RACING THROUGH THE FOREST
Road Racing on the 17-Mile Drive

LA Car Film Review By Dave Wolin RACING THROUGH THE FOREST K&K Productions This past Friday (November 4) evening the Bruce Meyer Family Gallery at the Petersen Museum was filled with a record 300 plus attendees for the Los Angeles premier of the K&K Production of "Racing through the Forest". This fast-paced documentary, produced by one of the "K's", Rick Knoop and directed by the other "K", Dean Kirkland, accurately portrays one of the iconic events of the early days of California motor racing, the legendary Pebble Beach Road races.. The Pebble Beach Road races, racing over the narrow, twisty, sometimes gravel roads of 17-Mile Drive through the Del Monte forest in Monterey (hence the title "Racing Through the Forest") was first run in 1950 and marked the beginning of racing in the Monterey area, back in the days before racing became a business. Considered one of the most challenging racing events of its day, 1951 and '52 winner Bill Pollack, on hand for the screening, still excited, discussing his wins, 66 years later. After only six years, the Pebble Beach races ended, replaced by the new modern closed circuit Laguna Seca Raceway, now Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The never before seen interviews and actual racing footage bring racing of the 50's to life in a format designed to be understandable to both enthusiasts and everyday fans. Adding to the visuals are some very personal comments and remarks from a host of famous drivers; all of whom express their awe of the place and the people who competed there. -DW The award winning film was a selection of the Carmel International Film Festival, For more information, go to racingthroughtheforestmovie.com.

EDITOR’S NOTE: There’s a stirring sample of this marvelous film on the above website ... I urge everyone who loves pure road racing to take a journey back in time to an era that almost seems a dream now... K&K Productions was formed by Dean Kirkland and Rick Knoop in 2012. Kirkland has been involved as a director and an assistant director for feature-length films, short films and commercials for over 20 years. Dean has also established a reputation photographing A-List entertainment and sports personalities. His subjects have included none other than stars like the late Dennis Hopper, Clint Eastwood and Martin Sheen. Today he is regarded by many as a distinguished car photographer, shooting classic cars for high-profile collectors and automobile companies. Rick Knoop is an accomplished and versatile racecar driver who has consistently won and placed in the world’s most challenging and prestigious sports car races. From his victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans to winning Daytona, Rick continues to amass a stunning racing record that has earned him a spot on factory teams including Porsche, Ferrari, Chevrolet, Toyota, Mazda and BF Goodrich. He inherited his passion for professional racing from his father, legendary road racer Fred Knoop who was among the few drivers to compete in the Del Monte Trophy races at Pebble Beach.