Full Speed is NASCAR's attempt at cashing in on the docuseries market, and while it isn't a carbon copy of DTS, it certainly follows a similar format in showcasing the lives of the drivers and their weekend battles out on track.
NASCAR remains king in viewership among US-based racing fans, but the younger demographic is one the series is desperately chasing.
A compelling on-track product won't be enough to attract most of them. They need stars. Even non-racing fans know who Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart are.
The problem is, those are the stars of yesterday and are no longer behind the wheel. What about the stars of today?
This docuseries had to do more than just showcase all the drama that exists with the 10-race playoffs format NASCAR's Cup series uses to determine the champion.
It had to take these drivers and show them in a way not yet seen, bringing their personalities to the fore and really giving people a reason to root for — or perhaps root against - them.
The action, the drama, the politics and the personalities, it’s all right there. NASCAR already has a great product, but they need help selling it.
NASCAR Full Speed opens in a surprising fashion with a pre-race scene for the penultimate race of the year at Martinsville Speedway. It's then followed by an introduction that portrays these drivers as they should be — gladiators facing off in a high-speed arena.
Denny Hamlin makes an astute comment about racing versus stick and ball sports, explaining how you might get lucky and make a three-point shot that Michael Jordan doesn't make, but no athlete from that world can just get into a race car and run as fast as he does. This ultimately sets the tone for the rest of the series.
Hamlin is NASCAR's villain these days, and it's a role he embraces fully. Little time is wasted making that abundantly clear. He also felt a bit like the main character during this docuseries as he was a constant throughout it, both in his role as a driver and owner.
