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NBC Sports
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC Sports
'Earnhardt' director reveals unguarded moments in telling a family story of 'The Intimidator'
Near the start of the four-part 'Earnhardt' docuseries on Amazon Prime, there's a moment when 'The Intimidator' begins an interview in full intimidating fashion. 'It's hot in here,' Earnhardt complains immediately upon sitting down and being mic'd up, and his grumpiness continues as he is told the interview his for a personal feature. 'I don't care, just ask the question,' he snaps. 'What feature? You're going to have to do more than this. Come ride around at the farm with me, I'll show you the personal Dale Earnhardt bullshit.' It's a remarkably unguarded moment because it essentially takes place outside of the formal interview, and those were the 'little gems' that director Joshua Altman and his tireless production team of meticulous editors were seeking as they sifted through more than 10,000 hours of footage (that would be boiled down to roughly four hours). 'A lot of those moments reveal character and personality,' Altman told NBC Sports. 'Once the cameras are really fully rolling and all the things are dialed in, that there tends to be a lot of times a show that people put on or a script that they're reading from, and I think anytime you can deviate from that. For us, the core of this is really about revealing people and humanity and understanding who Dale was and really understanding who everyone else was within the context of it.' There are many of those moments during 'Earnhardt,' which chronologically traces the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion's rise from unknown racer to cultural icon. 'One of my favorites and it's more on the darker, heavier side, but at the end of episode two, after Neil Bonnett's death, Dale is sitting down and trying to read this script that he's written but not wanting it to sound reed and really struggling to suppress the emotion,' Altman said. 'They can just tell that he's feeling all this sadness and just doesn't want to be present with it. That's always really affecting for me.' The new 'Earnhardt' (the first two episodes were released May 22, the final two on May 29) is touted for using 'rare archival footage' to pair with dozens of interviews. Though the raw snippets from the sitdown interviews were unearthed for the first time, Altman is unsure of how many other scenes never had been seen – though he has a good source for knowing there were a few. 'Dale Jr. has said to us that there have been clips of his father, specifically his grandfather, that he was like, 'I've never seen that of Ralph before,' ' Altman said. 'That of itself is a win because Dale Jr. is such a historian and a fan himself.' After passing on countless similar projects in the 24 years since their father's death, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his older sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, gave their approval for 'Earnhardt,' which was produced by Imagine Entertainment, the film production company co-founded by renowned director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer. CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 22: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller pose on the red carpet for the NASCAR on Prime Presents The World Premiere of Earnhardt at The Revelry on May 22, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo byfor NASCAR and Prime Video) Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kelley Earnhardt Miller pose on the red carpet for the world premiere of 'Earnhardt' at The Revelry on May 22 in Charlotte (for NASCAR and Prime Video). 'This one stood out because of Ron Howard and his team and their success and their ability to tell amazing stories,' Earnhardt Jr. recently told reporters. 'And I only told them what the standard was, or the threshold of in terms of the storytelling and the quality that I was hoping for. And we are so far down the line from his passing and his impact on the sport and when he was here. We're so far removed from that, a large portion of our fan base in NASCAR has never seen him race. And I see a lot of people ask the question, new fans that are coming in saying, 'Why is this person so respected appreciated? Why was he so loved? Help me understand.' And so I feel like it was a great opportunity to introduce him to people that maybe don't know him that well, or don't know much about his career.' Kelley Earnhardt Miller said her three children got an education in the history and impact of their grandfather by watching the docuseries. 'They were introduced to so many new things that they had no clue about, about our dad, about our life, about our families,' Kelley said. 