Here’s Why NASCAR Needs a ‘Drive to Survive’ Equivalent to Stop Being a Dinosaur Sport

In today’s day and age, streaming platforms have been on the rise. In the 2020s, few are actually watching Cable TV and most are switching to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, or other platforms. The only thing that people actually watch on TV is the news or sports. However, Amazon Prime then came out with their All or Nothing docu-series. From there, more and more sports documentaries began popping up. Then, Formula One rolled out the Drive to Survive docu-series on Netflix and it became wildly popular. This was followed by MotoGP’s own series, MotoGP Unlimited, and more recently, IndyCar’s 100 Days to Indy. However, NASCAR has yet to get on the bandwagon in terms of popularity.

Back in 2019, the first season of Drive to Survive aired on Netflix and earned rave reviews. The series offered a sneak peek into the inner workings of Formula One and its teams. Furthermore, it also made a number of drivers and personnel, extremely popular, like Haas F1 team principal Guenther Steiner. Of course, subsequent seasons have divided the fanbase, with the more traditional fans criticizing the series’ dramatization. Nevertheless, it still achieved its objective of garnering interest in F1.

Does NASCAR have any documentaries for fans to enjoy?

NASCAR was popular because of movies like Cars, Days of Thunder, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Then there were a few documentaries about Dale Earnhardt, his rivalry with Jeff Gordon, and many more. There are also some TV sitcoms like the Kevin James starrer, The Crew. Finally, there are docu-series like Race: Bubba Wallace, though that is more focused on a single driver.

Last year, the USA Network and Peacock collaborated to establish a new NASCAR docu-series. This was a 10-part series called Race For the Championship. Like Drive to Survive, the series aimed to be a fly on the wall in the lives of the drivers and teams. The series focused on stars like Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and many more. Already, one season has gone by, but this series is not as hyped as Drive to Survive.

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A few NASCAR drivers had plenty of positives about the initiative

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An excited Larson told Forbes in 2022, “There’s so much a casual fan can get to learn about our sport and our drivers and teams. I’m excited to see what fans think of it. I’m excited to see how all of the episodes turn out, and even the ones I’m in. It’s been a long time since we did some of the stuff that they’re putting in the first episodes. I’m also excited to have them get a glimpse into our personal lives a little bit.”

The USA Network even adopted an interesting strategy while airing the series. While Drive to Survive usually airs before the F1 season begins, Race for the Championship is aired during the Playoffs. In essence, they aired each episode on the Thursday evening before the Playoff race weekends began. Since there are 10 Playoff rounds, the series finale perfectly coincided with the NASCAR Cup Series season finale.

What would a potential NASCAR docu-series cover in 2023?

Race for the Championship did take a few cues from Drive to Survive. However, there was a definite focus on one aspect of the championship, the Playoffs. Another key difference was that Race for the Championship has a chronological flow. On the other end of the spectrum, Drive to Survive had a tendency to jump back and forth in their narrative. On other occasions, they would often replay the same race multiple times just to get a different team’s interpretation of it.

What also boosted the storylines was the introduction of the Next Gen car. Coming to the 2023 season, there is a ton of media fodder to go through. Firstly, there is the drama of the normally dominant Hendrick Motorsports, failing to get all of its drivers in the Playoffs. Then there are aspects like defending champion Joey Logano’s elimination, the redemption of Martin Truex Jr, the rebirth of Kyle Busch and so much more.

Race for the Championship is also borrowing from IndyCar

At face value, Race for the Championship is pretty much the NASCAR version of IndyCar’s 100 Days to Indy. The IndyCar equivalent offers fans a behind-the-scenes tour of their open-wheel championship. All of this builds to its crown jewel event, the iconic Indianapolis 500. Earlier this year, the docu-series was announced and would cover the season, from 100 days to the Indy 500.

The CW Network’s President of Entertainment, Brad Schwartz told Forbes, “As we hit the 100-day milestone until the Indianapolis 500. The production team behind ‘100 Days To Indy’ has been working tirelessly to capture the powerful stories of these incredible drivers as they compete at death-defying speeds to be the best of the best.”

What is the future of the stock car racing series on streaming services?

One thing is for sure, with all of these docu-series flooding the streaming platforms, it is a great marketing strategy. As a matter of fact, it could attract newer audiences to their respective sports. This would in turn generate more viewership for when the actual races and sports events kick off. Finally, it would get more eyes on the sport, whether the spectators are at home on the couch, or in the stands.

Admittedly, it is a bit unclear if Race For the Championship will get a second season. In the event that it does not, fans need not fret, because there are talks of a Netflix docuseries in the vein of Drive to Survive. What actually could be a big boon is the fact that Dale Earnhardt Jr is one of the executive producers. Like Race For the Championship, this series would also follow the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs right up till its epic conclusion.

The best part is that filming has already begun and the series will feature exclusive access to drivers and teams. It will also bring fans behind the scenes, at the racetrack, and even beyond that. Furthermore, it will also explore the physical and mental challenges of competing for a NASCAR Cup Series championship. With such a series already in the works, it seems like people understand NASCAR also needs a popular docu-series to find a whole new fanbase, just like F1 did in America with DTS.

WATCH THIS STORY: Everything you need to know about the Season 4 of Drive to Survive