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Prep Roundup
Columnists Brian Meadows Brad NormanMembersLocal Connection› Iredell County Young Athletes Association› South Iredell Athletics Association › SHS athletics › WIHS athletics › NIHS athletics › SIHS athletics › LNHS athletics Syndicate RSSAP NASCAR NASCAR Features A look at this year's schedule A look at this year's drivers Differences between stock car and open-wheel racing NASCAR Research & Development Petty Enterprises splitter testing Aerodynamic testing in Concord's wind tunnel Top 10 moments in Daytona history Site StatisticsThis page has been viewed 135552 timesPage rendered in 0.2611 seconds Total Stories: 2064 Total Comments: 34 Most Recent Entry: 05/16/2008 10:19 pm Most Recent Comment on: 04/17/2008 10:54 pm Most Recent Visitor on: 05/17/2008 03:47 am |
• Racing
2008 Feb-13
Higgins headed to the moviesMooresville’s Tom Higgins is headed for the big screen. Kind of. Thankfully doing so off camera, Higgins will be nonetheless receiving his movie screen credit due when a book the former longtime newspaper reporter helped author begins filming later this year. Higgins, now retired and living in the Mooresville area, co-wrote the book, “Junior Johnson: Brave In Life,” an authorized biography, in 1999 with his friend Steve Waid. A movie about NASCAR legend Junior Johnson based on the book is scheduled to begin production this fall. Locations for the movie are expected to include those throughout the Carolinas. Redwood Palms Pictures of California has signed to produce the film that traces the colorful life of Wilkes County’s Johnson from his childhood and days as a moonshine hauler through a NASCAR driving career that produced 50 victories. The biggest of Johnson’s triumphs came in the 1960 Daytona 500, in which he discovered the phenomenon of the aerodynamic draft at high speed. Johnson is scheduled to drive the pace car prior to the running of the 50th anniversary Daytona 500 this weekend at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. “This story starts during the Great Depression,’’ revealed Mike DiManno, CEO of Redwood Palms, “in a time when many peopled fought daily for their survival. And out of that adversity was born one of the greatest race drivers we’ve ever known.” Redwood Palms Pictures is partnering with veteran actors and screenwriters in producing the Johnson movie that will include much shooting at locations in the Carolinas. The book drew the attention of a veteran actor and longtime stock car racing fan who got the ball rolling on the movie idea. Since, project organizers have met with authors Higgins and Waid along with subject Johnson to discuss details and gather additional information on certain incidents that are sure to be included in the film. “The movie people,’’ revealed Higgins, who still provides articles for publication on a part-time basis, “have vowed to us they’ll make the film as authentic as possible. If so, it should be very, very entertaining, because Junior Johnson has lived an incredible life.” Higgins covered NASCAR for The Charlotte Observer until his retirement in 1997. Bookmarkz |
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