They say that a show is only as good as its ending. Well, if that is true then NASCAR: Full Speed fits the bill of a fantastic sports docu-drama. When Ryan Blaney crosses the finish line at the end of the title race in Phoenix, Netflix managed to capture how surreal it was for the Team Penske star, at least to some extent. Five episodes of action-packed drama, both on and off the track, saw a perfect ending and a lot of promise for the years to come.
When it was announced that NASCAR would be going the ‘Formula One’ way to make a docu-drama about the 2023 Cup Series playoffs, there was skepticism all around. It’s safe to say that those doubts have now been shattered because the series not only marked a historic moment in the sport but delivered as per expectations.
How NASCAR: Full Speed built tension among championship drivers
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The final episode, aptly named ‘Across The Line’, focuses on the four championship drivers in 2023 – Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Kyle Larson, and Christopher Bell. The mood of the episode building up the big race at Phoenix was a lot like the mood of NASCAR fans heading into the finale. Kyle Larson and William Byron felt like the favorites, but there was a lot of attention on Ryan Blaney due to his recent form.
The way the creators built up the tension between the 4 drivers in the opening minutes of the episode was quite commendable. Showing the individual lives of each of the drivers just days before the race at Phoenix helped fans get a sense of what was going on in their minds at the time. NASCAR: Full Speed truly is unlike anything done in the sport before.
While the whole build-up did seem a bit dragged out and forced after a point, the way the final race was paced in the episode was exemplary. The events that Netflix chose to show in the episode were absolutely spot on. From the nerve-wracking 3-way fight between Bell, Blaney, and Larson to the #5 and #12 cars racing for their lives, everything was perfect.
The race was one thing, but Ryan Blaney’s celebration was just as brilliantly shown. The emotions were captured perfectly as the Team Penske man achieved the goal of his life. There is no better way to portray a moment like that than in the most dramatic manner possible.Ryan Blaney drives off into the sunset to My Chemical Romance
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From the moment the white flag fell, and the cars roared on the asphalt of the Phoenix International Raceway, Ryan Blaney chased Ross Chastain on course to become the champion. The build-up to the point when the #12 crosses the finish line was something that would hook anyone in.
And the best part? As the car was crossing the finish line, Ryan Blaney’s voice echoed, “This is what you dream of as a kid. This is what you strive for, to get to this moment. It’s way bigger than I am.” The beauty of the entire scene may even bring tears to the eyes of the most avid NASCAR or Ryan Blaney fans.
It was a nice touch to show how Ryan Blaney’s loved ones felt as well when he won the ultimate prize. While his fiance Gianna Tulio was quite proud, his father, Dave Blaney, shed a tear in the memory of his father, Lou. It’s safe to say that the Team Penske star winning the championship was an emotional moment for his entire family and Team Penske.
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Perhaps the best part of Ryan Blaney’s celebrations came right at the end. The driver of the #12 took a victory lap around the track as the iconic My Chemical Romance song Welcome to the Black Parade played in the background. The scene looked like something out of a dream as Ryan Blaney wrote his name into the history books.
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With that, the first season of NASCAR: Full Speed came to an end, but the future looks bright. Netflix did a fantastic job of making stock car racing as dramatic as possible and surely, this will go down as one of the best television series about stock car racing.
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