NASCAR drivers have jobs apart from racing. One of the most prominent of them is publicizing themselves and stock car racing on mainstream media. To that end, Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, and Cole Custer made cameos on the racing-themed sitcom The Crew which premiered on Netflix in February 2021.
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Blaney and Dillon’s segment was loved by many race fans and it is quite hilarious. In their scene together, in episode 2, the drivers sit at a bar where they interact with the main characters of the show. They’re seen enjoying a plate of chicken wings when the Richard Childress Racing driver is mocked for being a bit short.
One of the leads pokes fun at him saying that the only way he would be of average height was if he stood on his helmet. Dillon goes on to say that the helmet won the Daytona 500, to which Blaney replies, “I just want to have one meal without you bringing that up.” Dillon won the 2018 Daytona 500 in what was his fifth full-time season with RCR. Blaney finished seventh in that race.
After that win, there was a lot of hype around the driver of the No. 3 car. There was excitement around Blaney as well since it was his first season with Team Penske. He made history that year by becoming the inaugural winner of the Charlotte Roval race. Since then, Blaney has won several more races and become a Cup Series champion.
Dillon might not have as good a record, but he also has delivered some memorable moments. The most recent one was at the Richmond Raceway earlier this season when he reached victory lane. Unfortunately, the result did not yield him a playoff spot since he’d controversially wrecked his competitors just before reaching victory lane.
Dillon, Blaney, and Custer aren’t the only NASCAR-related stars to make cameos in The Crew. Pit reporter Jamie Little appears on the show and plays herself. The 2021 comedy series has a single season airing on Netflix. Kevin James plays the main lead as a crew chief for a fictional team called Bobby Spencer Racing. The show might not have the highest ratings but racing fans have loved watching NASCAR incorporated into big stage entertainment.
