Earnhardt documentary to premiere in February
NASCAR Images, Viacom collaborate on film to be entitled Dale
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
August 5, 2006
05:42 PM EDT (21:42 GMT)
SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- NASCAR Images and Viacom have partnered to create the definitive documentary profile of Dale Earnhardt's life, which they plan to premiere nationally next February during Daytona Speedweeks.
NASCAR.COM takes a look at the lasting influence Dale Earnhardt had on the sport, on and off the racetrack. Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
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The documentary-style movie, entitled Dale, will be released in theatres and includes original, never-before-seen footage of Earnhardt's racing career and personal life, as well as family photos and historical interviews with the seven-time champion that give the viewer an unprecedented look at the man Earnhardt truly was.
"It is Dale Earnhardt," said Richard Childress, Earnhardt's close friend and owner of the famed No. 3 Chevrolet. "And I'm excited that all those people can see the real Dale Earnhardt."
The project, which executive producer Jay Abraham says will ultimately require more than two years to complete, includes in-depth interviews about Earnhardt with Teresa Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt, Taylor Nicole Earnhardt, Childress and many former members of Earnhardt's No. 3 pit crew, including its most famous member, Chocolate Myers.
"We really wanted to do a project that told the real story of Dale from the people who knew him best -- Teresa, Richard, the family, the team members -- so that there was a piece on the marketplace that people can look at and say, 'That was Dale,'" Abraham said.
"There's been so many other projects put out into the marketplace that weren't accurate and weren't endorsed by the people that need to be involved in it, and given the archival footage we have, some of the historical interviews that we have, we've been able to piece together Dale's life in a way nobody else could do it."
A large part of that is due to the interviews given by Teresa Earnhardt and Childress.
"When we started to put this project together it never was the right time," Abraham said. "Teresa didn't want to talk about it. Richard didn't really want to get involved with it.
"Certain things happened over the course of the past couple years that made them realize that they had to really have to speak out and talk to let the world know what Dale was really like, because other people were trying to imply what Dale was like."
Abraham said the balance between Earnhardt's personal interviews and those of his family and friends gives viewers a well-balanced account of his life.
"It's really a full picture of what Dale was like as a person, and the impact he had, not only on the sport but on the lives of the people around the sport," Abraham said. "It's a story that's never been told."
And one that entails a unique -- and ever-evolving -- marketing and distribution plan.
Initially, NASCAR Images partnered with Viacom property Country Music Television on the project. But as the archivists and researches involved delved deeper into the footage and uncovered gem after gem, they realized its magnitude and sought financial assistance from the parent company.
"When Viacom saw the project and we started working together on it, they realized this was bigger than just a television show and a DVD," Abraham said. "And as the project's evolved, we've changed some thoughts on the marketing plan.
"What we're going to do is go market-by-market as the race season travels around the country, and have local promotions in every market and then the movie will run for about three weeks in every market around the race."
Abraham said a local premiere is planned for October in Charlotte for the Earnhardt family, NASCAR's drivers and industry insiders, and a national premiere is slated for February in conjunction with the Budweiser Shootout.
They'll then being the regional launch that coincides with the Nextel Cup Series schedule. They're also contemplating a national television "sneak peek," Abraham said.
"To me, this is bigger than just NASCAR -- this is a real, true, emotional story about a popular icon that transcends the sport," Abraham said. "It's going to make you cry, laugh, it'll make you want to jump up and cheer. It's this whole roller coaster of his life."
Abraham explained that the importance and significance of the Daytona 500 in Earnhardt's life is a common theme in the movie. From the near-miss efforts to the 1998 victory to the crash that claimed his life in 2001.
"We knew it'd be a huge platform, not just for the movie but for the marketing and ancillary products," Abraham said. "To take that and get Teresa and Richard involved so they had a piece they could look at say, 'Yes, this is something we're proud of, it's accurate, and it's really how we feel about Dale as a person.'"
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