Called the Little League for professional racing, the World Karting Assn. is a storied training ground for NASCAR. It’s also the backdrop for Marshall Curry’s finely tuned documentary “Racing Dreams,” which takes a sympathetic look at three kids whose stock car aspirations and zest for speed must also contend with the realities of a fast-approaching adulthood. The competition scenario — in this case, WKA’s five-race national championship held over the course of a year — is a familiar one for personality-driven docs, but Curry’s impressionable, charismatic young subjects are impossible not to care about.

Annabeth is a gangly, boy-crazy, 11-year-old racing fanatic with eyes on gender role-smashing, Danica Patrick-like fame. Josh, 12, is a behind-the-wheel natural and budding professional who’s already practicing his interview skills. The sport’s priciness, meanwhile — which necessitates an early skill at fundraising and securing sponsorship — means this could be the last year for 13-year-old Brandon, a troubled kid from a poor, broken family. The film doesn’t always follow up on its more interesting issues: safety, technique, financial hardship, even the sport’s history. But the emotional dynamics of its trio of formative hopefuls, and their touching relationships with the parents or guardians who work hard at enabling their passion, set a solid pace.

By Mark Walters

I recently got a chance to see a private screening of RACING DREAMS, a documentary about the competitive world of Go-Kart racing. Soak that in for a minute. Now I know watching a movie about Go-Kart racing may not sound like thrills and excitement, but believe me this film does not disappoint. Curry took a world I knew little to nothing about, and opened my eyes to what really goes on with young teenagers than become fascinated with this sport. Please check out my review below. I was also fortunate enough to talk directly with Marshall about making the film, and you can listen to the interview HERE – either click that link to open your media player, or right-click and download the MP3 file (also available through iTunes). In the interview, Curry talks about finding his subjects and following them around for hundreds and hundreds of hours. It must be incredibly daunting to make a documentary like this, and know when and where to trim the fat. It’s all so engaging, I’m not sure which parts of these kid’s lives you’d actually want to leave out.

RACING DREAMS is the story of three young teenagers (or in one case almost-teenagers) who share a passion for Go-Kart racing. The world they immerse themselves in is very much a pre-cursor to Nascar and becoming a professional race car driver. There’s Brandon Warren – a country boy being raised by his grandfather (while his father does prison time), who has a lot of heart and skill, but seems to be constantly trying to evade the negative shadow of his dad. Annabeth Barnes is an 11-year-old girl who is growing up fast, surrounded by passionate and supportive parents, and poised to be a sort of beauty queen of the racing circuit (think Danica Patrick as a young girl). Last but not least is Joshua Hobson, a dedicated and almost overly-professional young man who not only mimics the behavior and mannerisms of racing greats like Jeff Gordon, he practically channels them when making even the most casual conversation. Director Marshall Curry observes these young adults as they compete in various races, some moving up in ranks, while others fall below their own norm. Away from the action, we even get to see a budding teenage romance between Brandon and Annabeth, though it’s hard to imagine anything taking precedence over their racing obsession. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the documentary comes in the last few minutes, in which Curry shows us where all of this is ultimately headed.

We were all young once, and at some point found ourselves caught up in something that was special to us, and that gave us a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. Watching RACING DREAMS is like observing one’s own childhood through slightly different eyes… and of course adjusting the passion being followed to that of Go-Kart racing. Curry manages to keep this film inspiring, moving, and mesmerizing, all the while never taking things to any sort of over-dramatic level. He lets life speak for itself, and it’s fascinating to watch. One of the things I love about documentaries is their ability to pull back the curtain on a world most of us know nothing about. In some ways RACING DREAMS isn’t unlike watching enthusiastic cheerleader moms coaching their daughters, or football families obsessed with going to state. You can see the drive and passion that fuels these youngsters, and while none of it may be familiar, all of it is relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed the film for everything it showed us, and for everything it didn’t fall victim to. Curry should be applauded for turning in a masterfully told expose on this realm, and I can honestly say this is one film I’d strongly recommend to just about any age group. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) is one of the producing partners on the movie, and it’s easy to see why he’d have faith in the project, as he no doubt found it as inspirational as just about any audience would. I asked Marshall if he’d have any interest in revisiting these three some years down the road to see how their lives have changed… or in many ways stayed the same, just became more grand. One can only imagine. My review, in short? Just see it. You’ll love it.

