Script File
TURNING THE CORNER
A ne’er-do-well young man enters his car in an Iowa county fair race, discovers he is good driving a race car. He struggles with romance, responsibility, and competitors, eventually becomes Midwest champion, is cheated out of a win at first Daytona 500,replicates his win a month later in Atlanta. He knows how to turn the corner on the track, but not how to do it in life. Through taking responsibility and investing in relationships, he is able to figure that out and become champion. A nonfiction story based on award winning book, The Ghosts of NASCAR (U. of Iowa Press).
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Project Type:Screenplay
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Number of Pages:100
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Country of Origin:United States
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Language:English
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First-time Screenwriter:Yes
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Student Project:No
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I am the author of articles and books. I have ph..d.. I have attended script, film classes, attended conferences, and spent considerable learning to write scripts. spent. In h.s. 57-58 my debate tied for first in the Omaha intercity debate competition.
John Havick has a Ph. D. in political science, and he was a university professor for more than thirty years. He is the author of American Democracy in Transition: A Communications Revolution. He has published a number of articles, including the widely read and cited “The Impact of the Internet on a Television-Based Society.” More recently he has published a popular history: The Ghosts of NASCAR: The Harlan Boys and the First Daytona 500 (University of Iowa Press). He published in the Sunday New York Times an article about a part of the book. The book was chosen at the annual meeting of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association the second best motorsport book published in 2013. www.ghostsofnascar.com
johnjhavick@hotmail.com
I grew up in Omaha and Council Bluffs. One of the primary locations of action of the story was in Council Bluffs, directly across the walking bridge from Omaha. This story is set in the area, including Omaha. I sent the script to a producer for comment and this is part of what he said: "First, just wanted to say you did a fantastic job. I loved the dialogue and really felt in the room with these characters as they casually talked about such a dangerous, unusual passion. Dale and John’s calm demeanors were so charming, as if a life in racing is the most normal thing in the world. Even better was how you portrayed the world of pro racing in this era. I felt transported and interested in learning more. The way you wrote this world and time period, by having the characters experiencing and learning about it first-hand themselves, made the new information feel organic rather than like a boring history lesson. Audiences don’t like to be treated to relentless exposition dumps, and you show real skill in avoiding that writing trap. I love the “inside baseball” aspects of your script, like showing how laps are counted for the long races. This was also a great way to set up the Pettys and impending controversy. The story itself is well-paced and well-told, and I care about John, Donna and Dale."