'And so I hope that is what a lot of people that Dale described take away about our dad and his legacy and his history. We want that legacy and history to live on for as long as it can in the sport and above that.' Director Joshua Altman spoke with NBC Sports this week about the making of 'Earnhardt' (this interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity): Altman: 'Well, I think that's kind of obvious in that having Dale Jr. calling the races (on Amazon), it was one of those things where it seemed just like that partnership made sense. It was important to have a place that was going to sort of champion this and have it reach as wide an audience as possible.' Altman: 'No, not at all. Yeah, we all came in as NASCAR newbies. And I tend to gravitate toward projects like that. I don't come to things typically that I'm a fan of. I tend to look for things that have some sort of hook in me that I don't know about, and I just come in as a sponge absorbing all of that stuff and getting as best as I can to communicate that to an audience. I find that it's helpful in being able to take that stuff in and find an audience outside of the fandom, too. Ultimately, I think the show is going to resonate with people, hopefully both as fans, but also non-NASCAR fans as well.' Courtesy of Prime Altman: 'We had an incredible team. Archival producer Kelsey Arlington really sort of took hold of that. And then just down below that from assistant editors to producers, everybody's taking all the footage apart. We went to NASCAR, and they had 15 petabytes of material that they were like, 'I don't know. You've got to point us in the direction of what you want.' We didn't just want the typical clips. As the kind of filmmakers that we are, we want the handles on everything. We want to see the moment the camera turns on, the microphone being adjusted. All the little bits and pieces around it. 'So it was very hard to figure out how to get that stuff. But the team at NASCAR was incredible really pointing us in the right direction. They were just able to sort of tell us where some of the things were and then our editors were also just little like finders. They'd be out there watching stuff and be like, 'We need this race from this thing' and just the level of care that everybody put into this was helpful trying to find all the little pieces that haven't been shared yet. We ended up with like 10 ,000 hours of footage. So taking that 10,000 hours and crafting it down to four hours plus is never easy. It was just very much a team effort.' Altman: 'I think sitting down for interviews is the biggest part of it. In a lot of ways, it's not just the communication of info that goes up on screen. We would sit down with Dale for four hours at a time. So he was just giving us both his perspective on things, but also helping us understand, coming in as newbies, like, 'No, that's not what happened. This is what happened.' And allowing us to wrap our heads around that. And then later on, specifically once we got to a place, and it was nerve-wracking as hell, but sharing rough cuts with them. And getting their eyes on it and making sure that things were accurate and also felt honest to both their experiences but also to make sure that fans would not poke holes and stuff.' Altman: 'We have incredible casting tapes in that Dale Jr. has his podcast. I've probably listened to I don't know how many hours of Dale Jr. Download at this point, just trying to wrap my head around all the possible characters. In creating a grid of this person was from this part, or this part and really trying to understand who might have the most insight. David Allen and Hank Parker were two people that really jumped out to us from the Download that he did with them.' David Allen, a close friend of Dale Earnhardt who helped manage his sponsorship marketing (Courtesy of Prime). Altman: 'Yeah, we were hopeful of it for a long time, or I was hopeful of it. I don't know if I could say that all of my team was. I was like, 'Eventually it's going to come through.' So we were in talks with her lawyer and trying to go back and forth, but ultimately, I think we just ran out of time and never really solidified it. Which we were told by many people that we were interviewing in the field. They were like, 'Don't hold your breath.' ' Altman: 'Yeah, and I think that was important for us. And that's why we really wanted to interview her. She had such a place in his life and in building up the business. Their relationship is pretty integral to everything that he built. So just wanting to make sure that we honored that and included her as much as possible within that. So, luckily there was enough archival interviews we felt like to at least have that be present and be understood.' Altman: 'Initially, I didn't want to do it chronologically. Maybe it's just like the editor in me to wonder how to tell this nonlinear. But ultimately, I think the footage really guided us in a lot of ways. As we sat down to break the thing in terms of the chapters, each sort of episode revealed itself. But this is this notion that we were trying to create a time capsule or time machine, and I think a lot of that is most effective when you get to experience these chapters as they unfold and to really live in the '80s. To watch this Wrangler car and then to watch the transformation to the black car and to see the details of the picture start to change. As well as the characters themselves. It just felt like the right way to do this.' Altman: 'When we were pitching