3-out-of-4-Star review.

The desire to compete in professional sports has beckoned just about all of us at one time in our lives. And perhaps the billion-dollar world of NASCAR, high-speedracing, is the most alluring of all to young people, especially in the American South. The sharp and revealing new documentary RACING DREAMS, examines three young teens who fight to win on the Go-Cart circuit on weekends chasing the dream of one day being a professional race car driver. The excellence in this straightforward odyssey stems from the detail of how these three youths deal with school, family issues and the pursuit of excellence as they quickly grow up during their last year of go-cart competition. There are no real revelations in RACING DREAMS, and the post-production voice-over of the actual races highlighting only our ambitious trio is wearying, but there is a true joy in watching what all sports aspirants must face at the crossroads of their young lives, and as such RACING DREAMS resonates with life, and the unfortunately reality of their lives that keeps getting in the way of their dreams.. There is a refreshing vibe to these young people and RACING DREAMS is one of the few docs out now that isn’t advocacy driven…just a crisply observed observation worth racing to.

*** of **** stars.

By Michael Janusonis

Newport International Film Festival’s screening of a documentary called Racing Dreams might conjure up thoughts of something to do with sailing.

The fact that Marshall Curry’s Racing Dreams revolves around three kids — ages 11, 12 and 13 — vying for the national go-kart racing championship, would probably be the last thing to cross your mind. And yet Curry has come up with a highly entertaining film, following the children and their families for a year as they take part in the five finalist races for the championship, getting into their lives and exploring the drive and frustrations they feel along the way. One comes away with an appreciation of the kids — and what they’re willing to give up — to reach their dream of one day becoming a professional driver in the NASCAR races whose cars zoom along tracks at 200 miles per hour and draw millions of fans.

“Being a NASCAR driver is the coolest job you could ever have,” says 13-year-old Brandon Warren of Creedmoor, N.C. But at this stage of their racing careers, the kids zoom around a mini track at up to 80 miles an hour in go-karts that look like miniature versions of the NASCAR machines that have only a one-inch clearance from the ground.

Annabeth Barnes, 11, of Hickory, N.C., is one of the few girls involved in the sport and the only one of her friends who wants to be a race car driver when she grows up, at least at this stage of her life. Brandon has won many local championships and says, “If I’m not racin,’ I’m not happy.”

Curry is a silent observer who never intrudes with narration or to underline a point. There are interviews with Josh Hobson, 12, of Birch Run, Mich., after he wins the first of the five races. Even at that point, he already knows to add a bit of product placement in his thank you. There are tears from Annabeth after she fell farther behind in the standings than she’d hoped. There’s always the next race. Annabeth says she likes the independence she feels when she can make her own decisions on the track.

But Racing Dreams is more than just the nuts and bolts of trying to win races. Because Curry was around these kids and their families for such a long time, he has gained their confidence which has enabled him to capture intimate moments.

There’s Annabeth, whose parents who have encouraged her every step of the way, finally sitting in a full-size NASCAR stock car, but looking uncomfortable, wondering whether she really wants to continue following her childhood dream into puberty when “all these other doors are opening for me.” She begins to wonder, “Is this what I really want to do for the rest of my life?” while her father advises, “If you’re going to be a professional you’ve got to make a lot of sacrifices to meet your goal.” At one point, although two years younger and a foot taller than Brandon, she makes him a special friend and takes the first steps toward romance.

Josh, on the other hand, is all full-speed-ahead for his future. His racing successes have spurred his father to track his success against the other kids on a spread sheet and to go into debt to get Josh a full-size NASCAR-worthy auto. We see the difficult choices the family must make as the bills pile up.

Brandon has lived with his grandparents most of his life because his father was away in jail and his mother was caught up in her addictions. When his father comes back into his life, they try to bridge the gulf between them. But his father backslides and the emotional toll on the boy is heavy, presented here with great honesty.

