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Days Of Thunder
''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, and Michael Rooker. It also features appearances by real life NASCAR racers, such as Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett, and Harry Gant. Commentator Dr. Jerry Punch, of ESPN, has a cameo appearance, as does co-producer Don Simpson. ''Days of Thunder'' was released in the United States on June 27, 1990, by Paramount Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its racing sequences, Hans Zimmer's musical score, and the performances of Cruise and Duvall, but criticized its lack of originality, screenplay, and similarities to ''Top Gun''. Plot Young racer Cole Trickle, from Eagle Rock, California, has years of experience in open-wheel racing, winning championships with the World of Outlaws. Originally setting his si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Scott
Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as ''Top Gun'' (1986), ''Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''Days of Thunder'' (1990), ''The Last Boy Scout'' (1991), ''True Romance'' (1993), ''Crimson Tide (film), Crimson Tide'' (1995), ''Enemy of the State (film), Enemy of the State'' (1998), ''Man on Fire (2004 film), Man on Fire'' (2004), ''Déjà Vu (2006 film), Déjà Vu'' (2006), and ''Unstoppable (2010 film), Unstoppable'' (2010). Scott was the younger brother of film director Sir Ridley Scott. They both graduated from the Royal College of Art in London, and were among a generation of British film directors who were successful in Hollywood having started their careers making television commercials. In 1995, both Tony and Ridley received the British Academy Film Awards, BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Contribution To Cinema. In 2010, they ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caroline Williams
Caroline Williams is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her role as Stretch in ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' film series. Her other film roles include ''Alamo Bay'' (1985), ''The Legend of Billie Jean'' (1985), ''Stepfather II'' (1989), ''Days of Thunder'' (1990), ''Leprechaun 3'' (1995),'' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' (2000), '' Halloween II'' (2009), and '' Hatchet 3'' (2013). Williams has made guest appearances on several television series such as ''Hunter'' (1987), ''Murder, She Wrote'' (1992), '' ER'' (1996), ''Suddenly Susan'' (1996), ''Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'' (1997), ''The District'' (2003), and ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2010). Life and career Williams made her film debut in the 1975 film ''Smile''. A decade later, she starred in ''Alamo Bay'' and ''The Legend of Billie Jean''. In 1986, Williams had small roles in ''Thompson's Last Run'' and '' Getting Even'' before portraying Vanita "Stretch" Brock in ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2''. In 1989 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis. The event is traditionally held over Memorial Day weekend, usually the last weekend of May. It is contested as part of the IndyCar Series, the top level of American open-wheel car racing, a formula colloquially known as "Indy car racing". The track itself is nicknamed the "Brickyard", as the racing surface was paved in brick in the fall of 1909. One yard of brick remains exposed at the start/finish line. The event, billed as ''The Greatest Spectacle in Racing'', is considered part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport along with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix, with which it typically shares a date. The official attendance is not disclosed by Speedway management, but the permanent seating capacity is upwards ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Of Outlaws
The World of Outlaws (often abbreviated WoO) is an American motorsports sanctioning body. The body sanctions two major national touring series. It is best known for sanctioning the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. These dirt track racing series are owned and operated by World Racing Group. The Sprint Car Series is sponsored by Monster Beverage's NOS Energy Drink and beginning in 2022 the Late Model Series will be sponsored by Case Construction Equipment. World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series The body sanctions a national tour of high power to weight, custom fabricated sprint cars called the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. The race cars feature large adjustable wings on the top and large rear tires that transfer their power to the dirt tracks they race on. The series travels primarily the United States, but has sanctioned races in Canada, Mexico and Australia. The title sponsor is NOS Energy Drink. The series wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Open Wheel Car
An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, Sports car racing, sports cars, Stock car racing, stock cars, and Touring car racing, touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or inside Fender (vehicle), fenders. Open-wheel cars are built both for road racing and oval track racing. Street-legal open-wheel cars, such as the Ariel Atom, are scarce as they are often impractical for everyday use. History American racecar driver and constructor Ray Harroun was an early pioneer of the concept of a lightweight single-seater, open-wheel "monoposto" racecar. After working as a mechanic in the automotive industry, Harroun began competitive professional racing in 1906, winning the AAA National Championship in 1910. He was then hired by the Marmon Motor Car Company as chief engineer, charged with building a racecar intended to race at the first ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eagle Rock, California
