Is your dearest NASCAR driver going to be in Cars Trio?
Is your dearest NASCAR driver going to be in ‘Cars Three?’
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Pixar wants to promote its fresh «Cars Three» movie and NASCAR wants to get junior fans, so the two mega entertainment entities formed «a promotional partnership» to the benefit of each. As a result, you`ll not only get to see characters based on many of your beloved drivers in the movie when it comes out June 16, you already might have seen full-size Cars characters at your dearest track.
«We have a partnership,» said Cars three director Brian Fee. «We are doing a promotional partnership.»
While the very first movie revolved around an animated NASCAR world, the pairing for «Cars Three» is a very first for the franchise.
«For the very first ‘Cars,` we didn`t have much of a (formal) relationship with them,» said Jay Ward, Pixar`s creative director and car specialist. «They were much more receptive this time.»
Jackson Storm is the fresh nemesis of Lightning McQueen Photo by Pixar
The Pixar team also got to know the team at nearby Sonoma Raceway, which hosts several NASCAR races, including the Toyota/SaveMart three hundred fifty thousand five hundred coming up June twenty four and 25.
«We`re good pals with the (president and) general manager of Sonoma Raceway (Steve Page),» said “Cars Trio” producer Kevin Reher.
«They`ve opened their doors to us,» said Fee. «We`ve gotten to know fairly a few drivers and personalities, (among them) Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick.»
They got to know Gordon`s old team chief Ray Evernham, too, so well that they determined to make a character in «Cars Trio» based on him. That character, Ray Reverham, will be team chief for Lightning McQueen`s main rival in the movie, Jackson Storm. Reverham is described in his Pixar bio as, «… an pro at training in the cutting-edge technology and tactics being used by the next-gen racers. Ray knows exactly how to bring out the very best in his racer’s spectacle, especially when a Piston Cup is on the line.»
An early sketch of the racing simulator Lightning McQueen uses in Cars three Photo by Pixar
Like Pixar, NASCAR also despairingly needs to bring in junior fans. So while Owen Wilson will still be the voice of Lightning McQueen, «The World`s Fastest Racecar,» this time around, you`ll get to hear Pursue Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suarez and Bubba Wallace in «Cars Trio.» All are youthful up-and-comers in the sport and all have characters based on them in the movie.
Elliott will voice the character Pursue Racealott. Like his namesake, Racealott is a second-generation driver. Blaney will be Ryan «Inwards» Laney, a third-generation racer. Laney «… likes to have joy on the track.» Suarez will be Danny Swervez (a title that could come back to haunt him should he ever be accused of causing any of those chain-reaction pileups that happen on superspeedways). Wallace Jr. will play Bubba Wheelhouse.
«Next-gen stock-car racer Bubba Wheelhouse Jr. is a rapid and tenacious youthfull racer who knows how to win,» says Wheelhouse`s Pixar bio. «A champ for diversity, Wheelhouse believes that all race cars deserve a chance on the track.»
McQueen and Ramirez on the beach Photo by Pixar
Indeed, the theme of «Cars Three» is overcoming adversity, whether it`s unjustly thrust upon you or something of your own making. As such, four historic characters from NASCAR`s past emerge in «Cars Three,» each based on real NASCAR drivers or mechanics. Sea Scott is based on the real-life Wendell Scott, who overcame walls of prejudice to race — and win — at the highest levels of NASCAR in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Louise «Barnstormer» Nash is based on Louise Smith, a pioneering female racer who won thirty eight races in four different NASCAR divisions from one thousand nine hundred forty five to 1956. They are paired in a scene with other legends Junior «Midnight» Moon, based on Hall of Famer Junior Johnson, and master mechanic Smokey Yunick, whose character is called, simply, Smokey. The four counsel McQueen on what it takes to transcend barriers.
Old favorites from the other Cars movies are still in «Cars Trio,» including announcer Darrell Waltrip`s Darrell Cartip; Tex Dinoco, voiced and inspired by promoter H.A. «Humpy» Wheeler; Jeff Gorvette, AKA Jeff Gordon; The King, voiced by Richard Petty, Mrs. The King, voiced by Petty`s real-life wifey and Cal Weathers, son of The King and played by the real Kyle Petty.
There is even a presence by the late Paul Newman, voice of the character Doc Hudson. It`s the real Newman, too, not an imitator. How did they do that?
«We went through all the audio from the very first movie,» said Ward. «Hundreds of lines of dialogue.»
From that, they were able to pick out lines they could use in the fresh movie. As McQueen fights with his fresh challenges, Doc shows up to him in memory and inspires him.
Early drawings for the character Jackson Storm. No, that is not a “Trio” on the door. Photo by Pixar
Indeed, while «Cars Two» might have strayed a little bit from the purity of the very first «Cars» movie, Pixar execs promise us this one will come back to concentrate on our hero, McQueen.
«It`s a sports comeback story peppered with a mentor story about Doc Hudson being his mentor,» said producer Reher. «About searching for your lost mojo.»
«McQueen is finding himself,» added Fee. «He comes this close to not being able to do the one thing he likes most. The thing that he thinks makes him the most blessed.»
The movie starts with a crash that McQueen hardly survives. As you might have already heard, McQueen finds himself on track against newer, junior, quicker race cars, exemplified by Jackson Storm. If he wants to win at his advanced age, McQueen has to learn fresh tricks. We witnessed about forty minutes from the middle of the movie, where McQueen is attending a training academy lead by a youthful female race car named Cruz Ramirez, voiced by actress Cristela Alonzo. Alonzo introduces the old-school McQueen to fresh, high-tech mechanisms.
Will they work? Will McQueen get back his mojo and win against stronger, junior cars? We will find out June sixteen when «Cars Three» opens at theaters nationwide.
Mark Vaughn – West Coast Editor Mark Vaughn covers all car things west of the Mississippi from his Autoweek lair high above the LA metropolis.