Barbara and Jim Cromarty in The Last Race (Magnolia Pictures)

Michael Dwerg’s The Last Race is an unconventional and often affecting documentary about the last remaining race car track on Long Island as it faces its inevitable sale to land developers. While its length is relatively short, its sweep is broad; throughout we are exposed to the races themselves, the people involved in this culture, and, sparingly, the real estate owners who want to purchase the land, worth $10 million as of 2017. It is a commendable film for the nuances of the world it captures, and its understated quality is at times a great strength.

The film is low on talk. Not unlike the recent film Hale County This Morning, This Evening, its ability to evoke the world of Riverhead Raceway lies as much in the director’s observation of the fixtures, the patterns of movement, and its run-down beauty. We are much more likely to see people preparing their cars with their broken bumpers and idiosyncratic designs or view the cars from a distance than we are to hear interviews or narration. Some of the more striking parts deal with pedestrian tasks while we hear the sounds of the race elsewhere.

When we do spend time with the people of this world, in interviews or just by observation, we see them gloriously unadorned and with an eye very aware of their idiosyncrasies. One very striking shot features Jim Cromarty, one of the owners of Riverhead Raceway, trying to open a package with his teeth while his wife, Barbara, simply stares ahead and her dog sleeps on her desk. Dwerg has made no attempt to make the people he interviews appear more comfortable than they really are in front of the camera, and the result feels unforced and authentic.

Toward the end, when we learn that the race track is being sold and there is to be one final race, I wanted more time with these folks. Though I admire the director’s approach, I felt that the conclusion did not have quite the emotional punch it deserved and that, had we known these racing fans even slightly better, a punch might have landed. That being said, the film is well crafted and striking, a fine evocation of a disappearing America.