Eagle Rock is a neighborhood of Northeast Los Angeles, abutting the San Rafael Hills in Los Angeles County, California. Eagle Rock is named after Eagle Rock, a large boulder whose shadow resembles an eagle.http://www.eaglerockcouncil.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=72 Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council, History of. Retrieved June 24, 2010 Eagle Rock was once part of the Rancho San Rafael under Spanish and Mexican governorship. In 1911, Eagle Rock was incorporated as a city, and in 1923 it combined with the City of Los Angeles. The neighborhood is the home of Occidental College and is known for being an enclave of counterculture. As with other neighborhoods in Northeast Los Angeles, Eagle Rock experienced significant gentrification in the 21st century. History Before the arrival of European settlers, the secluded valley below the San Rafael Hills that is roughly congruent to Eagle Rock's present boundaries was inhabited by the Tongva people, whose stap ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Top Gun
''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an article titled "Top Guns", written by Ehud Yonay and published in ''California'' magazine three years earlier. It stars Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier . He and his radar intercept officer, Lieutenant (junior grade) Nick "Goose" Bradshaw ( Anthony Edwards), are given the chance to train at the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California. Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer and Tom Skerritt also appear in supporting roles. ''Top Gun'' was released on May 16, 1986. Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews from film critics, but despite this, its visual effects and soundtrack were universally acclaimed. Four weeks after it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cameo Appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly either appearances in a work in which they hold some special significance (such as actors from an original movie appearing in its remake) or renowned people making uncredited appearances. Short appearances by celebrities, film directors, politicians, athletes or musicians are common. A crew member of the movie or show playing a minor role can be referred to as a cameo role as well, such as Alfred Hitchcock's frequent cameos. Concept Originally, in the 1920s, a "cameo role" meant "a small character part that stands out from the other minor parts". The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' connects this with the meaning "a short literary sketch or portrait", which is based on the literal meaning of " cameo", a miniature carving on a gemstone. More re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The company was founded in 1979 by Bill Rasmussen along with his son Scott Rasmussen and Ed Eagan. ESPN broadcasts primarily from studio facilities located in Bristol, Connecticut. The network also operates offices and auxiliary studios in Miami, New York City, Las Vegas, Seattle, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. James Pitaro currently serves as chairman of ESPN, a position he has held since March 5, 2018, following the resignation of John Skipper on December 18, 2017. While ESPN is one of the most successful sports networks, there has been criticism of ESPN. This includes accusations of biased coverage, conflict of interest, and controversies with individual broadcasters and analysts. , ESPN reaches approximately 76 million te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Punch
Gerald Punch (born August 20, 1953) is an American auto racing and college football commentator working for ESPN, as well as a physician. Punch also does local radio spots in Knoxville Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division and the state's .... Punch is currently a Principal Investigator for an award-winning clinical research company, Alliance for Multispecialty Research or AMR, in Knoxville. Early life Punch grew up in Newton, North Carolina. He began his broadcasting career when he was selected to join the local high school radio, radio station staff of Newton-Conover High School. The local radio station, WNNC in Newton, provided free air time to the local high school broadcasting organization with rotational assignments to the aspiring broadcast journalists. Students at the high scho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Gant
Harold Phil Gant"Harry P. Gant" (born January 10, 1940), known for his many nicknames such as "The Bandit", "High Groove Harry", "Hard Luck Harry", "Mr. September", and perhaps mostly as "Handsome Harry", is a retired American driver best known for driving the No. 33 Skoal Bandit car on the circuit during the 1980s and 1990s and his 4-race win streak in 1991. Nicknames Gant gained a lot of nicknames throughout his racing ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neil Bonnett
Lawrence Neil Bonnett (July 30, 1946 – February 11, 1994) was an American NASCAR driver who compiled 18 victories and 20 poles over his 18-year career. Bonnett was a member of the Alabama Gang, and started his career with the help of Bobby and Donnie Allison. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s with his performances in cars owned by Jim Stacy and Wood Brothers Racing, becoming one of the top competitors in the 1980s. The Alabama native currently ranks 47th in all-time NASCAR Cup victories. He appeared in the 1983 film ''Stroker Ace'' and the 1990 film ''Days of Thunder''. Bonnett hosted the TV show ''Winners'' for TNN from 1991 to 1994. He was a color commentator for CBS, TBS, and TNN in the years until his death. Bonnett's driving career was interrupted by a severe brain injury from a crash in 1990. He was killed while practicing for the 1994 Daytona 500 for a much-anticipated comeback. NASCAR career Bonnett was born in the Birmingham suburb of Hueytown, Alabama on Jul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
