STARS: MARIO ANDRETTI, MICHAEL ANDRETTI, PAUL NEWMAN, DON LYONS

This is basically two stories in one, the main story is the design, testing and racing of the Newman Haas Indy Race Car team with the secondary story the much more light hearted story of an enthusiasts quest to restore an old racecar to it’s former glory.

Narrated by Paul Newman, part owner of the Newman Haas race team, this documentary focuses on the legendary race driver Mario Andretti who has retired and his son Michael Andretti who has not only walked in his fathers footstep but in many ways has surpassed him.

Super Speedway tries and succeeds in transferring the excitement and speed of racing around tracks in excess of 370kmh while not ignoring the danger inherent in the sport. It is a visual and auditory feast which does justice to the sport.

The documentary also travels to England to both the Lola factory where the chassis is designed and put together and to the Cosworth factory where the engine is built. It shows the technology and the perfection sought in building these technological terrors.

Following directly from the main feature, is ‘The Making Of Super Speedway’ a feature in similar length (both features run about 47 minutes), this in many ways is more interesting than the main feature as it shows the logistical problems in capturing the shots required for the IMAX feature. For instance, the production team went to the trouble of buying and modifying a slightly older racecar simply to mount the heavy IMAX equipment on it and still keep up with the real racecar.

While true this is a race fan’s delight it is diverse enough in its scope to provide an appreciation of the work and the sensation of speed for even the casual viewer. Director Stephen Low has taken a somewhat clinical approach to the testing and design of the car and Michael Andretti while taking a very sentimental approach to his portrayal of Mario Andretti and the building of the old racecar.

THE EXTRAS

About The Director: Biography and filmography on Director Stephen Low.

Parallel Chapter Selection: Watch the documentary as either the original IMAX feature or at it’s parallel point in the making of sub feature. A great option which allows you to see the work behind capturing the shots on IMAX film.

CONCLUSION

A great way to get an appreciation of the thrills of Indycar, at 47 minutes long it is a great sneak peek at the behind the scenes world of an Indycar race team.