Tim Richmond Documentary to Air on ESPN in October
Tim Richmond: To the Limit (Rory Karpf)
Natural. Rock star. Outsider. In the 1980s, race car driver Tim Richmond lived his life the way he raced cars – wide open. Born into a wealthy family, Richmond was the antithesis of the Southern, blue-collar racers who dominated NASCAR. He also was a flamboyant showman who basked in the attention of the media and fans – especially the attention of female admirers. Nevertheless, it was Richmond’s on-track performances that ended up drawing comparisons to racing legends. And in 1986, when he won seven NASCAR races and finished third in the Winston Cup series points race, some believed he was on the verge of stardom. But soon his freewheeling lifestyle caught up to him. He unexpectedly withdrew from the NASCAR racing circuit, reportedly suffering from double pneumonia.
In reality, the diagnosis was much more dire: He had AIDS. Richmond returned to the track in 1987, but he was gone from the sport by the next year as his health deteriorated. He spent his final days as a recluse, dying on August 13, 1989, at the age of 34. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rory Karpf will examine the life and tragic death of one of NASCAR’s shooting stars.
Films added to the fall lineup include Little Big Men (Al Szymanski and Peter Franchella), Unmatched (Directors: Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters; Producer: Hannah Storm), Four Days in October (Major League Baseball Productions) and Pony Excess (Thaddeus D. Matula). These films join the previously announced Jordan Rides the Bus, One Night in Vegas, The House of Steinbrenner, Marion Jones: Press Pause, Steve Bartman: Catching Hell, Once Brothers, Into The Wind and The Best That Never Was.
The schedule:
Tuesday, Aug. 24, 8 p.m. – Jordan Rides the Bus (Ron Shelton)
Tuesday, Aug. 31, 8 p.m. – Little Big Men (Al Szymanski and Peter Franchella)
Tuesday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m. – One Night in Vegas (Reggie Bythewood)
· Tuesday, Sept. 14, 8 p.m. – Unmatched (Directors: Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters; Producer: Hannah Storm)
Tuesday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m. – The House of Steinbrenner (Barbara Kopple)
Tuesday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m. – Into The Wind (Steve Nash)
Tuesday, Oct. 5, 8 p.m. – Four Days in October (Major League Baseball Productions)
Tuesday, Oct. 12, 8 pm. – Once Brothers (NBA Entertainment)
Tuesday, Oct. 19, 8 p.m. – Tim Richmond: To the Limit (Rory Karpf )
Tuesday, Oct. 26, 8 p.m. – Steve Bartman: Catching Hell (Alex Gibney)
Tuesday, Nov. 2, 8 p.m. – Marion Jones: Press Pause (John Singleton)
· Tuesday, Nov. 9, 8 p.m. – Pony Excess (Thaddeus D. Matula)
*Saturday, Dec. 11, 9 p.m. – The Best That Never Was (Jonathan Hock) * two hours
The series
“30 for 30" is an unprecedented documentary series featuring 30 films from some of today’s finest storytellers. Each filmmaker brings their passion and personal point of view to their film detailing the issues, trends, athletes, teams, rivalries, games and events that transformed the sports landscape from 1979 to 2009. Crossing the barriers of sports, the films reflect on the impact these events had across the pop culture spectrum.