There’s suspense in the film as we sweat out the wait on the judging staff’s ruling after an irate father blames Brandon for his son’s crash. There are telling moments, too, such as when Annabeth’s mother, Tina, talks about how she wants her daughter “to follow her dream because I didn’t have a chance to.” There’s Josh going up to meet one of his NASCAR heroes and asking advice. And there are the oddities — Josh having his father roll up the windows on a warm day and turning the car’s heater up to 90 so he can experience what it’s like to race on a Southern track in the summer; kids singing hymns at the Karting for Christ Ministries at the edge of the track before race time; a stand at a North Carolina track selling “fried bologna.”

Curry’s film will make you appreciate the sacrifices and the push of young people. You can exchange go-karting for gymnastics, figure skating, baseball or even sailing in reaching their goals, not all of which turn out as these young dreamers had first planned.

Racing Dreams will be screened at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, June 4 and 2:45 p.m. Friday, June 5 at the Jane Pickens Cinema as part of the 12th Newport International Film Festival.

by Sam Watermeier

3.5 stars, (NR)

As they look through bills, the parents become overwhelmed with dread. They come to the realization that they’ve invested over $100,000 in their 12-year-old son’s kart-racing exploits. A lesser documentary would skip over moments like these, but Racing Dreams is far from a mere inspirational tale. It unfolds as a disturbing look at lost innocence and America’s obsession with success.

Racing Dreams follows three young racers who could not be more different in demeanor. Brandon Warren is a hardhead with a hot temper. Josh Hobson is a quiet, reserved perfectionist. And Annabeth Barnes is a fun-loving dreamer. They all share one trait — fierce determination to be successful.

We soon discover that this drive and ambition comes directly from their parents. Their humble surroundings (rotting houses, jobs in factories) compel them to push their kids to strive for a better life. Racing Dreams turns into an exploration of those pressures kids face.
In America, most kids and their families are constantly thinking about the future. To them, the present is just a preamble. We live in an era in which success comes from either having a college education or exploiting a skill as early as childhood. The rush to attain a steady career often denies children, well, a childhood. “I don’t want racing to keep my daughter from being a kid,” Annabeth’s father says. “But at the same time, she has to make sacrifices if she wants to do it for a living”.

Racing Dreams is not an earth-shattering, revelatory documentary. Parents push their kids, kids push themselves, we see this everyday. However, the film is unique in underplaying the inspirational moments and highlighting the more troubling ones. You wouldn’t expect that from a film about children. Nor would you expect the director (Marshall Curry) to present the children in such a raw, honest light. We see Brandon suspended from school for fighting, we see Josh treat his trophies with more respect than his parents.

All in all, Racing Dreams is an engaging film. No wonder it was one of NUVO’s “Must-See” picks during last year’s Indianapolis International Film Festival.

This film, which won 2009′s IIFF Audience Award, will sweep screens here once again. It opens Friday, May 28 at select theaters.

By Matt Brunson

A Spellbound or Mad Hot Ballroom for the NASCAR set, Racing Dreams ends up speeding past its niche market and working its magic on anyone with a rooting interest in the dreams and ambitions of this country’s youth.

Like the aforementioned pair of documentaries, this one also corrals a group of kids and tracks their endeavors to become the best in their field of interest. In this case, it’s the world of racing, with all three subjects top contenders in the World Karting Association’s championship series. Twelve-year-old Josh Hobson of Birch Run, Michigan, is a brainy boy whose methodical, sensible approach to the sport repeatedly wins races. Eleven-year-old Annabeth Barnes of Hiddenite, N.C., is a spunky, charismatic girl who dreams of becoming the first female to win a major NASCAR race.

Both kids are interesting to follow, yet the movie belongs to the third focal point. Thirteen-year-old Brandon Warren of Creedmoor, N.C., initially seems the least complicated, a good-ole-boy-in-training whose reckless nature (on and off the track) might prove to be his undoing. Yet as we get to learn more about Brandon and his family — specifically, the grandparents who lovingly raise him and the deadbeat dad who turns up like an unwelcome wart whenever he’s not behind bars — come to realize that this story is the most involving — and most poignant — one in the movie.

