses to feel like they were being showered with water, sparks from welder's torch, metal shavings and celebratory champagne at various junctures during the movie.

Still, the film directed by Simon Wencer is an all-access pass to places that even the most avid NASCAR fan may never otherwise get the chance to go.

"The IMAX format is totally immersive," Wencer says. "It's the most encompassing medium. When you're watching this movie it sounds like you're at the race track and it feels like you're in the race car."

Even without the 3D effect, there are several scenes in the movie that can best be described by using the word "cool."

One is the opening sequence, which hearkens back to the sport's bootlegger roots by using some modern-day NASCAR characters - as well as stunt drivers filling in for them during the actual action - in vintage cars. One of those cars then begins a excellently executed sequence that seamlessly takes the viewer from those roots through history toward today's modern version of the sport.

Kiefer Sutherland, star of the Fox television series "24," narrates the film, which includes a lot of gee-whizery based on the nature of the IMAX 3D format. There are only three IMAX 3D cameras in the world, and all were used in the filming of this movie at tracks in Charlotte, Bristol, Martinsville, Daytona, Talladega, Richmond, Rockingham and California.

The crew shot 72 miles of film - more than 1.6 million frames - in three-minute bursts. That's how long one of the cameras can shoot before it's reloaded. Working with cooperation from NASCAR and several of its drivers and race teams, the crew got cameras in plenty of interesting locations, too.

In one shot, the camera offers a dazzling view as all 43 cars come to pit road under a caution flag at California Speedway. A special camera car was built at Roush Racing with removable panels that allowed six different camera positions from angles that really put the viewer on the track - almost literally in a couple of instances.

Longtime fans with a trained eye will be able to pick out footage that comes from actual racing action as opposed to that shot especially for this movie using show cars and stand-in drivers at slower speeds. And there's really nothing revelatory in the film itself, at least not anything that a fan who's been loyal to the sport for years would not have already known.

Still, even without the 3D effect the movie has any number of very nice touches. Not the least among them is the quality of the sound. During one Rusty Wallace pit stop, a crewman tosses a wrench to the pavement and the sound comes across. In various crowd shots, you can hear bacon sizzling in the campground or young fans hollering their favorite driver's name as his car goes by.

Johnny Sauter, whose team at Richard Childress Racing is sponsored by AOL, a corporate sponsor of the project, has a pretty good read on just how realistic this film looks.

Women of Craftsman Truck Series Feel Like 'One of the Guys'

Being one of two women competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Tina Gordon usually knows what question is coming when a reporter approaches: Are you treated any differently because you’re a woman?

Gordon laughs and says emphatically that no, she doesn’t get treated any differently. No sugar in the fuel tank, no slashed tires.

As if to prove her point, fellow competitor David Starr approaches at that moment, engulfing Gordon in a big bear hug.

“It’s like that with all of the guys,” Gordon said. “I don’t know how many times David has taken me out on track to show me the line before practice starts. Or how many times Robert Pressley has come over, taken time out of practice, to help me. All of them have been great to me.”

Gordon and Kelly “Girl” Sutton are both competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this year, the first time that any NASCAR touring series has had two women running a full-time schedule.

It’s a major milestone, but both women shrug off the significance. They want to be known as racers, not women who race.

“All my life I’ve been working around men, whether it be working in a garage or working for the county driving dump trucks and shoveling asphalt,” said Sutton. “This is my world, one filled with guys. And when I put my helmet on, I’m just like everyone else.”

Even if being a woman in the male-dominated world of racing could be considered a challenge, both Gordon and Sutton are up to the task. Especially for Sutton, this is not the first challenge she’s faced.

Seven years ago, Sutton was in a wheelchair.

Sutton was diagnosed 13 years ago with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. She began taking Copaxone via daily injections, which has helped her manage her disease and put her back in the driver’s seat.

“I’m lucky, because Copaxone helped me become more active, and then they made my dreams come true by sponsoring my racing career,” Sutton said. “But I was never out of the running. I’m a pretty determined person, and I’ve always liked a challenge.”

That determination will come in handy this season, as Sutton and Gordon attempt to break down even more barriers by trying to become the first woman to win in a national NASCAR touring series.