Special to The Hays Daily News

LAWTON, Okla. -- A group of Cameron students carried on a 10-year university tradition this summer with the documentary, "One Dream: Dirt Track Racing."

This year's documentary, a product of the "Producing the Documentary" summer course, focuses on dirt track drivers and the trials and tribulations they go through each week, on and off the track. The documentary premiered in Lawton, OK on July 23 at the Cameron University Theatre with a crowd of more than 520 people and screened at The Reel Wheel Film Festival (National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum) during Knoxville Nationals in Knoxville, IA, where the project was awarded the Golden Wheel Award.

One Dream screens at Ellis County Fairgrounds, Friday, Sept. 4 at 5:30 p.m., prior to the evening's regular race schedule at 7:30 p.m. The lineup includes United Rebel 305 Sprint Cars, including drivers Jon Johnson and Ken Lutters, both featured drivers in One Dream, along with the IMCA Modified, Stocks and Hobby Stocks. The screening is free and open to the public. "Following an official release date, interested fans and attendees will have the opportunity to request free copies of the documentary through One Dream's official website", Alexis N. Del Ciello, One Dream Director of Public Relations, said.

"One Dream" features drivers such as: NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and Clint Bowyer; four-time National World of Outlaw (WoO) Champion, Donny Schatz; 20-time National WoO champion, Steve Kinser; the "Kansas Tornado", Jon Johnson; Southwest Oklahoma favorites, Bob Horn, Joseph Horn, and Joe Bob Lee as well as Ken Lutters and John Campbell Jr of Kansas.

Producer Kyle Luetters (Garden City, KS), a radio/television junior, hopes to bring greater insight to the sport of dirt track racing. "Many think that racing is nothing but people driving in circles chasing each other. It's so much more and it's my hope that this documentary will shed some light on that," Luetters said. "If we can get some of the people that are not big racing fans to appreciate dirt track racing a little more, then we've done our jobs."

This course has produced such award-winning documentaries in the past as, "North of Austin/West of Nashville: Red Dirt Music" and most recently, "Ya'll Watch This: Red River Indies." Matt Jenkins, Cameron professor and executive producer, said "One Dream" is one of the most ambitious documentaries the class has ever undertaken. "In this documentary, we traveled more than we have in past documentaries," he said. "Communication Department and university support has been unprecedented."

Production team responsibilities are divided, taking advantage of each student's strengths, including filming, public relations, editing and website design. Director, Cecilio Ramirez-Cibes, a radio/television senior, said part of the accomplishment of working on a large documentary is seeing all of the individual parts come together in the end.

"Everyone gets together and combines their skills to produce one full-length documentary," he said. "Whether it's public relations, filming, interviewing, directing or editing, each section is linked together to finish this project in an eight-week course. This year, we were blessed with a good number of students participating in each needed function."

In addition to the action at the racetrack and the incredible talent of the drivers, the film's soundtrack features original music from award-winning Oklahoma and Texas bands such as Arbuckle Xpress, Johnny Cooper, and Under the Influence.   The music researcher for the documentary notes that, "Arbuckle Xpress lends unprecedented support of the project and we greatly thank them." This is their first venture with a Cameron University Film Production. Musician, Johnny Cooper whose songs appeared in "North of Austin/West of Nashville", and has a new CD entitled "FOLLOW" released on August 11, graciously signed onto the project by permitting use of his songs in the film.   The bands, Brison Bursey, The Gringo Kings, and Under the Influence also signed with the production.

Additional support for the project include Lanny Edwards owner of the State Fair Speedway, Oklahoma City, OK; Lawton Speedway, Lawton, OK; and Devils Bowl Speedway, Mesquite, TX; Lawton's Arts & Humanities Division; Scotty Preston, Program Director, KOLI, 949 The Outlaw, Wichita Falls, TX; Leslie Nichols, Associate Producer, Austin City Limits; and  True Speed Communications.  David Crawford serves as narrator for the documentary and appears courtesy of Gap Broadcasting.  

If you would like to follow the crew of "One Dream: Dirt Track Racing", visit the official Web site at www.onedreamracing.com, where you can view photos, updates, trailers, Webisodes and an electronic press kit.