NASCAR’s Version of a ‘Drive to Survive’ Docuseries Coming to Netflix

First look at Netflix’s Full Speed, a thrilling new sports series.

Netflix’s groundbreaking series, Drive to Survive, successfully introduced Formula 1 to a vast American audience. And now, the popular streaming platform is set to release a similar show about NASCAR, titled NASCAR: Full Speed, A Netflix Sports Series. This new series will follow 16 drivers as they compete for the coveted Cup Series championship. Just like its F1 counterpart, the production team was granted “exclusive access” to capture the drivers’ behind-the-scenes moments on and off the track. Each of the five episodes will have a runtime of 45 minutes.

The preview seems to be more of a sneak peek and doesn’t reveal much about the format of the program, yet the launch date is rapidly approaching. The show is scheduled to air on January 30th, which is just under three weeks away.

NASCAR Full Speed, only on @Netflix, Jan. 30th

According to sources, the documentary was presumably shot during the 2023 racing season, which showcased several major collisions such as Ryan Preece’s dramatic and frightening airborne crash that fortunately resulted in only minor injuries. The thrilling footage of this incident is heavily emphasized in the official trailer.

A recent announcement in late 2022 revealed the creation of a comparable series featuring IndyCar, however there has been sparse information released regarding its development. Unlike this previous series, it will not be showcased on a popular streaming platform. This new NASCAR program is undoubtedly unique.

The limited span of just five episodes sets this series apart from Drive to Survive, which typically stretches to 10 episodes. It remains to be seen if the NASCAR events will be depicted with the same level of theatrics as those of F1. Nonetheless, it could be a positive development in expanding NASCAR’s viewership, which has experienced significant fluctuations since the mid-2000s.