Since the premiere of Full Speed on Netflix, NASCAR fans and drivers have been elated with the worldwide recognition the sport has received. However, a sliver of discontent runs against the tide through claims of favoritism towards certain drivers including Denny Hamlin regarding screen time and portrayal.
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Veteran spotter Freddie Kraft has spoken of this issue in the latest episode of the ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ podcast and expressed the reasons for certain drivers being featured more strongly on the show. He said, “He [Denny Hamlin] knew what this show was going to be. Not only did he grant unprecedented access to himself, he did it to his race team.”
Him being the spotter for 23XI Racing team’s Bubba Wallace, Kraft continued to talk about how Hamlin had the Netflix crew follow them all around. Though he was quite surprised at how they had access to team meetings, he understood why all the teams might not want to take a similar approach.
Continuing to clarify the myth of favoritism, he said, “The teams that opened their doors to them were the ones they focused on. They got a lot of access to Denny and the guys. They are in Molly’s bedroom at one point! I don’t think you are going to be in Rick Hendrick’s daughter’s bedroom, you know what I mean?”
Was Denny Hamlin overexposed on Full Speed?
On the other end of the scale, a criticism towards Netflix was for overexposing Hamlin and his personal life. The driver however brushed off the perspective saying, “No one had editing rights except for Netflix, so they are ultimately the ones who put out the (stories) they thought were compelling.” He continued being hugely appreciative of himself being portrayed accurately.
Though Hendrick Motorsports was relatively much more guarded towards Netflix’s crew than Hamlin was, the positive effects of the show have rained on its drivers too. William Byron’s follower count on social media catapulted within the first 24 hours of the premiere. “I think they did a really good job capturing the intensity of the final few races and did a really good job in production, in general,” the driver said.
Talking on the podcast, Kraft continued to detail how there wasn’t any space for favoritism considering that Full Speed was a Netflix production and not by NASCAR. The documentary crew learned as they went and shot what they had the best access to. Hopes are that the teams will be more liberal towards Netflix in upcoming seasons.
