CART: MTV, HBO, Speedvision, ESPN TV Programs take behind the scenes look

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

April 21, 2001

DETROIT - It's going to be difficult to watch television over the next week and not come in contact with the presence of Championship Auto Racing Teams and the Warner Brothers film Driven, which debuts nationally on April 27 and was shot in conjunction with many of the races on the 2000 CART FedEx Championship Series schedule.

Several programs that profile CART racing and the film have been produced and begin airing this weekend and run through the rest of the month.

An MTV one-hour production titled, "MTV's Fast and Famous" airs for the first time Saturday, April 21 at 2 p.m EDT and PDT. The special was shot at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and features a variety of race weekend activities. The show includes several pieces on Driven; a story about the Toyota Pro Celebrity Challenge; a piece on CART and its Champ Car drivers; and a profile of the MTV 500, a go-kart race that features "regular driving-type guys," including a taxi driver and a limo driver. The program will be re-broadcast at 9 p.m. Saturday and on April 22 and 25.

"We worked closely with the people at MTV during our Long Beach weekend to make this happen and it should be a fun and entertaining program," said CART Senior Vice President of Entertainment Jay Lucas. "Also, MTV reaches a great audience and demographic for us and places us in the same realm as the extreme sports they regularly cover."

MTV Executive Producer for Sports and Specials Alvin Patrick liked what he saw during his CART racing weekend.

"This is a first-time thing so we want to see how our viewers react and move forward from there," said Patrick. "I have a very good feeling about this based on our excellent experience with CART and its race weekend at Long Beach because it was a great event, nicely put together, and had lots of prime entertainment for the people in attendance."

The TV coverage doesn't stop with MTV, though, as Former Formula One and Champ Car driver Derek Daly is the host for Speedvision's "Building a Better Race Picture: Making Driven," which airs for the first time on Monday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET. The program features extensive interviews with Driven star and executive producer Sylvester Stallone as well as director Renny Harlin. The program also gives viewers a first-hand look at how state-of-the-art Hollywood entertainment is created in the digital age, with special attention given to the use and customizing of vehicles and to the technology involved in achieving the desired effect. Check listings for re-airs of this program.

Also on tap over the next several days is the HBO program entitled "The Making of Driven," which airs six times through the end of April. The 15-minute program takes a look behind-the-scenes at the making of the racing film and is scheduled for broadcast on April 22, 24, 26, 27, 29 and 30. Check local listings for times.

Another show that profiles the Driven film is, "ESPN Behind the Cameras: Driven." The half-hour program offers more behind-the-scenes observations into the making of the movie and will air at 10:30 a.m. on ESPN2 on April 23 and again on ESPN at 2:30 p.m. prior to the start of the Firestone Firehawk 600 Presented by Pioneer from Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 29.

A high-tech, action drama set in the dangerous, exhilarating world of open-wheel racing, Driven centers on the lives and careers of four drivers chasing the ultimate adrenaline rush. The movie stars Academy Award-winning actor Sylvester Stallone as Joe Tanto, a former racing star hired by car owner Carl Henry, played by former Academy Award nominee Burt Reynolds, to tutor a talented but unfocused rookie driver, played by Kip Pardue, in his bid for the championship.

The movie also stars Gina Gershon, Estella Warren, Robert Sean Leonard, Til Schweiger and Cristian de la Fuente and is directed by Renny Harlin, who co-produced with Stallone.

Footage for the feature was filmed at numerous FedEx Championship Series venues during the 2000 season. Driven premieres nationally on Friday, April 27.

Text provided by Ron Richards

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.