The racing footage shot and edited by Marshall Curry and his team is exemplary (the first competition takes place at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and should thrill even those who aren’t fans of the sport. Yet even these sequences take a back seat to the sagas of the children, all of whom retain pole position throughout this engaging picture.

By Tim Avery

Our rating: 4 Stars – Excellent

NASCAR is said to be the second largest spectator sport in the U.S., behind only the NFL in TV ratings. But it might be the largest anti-spectator sport. Its roots are in the South—a 2001 article about NASCAR in Southern Cultures is titled “The Most Southern Sport on Earth”—and though it has long since spread nationwide (and then some), it is still far less understood in most places than football, basketball, or baseball. Such ignorance led to the making of the documentary Racing Dreams.

Director Marshall Curry was intrigued by a story he read about the World Karting Association (WKA) Championships—an unofficial Little League for NASCAR. So Curry, whose 2005 documentary (and feature-length debut) Street Fight was nominated for an Oscar, decided to educate himself by making a film. The end result is a thrilling look into this racing sub-culture, but even more, it is a poignant look at the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Racing Dreams follows three kids who are competing in the year-long WKA National Series. Brandon is 13 years old, has been raised by his grandparents since he was four, and has problems keeping his cool. Josh, 12, is a model student and perfectionist who emulates the pros in every way he can. Annabeth, 11, is the least experienced driver and must contend as a girl surrounded by guys, but is also competitive, confident, and spunky.

The film alternates between home and the track. At the races, we are inducted into a competition of maddeningly precise angles, these kids scooting along at 70 mph with no suspension systems and their rear ends only an inch off the ground. Speaking as someone typically benumbed by watching cars make laps, I was transfixed. The editing moves things along, but the film gives you enough context to help you begin to appreciate the artistry in the driving.

Most of all, though, I was emotionally invested in these drivers because of the sequences at home. Curry chose to shoot Racing Dreams with compact cameras rather than heavier, shoulder-mounted models, so that he could work in tighter spaces and be less intrusive. This rewards us with surprisingly vulnerable glimpses into these families—sometimes charming, as when Brandon curls up in his room and flirts sheepishly over the phone with Annabeth, and occasionally haunting, as when Brandon’s grandfather goes out one night onto a pitch-black porch with Brandon’s resurfaced father and gravely warns him about getting into more trouble.

Curry says his pre-adolescent subjects were the perfect age: “young enough to be honest and open, but old enough to be interesting and insightful.” This is absolutely true. Take, for instance, when Josh, the most precocious of the three, explains very deliberately how important it is for a professional driver to please the sponsors, and how he is already working on carrying himself in the right way.

Or consider how Annabeth is not too embarrassed to show the camera her personal Top 5 Things to Learn list. (Number four: “how to roll back time.” Number five, with some bashful giggles: “how to kiss a boy on the lips.”) But then she is old enough, for instance, to suppose that one of her suppliers, Ultramax, is more willing to give her equipment free of charge because if as a girl she succeeds with it, then other drivers will think that much more highly of the equipment. “That’s totally sexist and wrong,” she says, smiling good-naturedly, “but if it gets Ultramax more customers, then it’s okay with me.”

The kids are also old enough to articulate reasons for their love of racing, reasons deeper than the need for speed. Annabeth says racing gives her an independence she can’t have otherwise. Later, she calls it “God’s given talent to me.” And Brandon, who usually seems to just shrug off his family problems, laughing and roughhousing and singing, in one quieter moment admits how racing helps him: “When I come to a race, I don’t even think about what’s going on at home. Everything goes away.”

But what is most moving in Racing Dreams is to see how, on the verge of adolescence, these kids must begin to reconcile their dreams with reality. Their beloved sport is quickly becoming a career decision with steeper and steeper costs. In a way, their superlative talent forces them to grow up a little sooner. As Annabeth says, “It’s hard for an 11, 12, 13-year-old to think about what they want to do for the rest of their life.”

There are not many films that treat childhood with as much balance as Racing Dreams does. It is lighthearted and earnest, playful and respectful, exhilarating and heartbreaking.

