Instruments of Speed and Aerodynamics

Most everybody enjoys the Pixar movie, Cars, whether you're a NASCAR fan or not. The movie is packed with so many racing references and tributes that race fans like myself love pointing them out, much to the annoyance of others who just don't care. I've provided a list of all those references so non-race fans can appreciate the film from a race fans' perspective and maybe not be so annoyed next time. Green flag, let's begin:

1. First, Lightning McQueen's engine sound is a recording of a genuine NASCAR engine. This detail makes the racing feel more authentic than a cheesy motor sound effect.

2. The racetracks in Cars are real NASCAR tracks - Bristol Motor Speedway and California Speedway.

3. The Piston Cup is a satire of NASCAR's Winston Cup, the name of its former championship trophy.

4. Chick Hicks resembles stock-cars of the 1980s (Buick Regals and Chevy Monte Carlos).

5. Strip Weathers - "The King" - is an exact replica of Richard Petty's #43 Plymouth Superbird of the '70s. Richard Petty is "The King" of NASCAR, winning 200 races and 7 championships. No other driver comes close. Petty provides the voice of his car in the film and his wife, Lynda Petty, does the voice of the station wagon. "The King" has won 7 Pistons Cups (like Petty) and his terrible wreck near the end is similar to Petty's horrific 1988 Daytona crash (see here at www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnYk4Hfzs_c)

6. Darrell Cartrip, the announcer, is voiced by real-life race broadcaster and 3-time NASCAR champion, Darrell Waltrip. His car is a race-car from the '70s and sports the #17, Darrell's former number. Waltrip is very popular among fans for his lovable on-air personality during races and his famous line is used in the film - "Boogity, boogity, boogity! Let's go racin'!" He also quotes another invented term "bump draft" when Lightning pushes The King across the finish line.

7. Tex, the gold colored longhorn car, owner of Dinoco, is voiced by "Humpy" Wheeler who was the former president of Charlotte Motor Speedway and is still a longtime promoter of NASCAR.

8. Doc Hudson has Piston Cups from 1951, '52, and '53, the same years the real Fabulous Hudson Hornet won the NASCAR championship. Additionally, Doc's paint scheme when he goes to McQueen's race mirrors the actual design used on the Hornet in that time period. I'm sure longtime NASCAR fans greatly appreciated this tribute.

9. The red #8 car named Junior is none other than Dale Earnhardt, Jr., NASCAR's most popular driver eight years running and my personal favorite. No championships yet but he has 18 wins including the prestigous Daytona 500. I was extremely excited when I first saw my driver in this movie (sadly, he's not in Cars 2)!

10. The red Ferrari that visits Luigi's Tire Shop is Michael Shumacher. He doesn't race in NASCAR but he is famous in Formula 1, having 91 wins and 7 championships. In 2006, he was the highest paid athlete in the world. An honorable tribute to F1 fans to feature Shumacher.

11. At the final race, there is a scene where rusty car, Fred, is attempting to bypass security to go into the garage area and Mario Andretti arrives in his vintage #11 race-car. Andretti has done it all, having raced and won in virtually every major racing division, including the 1967 Daytona 500 in NASCAR, his only victory in 14 starts. Another tribute to old-school race fans.

Checkered flag, list over. Now go and watch Cars with your newfound, pointless racing knowledge and impress those who have a motor mouth.

(PS - Cars 2 unfortunately doesn't contain many references, but I'll keep looking!)

Sonic is 20

The subject I chose for my first ever blog is Sonic the Hedgehog. Today, June 23, 2011, the speedy blue hedgehog turns 20 years old, an uncommon feat for video game characters. Few ever last longer than five years. Just go to the store and you can still find Sonic video games, DVDs, comic books, apparel, and even merchandise. It's no secret among my friends that I'm a dedicated Sonic fan (obsessed might be more like it), however if I were never introduced to Sonic at the impressionable age of 7, I might not have pursued my cartooning talent so early.

I was naturally gifted with the ability to draw but since first playing Sonic 2 in the winter of '93, I had a passionate desire to draw constantly with Sonic as my subject. I drew Sonic and Tails all the time. It only got worse when I bought my first Sonic comic, issue #9, discovered that there was not one but TWO Sonic cartoons, and excitedly awaited the glorious release of Sonic 3. The Sonic mania I was enjoying surely was driving everyone around me crazy. As I matured and continued drawing, I began observing the artists' styles in my comic books, picking up cartooning tricks here and there. Facial expressions, body poses, perspective, compostion, action movement, and even comic panel layouts are some elements I absorbed. The Sonic cartoons on TV fueled my love for 2-D animation and made me appreciate the extraordinary labor and detail required to make an animated episode.

Today, I'm 25 and at the beginning of my own cartooning career. I still draw the blue blur but not with the fervent passion I had as a kid, but drawing Sonic so much helped develop my cartooning skills and taught me early on to be observant of different artistic styles, techniques, and methods. I often find myself applying them in my own comics and cartoons. Would I be the cartoonist I am today if not for Sonic? That's hard to answer, but I wouldn't go back and change it.

So happy 20th birthday, Sonic! I tip my pencil to you ~