Page 79 - Motor Trend (February 2020)

Stunt Drivers I FEATURE
‘IF WE WANT A SCENE TO LOOK FAST,
IT’S BETTER IF WE DRIVE FAST’
raw. “The biggest difference, and a plus
for us, is that there weren’t any electronic
safety devices making the cars try to save
themselves,” Nagle said. “They were pure
cars; everything that happened with
them was up to the driver. And that’s why
I recruited the drivers I did: I knew they
would be more capable of handling that.”
Derek Hill, the Daytona 24 Hour and
Sebring 12 Hour class winner (and son of
Le Mans and Formula 1 icon Phil Hill),
Derek Hill, son of racing legend Phil Hill,
said instincts were key to realistic stunts.
WORDS ALEX LEANSE
was one of those drivers. He attributes lot different than stunt driving expe-
his ability to drive for the camera to his rience,” he said. “That, along with real
motorsports experience. “Ultimately it’s speed, makes a big difference in doing
the same principles,” he said, but, “What something practically and not having
the limit is on a racetrack and what the to alter it in post-production—we know
limit is for the camera are very different.” viewers can see the difference.”
Although safety concerns—and the To that end, Nagle relied on post-pro-
need for camera cars to keep up—make duction effects as little as possible.
it rare that stunt drivers go flat-out. “Your eye knows the difference,” he
The goal is always to make things look said. “If there’s something in the deep
realistic and exciting. “We’ve got to follow background or a car in a very precarious
our cues and hit our marks, but also give spot, that’s a different story. But for the
it some action,” Hill said. “We might try principal action, what you’re focused on,
and make the car move around more than I do everything I can to make it real.”
it would on a racetrack at that speed. You As such, high speeds were a necessity.
have to be precise on a racetrack, but it’s “On the Daytona straightaways, we were
a different sort of precision on a movie doing at least 160 mph,” Nagle said. “For
set—driving within inches of a camera car the shot at Le Mans’ Mulsanne Straight,
or keeping in sequence with other stunt speeds approached 185 mph. That’s the
drivers to set up a shot.” realism I wanted and the realism James
Rallycross and drift racing champion Mangold wanted. If we want a scene to
Tanner Foust also brought his skills to the look fast, it’s better if we drive fast.”
production. “Virtually all of the drivers Although trained stunt drivers bring
involved had race experience, which is a awesome skills to a movie set, selecting
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