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USA Today via Reuters
Nov 7, 2021; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) celebrates winning the Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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USA Today via Reuters
Nov 7, 2021; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) celebrates winning the Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Often times we forget that, along with being one of the most popular forms of car racing, NASCAR is also a brand. And just like any brand, it also needs to reinvent itself, both in terms of the input and the output.
For the input, the Next Gen car is set to bring a radical change to the sport. And for the output, there is something exciting on the way. And that something is a docu-series centered around the Cup Series playoffs from the 2021 season which was announced last year.
It was reported that the docu-series titled, “Race for the Championship,” had been given the green light by NBC Universal and USA Network. However, no release date or trailer is out yet.
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But what’s clear is that all the eight episodes will air on the USA Network this year.
⚡@NASCAR has struck a deal with @NBCUniversal and @USA_Network to green-light a new docu-series revolving around this year’s Cup Series playoffs.
➖ The series will be called “Race for the Championship,” be stretched over eight episodes on USA Network and debut in 2022. pic.twitter.com/kgZhfeWw5b
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) July 8, 2021
Could the new docu-series have the same impact as F1’s Drive to Survive on NASCAR?
While this move may not be revolutionary in itself, especially considering rival F1’s Netflix series, Drive to Survive, fans would hope the series has a similar impact to what D2S had on Formula 1.
Yes, one may not necessarily agree with how D2S presents the reality in Formula 1, but it cannot be argued that the series has had a monumental impact on the sport to increase its popularity.
Formula 1 broke into a whole new generation of fans, especially in the United States, through the Netflix series. Its results were obvious in the insane turnout at the United States Grand Prix, which will only grow with a second race in 2022, and a possible third in the coming years.
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via Getty
DAYTONA, FL – JANUARY 12: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the #5 Hendrick Motorsports Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, during Next Gen Testing on January 12, 2022 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
So NASCAR should and hopefully would invest in using new formats of media to further their brand into untapped markets.
After all, the sport is all about racing against a rival for the win, and no matter how much people ignore it, increasing your fanbase is a race that is currently on in every motorsport series.
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Question is, will NASCAR cover the ground to fight for the win?
Also Read: NASCAR Facing the Prospect of an Unfortunate Record at 2022 Daytona 500
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