Richard Pryor and Pam Grier met on the set of this movie. They fell in love, were involved for several years, and almost married. Richard's drug use almost ended their relationship. The day before they were to be married, Richard eloped with someone else, breaking Miss Grier's heart.
Wendell Scott's only major Grand National win came on December 1, 1963 at the Jacksonville, Florida Speedway Park. This is the race in which he was initially denied the trophy. Over his career, he had 147 top ten finishes with twenty being top five, coming from 495 starts. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2015.
The crash where Wendell was injured is known as "The Big One." It happened on May 3, 1973, at Talladega during the Winston 500. Twenty-one cars were involved, with four drivers being injured. The crash occurred when Ramo Stott's engine failed, creating an oil slick on the backstretch.
Maynard Jackson, Jr., the first Black Mayor of Atlanta, appears in the film as the minister at Wendell and Mary's wedding.
Melvin Van Peebles was originally scheduled to direct the film, but he exited because of "artistic differences," and was replaced by Michael Schultz.