Lights, cameras ... start your engines!
By NORM FROSCHER
Special to The Sun
May 16. 2007 6:01AM
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The TV cameras have been rolling for more than a couple of weeks at Bronson Motor Speedway for a new reality show, which will debut on Spike TV on Saturday at 9 a.m.
It's "Reality Racing - The Rookie Challenge," a show that follows 26 rookies from their first competition in Mini-Cup cars on to Late Models in a 13-episode series from Mike Cope's 1/3-mile track.
The owner and creator of the show is entrepreneur F. Lee Schaefer, formerly of Kentucky but now of Boca Raton.
"About three years ago, late one night, I was wondering about A: who's going to win Survivor, and B: in about two weeks I was going to a NASCAR race in Richmond, Virginia," Schaefer said. "One thought led to another ... How come no NASCAR reality show?
"Our producer/director, Del Weston of Los Angeles, we had met through a mutual friend and he also liked the project. He's very action-oriented in what he's done in the past and this seemed to be right up his alley. That's how we hooked up with Del."
At that same time, Spike TV was looking for programming and the fit was natural, Schaefer said.
From more than 16,000 hopeful contestants who applied, the field was narrowed to 26.
The contestants' names haven't been released, but the first group is starting at the very beginning - from an off-road competition to acquainting them with their first mounts. Those are Mini-Cup vehicles, Ford and Chevy replicas, powered by 30-horsepower Honda motors that can reach speeds of 65-70 miles an hour.
Then it's on to Late Models.
Schaefer's production team pored over the applications one by one, looking for characters and outgoing individuals.
"An example was a 44-year-old woman from St. Louis who said 'I know Danica Patrick can drive fast, and I can drive as fast as Danica while refereeing a fight or dividing up a happy meal with my kids in the back seat,' " Schaefer said.
"Here's a woman who put it all together and she's one that got chosen."
The show will narrow its field to nine contestants for the final rounds, which will be judged by some famous names - veteran and retired drivers Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Cale Yarborough and Junior Johnson.
"One of things about the show that I want to make sure to mention is that short track racing is where NASCAR starts," Schaefer said. "It's grass-roots racing, and this is what the show is about - taking individuals and allowing them to fulfill their dream of being in an actual race car, racing. They're getting to live their dream and again, this is where racing started.
"Short track isn't what it used to be, like in the seventies and eighties, and if I can help bring that back, that's what I want to do."
The Racing Coordinator for the series is Jay Middleton, 22, an area driver from Lake City now attending Santa Fe Community College.
"Jay actually heads up our race teams," Schaefer said. "He makes sure the cars are on equal scales, that one doesn't have an advantage over another. He's actually helping tutor the drivers as they get onto the track, what works, what lines to take, how the car handles.
"For some young guy to have that much knowledge is pretty phenomenal." Now, in case you may be wondering, how was 1/3-mile Bronson, referred to by some as "Florida's Little Bristol," chosen?
"Bronson was chosen because I actually had a personal relationship with the Middletons," Schaefer said. "I had known about them and their racing. Jay recommended I come down and look at Bronson, which is what we did last November."
He said the group looked at a number of tracks and were offered several as free locations, but he liked Bronson and the Copes' hospitality.
Middleton reacalled their first contact: "We actually met about two years ago in Nashville. (Racer) Glenn Allen was there ... and he's on the board with the show. They had a camera crew there and brought them over to me. They liked what they saw (in the race) and it worked out perfect. We've been on board since then."
Middleton has put his own Late Model and ARCA racing career on the back burner.
"We kind of put it on hold for now," Middleton said. "But it's worth it to me to help these guys out. Hopefully, right after this is all over we'll be right back."
The show has added to what amounts to a bee hive of activity at the local track.
"I'm thrilled that they're here," Cope said. "Not for ourselves, in other words, not for Bronson Motor Speedway, but I'm happy that they're doing something for short track racing in general. To get the national audience out there to understand that this is as tough as it looks, but you can do it if you're given the opportunity.
"There's a couple of guys out there who Jay said looked pretty good in the Mini-Cup cars,
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