it, we never want to say this, but we when we pitch it for people to say it back to us that it feels like a Greek tragedy in a lot of ways. All the different elements of it, even from Darrell Waltrip, who's incredible walking us through it. But even his relationship of Dale that transpires, and the arc of this to ending with kissing him on the forehead, after he's passed. All of that feels both sad but also real. And I think Dale and Kelley both emerge from this shadow. I think there's still hope in that. And in a lot of ways, it stands for everybody else to have their own takeaway. But for me, a lot of this has to do with processing grief in terms of the series itself. That every time they're sitting down in an interview, that there is an element of that at play. That we as an audience, whether we know it or not, know that they're sitting down after the death of their father and processing that grief.' Kelley Earnhardt Miller with her father at a Cup Series race (Courtesy of Prime). Altman: 'Oh yeah, for sure. We watched everything that had Dale in it or that was about him before this. And to be honest with you, every time we sat down in an interview, people were like, 'Why are you doing this? This has been told before. How is this going to be different?' That was the thing that we got asked often. And the thing that we really kept coming back to was that our story was about family more than anything. We wanted to tell the story that was about family. Dale Earnhardt is very much the center of that family. He is the gravitational force within it, and I think part of that relates to the immediate family, whether that be Dale, Kelley, Cathy, Kay, Mamaw. Everybody within that universe. But then there's also the racing family, from Chocolate and Childress and all these other people. And so to make sure that like this all sort of came back in these sort of family dynamics and the way that that played out. That was something that we were like, 'OK, this hasn't been told before.' ' Altman: 'Well, even a lot of that stuff that we had to cut out. In terms of like 'You have to have this race,' and then we try to, and this one actually doesn't fit with the storyline. So it's kind of a push and pull of that of where some stuff is crucial and then other stuff, our editors would just find these little gems that had happened. It would be like, 'Whoa, wait a second. Nobody told us about this, and it's crucial to understand who he is as a person and what transpired.' So again this is a team sport, and I have the most incredible team I could ever ask for both in terms of unearthing little gems and trying to think about how all these pieces fit together. There was a lot of that back and forth and guiding what is crucial to understanding the man and what is crucial to understanding the family story vs. just the Wikipedia page.' Altman: 'There are just so many. It's chock full of that. I hope in a lot of ways that people take away that, too. People who are fans can watch this and they're like, 'Wow, I've never seen that before.' But it's weird. I don't know what those moments are because I don't know how much really is out there or what people have seen before. For me, all of it is just a really interesting peek behind the curtain that you can only do with archival when you have this much material. You really get to see and understand such an amazing figure in our time.'
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Watch Trailer for Dale Earnhardt Documentary Coming to Prime Video in May
May 22 can't get here soon enough for fans of NASCAR all-time great Dale Earnhardt. That's the day that the four-part docuseries Earnhardt featuring the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion drops on Prime Video. The first two parts of the four-part series drops on May 22, while the second two episodes will be available to stream one week later, on May 29. The promotional material calls the series, "a multi-generational look at the sacrifice, hardship, and drive of one of the most famous families of NASCAR." The debut comes just three days before Prime Video presents the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Cup Series races from Charlotte. It will be the streaming service's first live NASCAR broadcast. Here's a look at the episode guide, presented by Prime Video, for Earnhardt: Episode 101 – Ironhead: Dale rockets to stardom on NASCAR's biggest stage with an unprecedented championship in just his second season, but a series of challenges on and off the track threatens his future. His upbringing inside North Carolina's racing culture sheds light on what drives him, while he and upstart team owner Richard Childress aggressively chart their path back to the top. Episode 102 – The Intimidator: Dale transforms into 'The Intimidator' as the bad boy of racing chases Richard Petty's record of seven Winston Cup championships. As his legend grows, the intensifying demands of Dale's career fuel tensions within the family—and the life and death stakes of racing soon hit close to home. Episode 103 – One Tough Customer: Dale's fame and fortune reach new heights as he pursues an eighth championship and an ever-elusive Daytona 500 win. But a younger crop of drivers challenge his reign, and family dynamics become more complicated when the Earnhardt kids set out to follow in their father's footsteps on the track. Episode 104 – Dale: Father and son unite on the track at the 2001 Daytona 500, leading the pack in a fateful race that becomes a turning point for the family and the entire sport of NASCAR.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Earnhardt OTT release date: When and where to watch this docuseries on NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt
Earnhardt OTT release date: A four-part documentary series chronicling the legendary racing career of Dale Earnhardt is heading to streaming soon. Earnhardt premieres on Prime Video on May 22, 2025. About Earnhardt This four-part docuseries dives deep into the life and legacy of NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt, one of the sport's greatest champions. Each episode explores a different chapter of his journey, from humble beginnings to legendary status. Episode 1 looks back at Earnhardt's early days in the NASCAR Cup Series, highlighting his rapid rise and first title win in just his second full season. It also explores the challenges he faced after switching teams and how he eventually found a long-term home with Richard Childress Racing. Episode 2 follows the birth of Earnhardt's fierce on-track reputation as 'The Intimidator.' As he built a legacy through victories and championships, the episode also touches on personal struggles and the emotional weight of life off the track. Episode 3 covers his massive popularity in the '90s, his pursuit of an eighth title, and his long-awaited win at the Daytona 500 in 1998. It also captures the transition of the sport as new drivers emerged, including members of Earnhardt's own family. Episode 4 reflects on the tragic events of the 2001 Daytona 500 — a moment that changed NASCAR forever and left a lasting impact on fans and the Earnhardt family alike. Earnhardt crew The Earnhardt docuseries is a joint effort from Imagine Documentaries, Everyone Else, and NASCAR Studios, created in collaboration with Dirty Mo Media. Directed by Joshua Altman, the project brings together an impressive team of executive producers, including Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Sara Bernstein, Christopher St. John, and Justin Wilkes from Imagine; Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin from Everyone Else; and Tim Clark and John Dahl from NASCAR Studios.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fehrenbacher's owner: Gainesville "business booming" since appearance on popular food show
Gainesville got a taste of Flavortown when Guy Fieri brought his iconic Food Network show to some of the town's local eateries. One of the Flavortown mayor's stops in Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives was Fehrenbacher's Meats & Eats on the episode "African, Sicilian and Sausage" that aired on March 14. The business has been booming since its appearance and Fieri warned him of a Flavortown wave. A day after the episode premiered, an out-of-town couple drove an hour and a half to eat his food, said Adam Fehrenbacher, owner of the eatery located in the 4th Ave Food Park in the Porters neighborhood. "This has had a positive impact and that kind of publicity for a small business is fantastic and to have that kind of exposure is great," Fehrenbacher said. Food Park: Restaurant news: Feliz Flavors brings ice cream and happiness to food park Fieri was genuine and offered advice on how to grow an up-and-coming small business, Fehrenbacher said The next Gainesville eateries featured in Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives' latest season include Bingo Deli & Pub, Germain's Chicken Sandwiches, Humble Wood Fire Bagel Shop, The Paper Bag Deli and Uppercrust Bakery. The appearance of the business on the popular show was sparked when Fehrenbacher received and email one afternoon from Citizen Productions that led to a producer conducting a four-hour interview with Fehrenbacher about the meat market and deli. "They interviewed several places around town and picked the best businesses that best fit their show with the most marketability and what's exciting," Fehrenbacher said. "I got an email six weeks later that said hey, welcome to Triple D family!" How the show found out about his business is still a mystery to him, but he is delighted they chose to feature his business, Fehrenbacher said. He added the "showrunners" asked him for six menu items in which Fieri ultimately selected two items to feature - "The Intimidator", a sausage sandwich with hot pepper relish, and a weekly special sandwich called the "Lamb Mediterranean", a merguez with barley tabouleh, chickpeas, buttermilk dressing, and red cabbage. "We make all of our sausages here by hand in house, all original, proprietary recipes," Fehrenbacher said. "We went through the process of making the sausages, the hot pepper relish, the hot sauce and assembling the dish." This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Guy Fieri visits Gainesville Florida to feature local eateries
