The last lap

For decades, the rural heart of New England has beat to the rhythm of short-track auto racing, to the pounding of pistons under Saturday night lights and the stamping of feet on aluminum bleachers. It's a symphony of engines and ambition that echoes through the region's soul. "The Last Lap" delves into this tumultuous tradition, as intrinsic to New England as its forests and coastline—a heritage that's at risk of falling silent but refusing to fade quietly. Short-track racing caught on in New England in the early 20th-century, as stock cars took over what had been horse-racing tracks: ovals less than a mile long, usually surfaced with dirt or gravel. By midcentury, purpose-built tracks like Maine's Unity Raceway, established 1948, proliferated across the region, focal points for local entertainment and community gathering. But short-track's popularity has been in decline since the '80s, when deindustrialization ushered rural New England into an economic slump. Operational costs for race tracks are up. Disposable income for racers and spectators is down. New forms of entertainment compete for attention. In the last 20 years, dozens of iconic tracks have closed, and most that remain struggle financially. Despite its rich racing heritage, New England is often overlooked as a hotbed for the sport, partly due to its climate limiting the racing season and the decline in viable venues. The loss of the Busch North Series, later known as the K&N Pro Series East, dealt a significant blow to the region's racing culture. This series, which had deep roots in New England from 1987 to 2009, provided a crucial stepping stone for local talent and kept the sport's flame burning even in the colder months. Its transformation into a more national developmental series left a void in the Northeast's racing scene that has yet to be filled. "The Last Lap" explores the tension between preservation and adaptation. Its subjects represent the changing face of racing, and their struggles to maintain their traditions and achieve their dreams illustrate the deep connections between racing, community, and identity. The film navigates layers of memory, glory days shimmering in the rearview mirror and brought to life by the voices of those who were there: historians chronicling every lap, legends who've tasted victory and defeat, racers and fans whose memories remain vivid. At its core, "The Last Lap" is a testament to the human spirit, celebrating the drive to chase dreams down the straightaway, no matter the headwinds. It's about the passion that fuels not only the drivers but whole towns, a passion as resilient and enduring as New England itself. It's about the quest to preserve a cultural legacy against a tide of economic shifts and societal transformations. And it resonates well beyond the racing community, speaking to a universal desire to ensure our past stories illuminate the path forward. New England sets the stage, but the story belongs to everyone who understands the importance of not letting go, of pushing forward, and of ensuring that the last lap is never truly the last.