“Exactly What the Sport Needed”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. On the Biggest Game-Changer for NASCAR

Over the years NASCAR was dying to get some exposure among the younger demographic to expand its reach. But after having tried so many things the results never helped broaden the fanbase. This was the case until NASCAR collaborated with Netflix to release their Drive to Survive style sports docuseries, NASCAR Full Speed. Explaining why this has been a game-changer for the sport as a whole, former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his take during a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Junior mentioned, “I think that this series is exactly what the sport needed. We want to introduce our sport to as many people as possible, especially a much younger audience. This is a great opportunity with Netflix to do that. They did a great job showing who these drivers are.”

“There’s two things that I think is critical for fans to know that what they do behind the wheel is hard to do. Only they can do it right? The other thing I think is that they are real people. They are human beings and they have real lives and real challenges in life. We kinda get to see them being these gladiators but also at home handle the same challenges we all handle everyday,” he added.

Junior went on to appreciate the fact that all of the drivers featured on the show allowed that level of access both into their professional and personal lives. Even though getting that may have been a “hard ask” it was something that the drivers were happy to share.

How was NASCAR’s new Netflix docuseries?

The documentary focused on the playoffs instead of the entire season. This in turn helped new audiences grasp the sport much more easily and also created the conditions to produce an exhilarating storyline. Drivers such as Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney among others provided access to the camera crew allowing them to share their personal lives. Additionally, Hamlin constantly displaying his villain persona also helped create a solid interest heading into the first episode.

Sure the overall format does follow the standards set by Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive, but it isn’t exactly a copy-paste either. The series is able to sell NASCAR as an exciting sport that would help bring in a new fanbase. But it’s hard to quantify its immediate impact.

Even Formula 1 had to wait a few seasons before witnessing a sudden influx of fans that flooded the popularity of the sport to an all-time high. But definitely, this new method of marketing the sport should yield success and bring in fans that the sport desperately needs.