By the end of the film, Annabeth is the one who has most visibly changed—different hair, now in braces, and truly a teenager. She is still charming, but she is not the Annabeth we first met. Sometimes, even when one good thing takes the place of another, it’s hard not to want to “roll back time.”

By Jake Lingeman

The pressure to succeed in go-kart racing and beyond for three youths and their families is the subject of Racing Dreams.There comes a time in every aspiring race-car driver’s life when he has to make a decision: Commit to driving 100 percent, or lead a normal life. For a race-car driver, that time comes before high school.

Racing Dreams, by director Marshall Curry , is a documentary about three young go-karters who want to become professional NASCAR drivers. The story follows 12-year-old Joshua Hobson, 11-year-old Annabeth Barnes and 13-year-old Brandon Warren as they contend for the World Karting Association National Championship.

Joshua and Annabeth compete in the Junior Division, and Brandon is in the Senior Division. All three are near the point when they need to decide how serious they are about racing. The association is considered by some as the “Little League of NASCAR,” and advancing beyond it involves a new level of monetary commitment.

During the season, Joshua, Annabeth and Brandon battle on the racetrack and in their personal lives as the pressures of adult decisions weigh on them. Joshua commits to practice and study of the drivers in interviews. Annabeth complains about missing a friend’s birthday in one sentence, and then brags about racing more weekends than professionals in the next. Brandon deals with an unstable home life as he tries to control his temper on and off the track.

Racing Dreams is an endearing, sometimes sad tale of three adolescents finding their way in the pre-professional racing world. It provides an inside look at the community surrounding karting and what it takes to make it to the next level. The three subjects are clearly the stars of this documentary. They understand the choices they have and the consequences. If these kids are the future of racing, fans have a lot for which to be hopeful.

Racing Dreams premieres in Charlotte, N.C., on May 18 as part of the opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The film will open in regional markets on May 21, then in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and other cities on June 11.

By Stephen Davis

While most kids are out playing baseball, basketball, and golf, the lead subjects of Marshall Curry’s Racing Dreams are dreaming a bit outside of the box. Instead of hitting the courts and fields, they are venturing out to the track, the go-kart track that is.

Racing Dreams follows three aspiring NASCAR drivers, all of whom are vying for the coveted World Karting Association’s National Championship. Brandon, the oldest of our three subjects and a member of the Senior League, is a bit of a tough pill to swallow. His drug addict parents left him in the care of his grandparents, who don’t seem to have the financial ability to fund his passion. Then there is eleven-year-old Annabeth, the Danica Patrick of the go-karting world, who struggles to prioritize her potential racing career, middle school popularity, her affection to the before mentioned Brandon, and her longing to beat reigning Junior League champion Josh, the film’s third and final lead subject.

If all that sounds confusing, don’t let it be. Curry’s most vital talent is his ability to straight shoot a story with minimal side tangents. Sure we see Brandon’s troubled home life, a degree of which migrates onto the track, but it doesn’t consume his part of the story. Annabeth’s struggle to determine what she wants in life is a hot topic through many of her scenes, as is John’s father’s ambitious dreams for his son. However, none supersedes the story’s central story arc, winning the year’s National Cup.

The ‘casting’ in the film is brilliant. Each of our three subjects brings an entirely different aspect of racing to the forefront. The competitive edge is downplayed in much of the film, and that was a bit of a disappointment. Curry tries so hard to personalize these three kids that he occasionally loses focus in his overall goal: the racing!

There were quite a few humane moments that helped give the film both heart and soul. The family members of those involved were interviewed a bit too much, (most notably Annabeth’s mother), making for a less interesting off-track story. I do wish that we had been given a bit more ‘normal’ life footage, to really see the racers when they interact with kids both on and off the track; however, that opportunity never presented itself.

It is always interesting to see the different paths of today’s youth, living their dreams, and I was surprised that a non-racing fan such as myself could actually enjoy this film. It was far from perfect, but the fluid presentation style helps keep your attention as you embark on a journey that is filled with raw innocence and high-speed adrenaline races. These kids are aging before our very eyes, and seeing how they respond to the pressure makes for a great and highly unique viewing experience.