When NASCAR approached Netflix to make a docuseries about the 2023 Cup Series playoffs, they hoped for the reaction Drive to Survive received from fans worldwide. While it has not happened to that extent, there is a lot to look forward to, as the response it got from fans was positive. And thanks to that, Netflix will probably end up approving the second season.

The success of the documentary has been undeniable, despite not having the global reach that Drive to Survive did. But that is because Formula 1 is a global sport, while NASCAR is usually confined within the borders of the US. But in the States, the series blew up and made it into the top 5 most watched shows on Netflix within the first 48 hours.

Steady global reach may boost NASCAR as President predicts season 2

NASCAR’s core audience has always been a loyal fanbase, but the issue that the sport was facing was gaining more fans. That is where Netflix is supposed to come in. Dale Earnhardt Jr, who is one of the producers of the show, tweeted a few days after the show’s release that it had made it into the top 10 most-watched shows on Netflix across several countries.

It’s no wonder that NASCAR president Steve Phelps is confident about Netflix approving a second season for the show after this level of success. The international reach may not have been massive, but it was steady, and if they do a good job, it will increase. Maybe someday, NASCAR will have a Cup Series race at a European track.

“The Netflix show is an important show for us. If you haven’t seen the show, watch it, it’s terrific. It paints these guys in a different light. You see them as guys in helmets strapping into cars doing courageous things…they’re human. The emotions that come with being a NASCAR driver and how hard it is. The show’s terrific, we think they’re gonna green light a second year for us. Would love to see instead of 5 episodes, 8 episodes but that’s just me. I think we should see 10.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to kind of feed that core fan and really find new fans who are interested in the sport who would never consider NASCAR as kind of in their consideration for sports,” Phelps said in a recent interview on SiriusXM Radio.

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NASCAR: Full Speed is not the only thing NASCAR is planning to renew for a second time if recent reports are to be believed. One of the sport’s most popular and successful movies, Days of Thunder, could also be getting a sequel, and that would make fans go crazy.

Is there a Days of Thunder sequel in the works as well?

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Days of Thunder is one of the most beloved NASCAR movies of all time. The cast of the Paramount Pictures film included stalwarts like Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, and Nicole Kidman. NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell recently said that a sequel to the film would be a good idea and alluded to the fact that Netflix would have a big role to play if that were to happen. 

“We’d love to see that. The more places we can expose NASCAR to with a broader audience, the better. With Netflix, when they’re advertising us in the middle of Times Square right now [for the ‘Full Speed’ docuseries] — that’s huge, and it shows what a great partner they already have been. So anytime you can expose the sport outside of a regular race weekend broadcast is big for us,” he said, as per the Sports Business Journal.

Right now, however, there are no plans to make a sequel to Days of Thunder, but one thing is for certain: Netflix is joining hands with NASCAR, which is perhaps one of the best things that could have happened to the sport in quite a while.

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