NASCAR to produce Netflix docu-series on the 2023 Cup playoffs with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as executive producer

The NASCAR playoffs docuseries will premiere in early 2024 on Netflix.

NASCAR to produce Netflix docu-series on the 2023 Cup playoffs with Dale Earnhardt Jr. as executive producer

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Credits: IMAGO)

NASCAR and Netflix have teamed up to document the 2023 Cup Series playoffs. They announced on Monday that this new docuseries will premiere on Netflix in early 2024. The format includes five episodes of 45 minutes each and will showcase the postseason Cup Series battle for the championship. It is a collaboration between the streaming service and the production companies, Words + Pictures and NASCAR Studios (Ben Kennedy, Tim Clark, Matt Summers, and Tally Hair). 

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also on the list of executive producers for the docuseries. They will partner with Connor Schell and Libby Geist, who have worked on the Netflix series, The Last Dance 30 for 30 and OJ: Made in America. The filming for the untitled series has already begun and will feature the details of the final ten races with 16 drivers.

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The NASCAR Cup playoffs include 16 drivers who have either won a race or had enough points in the regular season to enter the final ten rounds of the year. Four drivers will be eliminated every three races in the playoffs. The last four drivers will compete in the final race at Phoenix Raceway, which is scheduled to be held on November 5th. And the last man standing will be crowned the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Related: Kenny Wallace explains why fans have a problem with William Byron winning Cup races

The NASCAR docuseries will explore the challenges of stock car racing

NASCAR (Credits: Beyond the Flag)
NASCAR (Credits: Beyond the Flag)

The Netflix docuseries will include behind-the-scenes footage of the drivers fighting for this championship, and there is no doubt it will be a feast for the eyes. The upcoming Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway will bring the regular season to an end and determine the driver who gets the last spot for the playoffs.

 It would be a much-anticipated race, as there is plenty at stake for the drivers. And Netflix will be present to capture the raw emotions and add them to their docuseries based on the playoffs. According to the project release announcement, “The series will feature exclusive access to drivers and teams, bringing fans behind the scenes at and away from the track while exploring the physical and mental challenges of competing for a championship at the world’s highest level of stock car racing.” 

This new docuseries announcement comes after last season’s Race for the Championship series. It documented the 2022 playoffs and was released weekly on the USA Network. It ended with Joey Logano as the winner and featured Ross Chastain’s famous wall ride in Martinsville, also known as the “Hail-Melon” moment. 

Netflix has had successful releases featuring sports like Formula 1, NFL, and the PGA Tour. The spotlight is now on NASCAR, and this joint effort by the sport and Netflix hopes to gain stock car racing popularity across the globe. 

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