When I heard Netflix was releasing a situation comedy series starring Kevin James based on a NASCAR team my first thought was imagining something along the lines of Jeff Foxworthy’s “You Might Be Redneck” shtick meets King of Queens.
I expected exaggerated stereotypical caricatures of NASCAR culture. I expected a lot of easily played gags about the fan base of NASCAR.
It’s fair to say, I didn’t have high hopes. But I figured I’d give a look just to see how badly it made racing look. My expectations were so far off base.
So the basics of it. Kevin James plays Kevin Gibson, the crew chief of Bobby Spencer Racing.
The team is a seemingly middle of the pack NASCAR Cup Series team. Bobby Spencer is a former driver who started the team. Gibson had previously driven for the team and became the crew chief when his driving career was over. When the old school owner decides to step away from operating the team he puts his 20-something business school educated daughter in charge and she’s ready to make big changes that don’t go over well in the shop.
The team’s hotshot driver Jake Martin is struggling and the new boss wants to replace him with an up and coming female driver named Jessie De Le Cruz.
The other major players in the cast include the team’s chief mechanic Chuck Stubbs, the team engineer Amir Lajani and officer manager Beth Paige.
The 10-episode first season also includes cameos by familiar NASCAR personalities Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, Cole Custer and Jamie Little.
If you’re expecting full on behind the scenes of a NASCAR race team authenticity then you’re probably going to be let down. If you’re expecting a documentary style series like Netflix’s Formula One: Drive To Survive, you’re going to be disappointed.
But if you can handle a quality comedic storyline with simple aspects of big time NASCAR racing interspersed, then it’s the series for you.
The beauty of the series is that it doesn’t dumb down the culture of NASCAR. It doesn’t make NASCAR events or its fans the butt of jokes.
It takes real world aspects of actual big time NASCAR teams and minimizes them down to the stage presented and then puts a comedic spin to them.
It simply uses a NASCAR team as the backdrop of a quality storyline that while simplifying the grandiose reality of an actual Cup Series team, interweaves racing subject matter into the storylines that actually does feel authentic.
Was hoping for the RaceDayCt review but it would have more meaning if their was some control group to measure Mr Couchesne’s interest patterns in TV series comedies.
Best measure is naming 5 favorite comedies in your entire life.
Mine would be Seinfeld, Wings, My Name is Earl, Weeds, ,Shameless. I could go back to Leave it to Beaver but that’s just aging out.
I don’t get Netflix but have seen the trailers. I would ask this. NASCAR has a stereotypical image that fair or not is not inclusive. This show seems to be very inclusive. If I’m right on assessing the cast does that advance NASCAR’s interest in improving it’s image or is it just a TV show. Enjoy Kevin James doing what he does the best and that’s it.
Its funny I’m on episode 4 . Bet they had fun making it.
Spoof on racing.
More updates coming
It’s like The Ranch but with a nascar backdrop instead of a ranch. I liked it and watched all of it in two days.
Mall Cop meets Nascar. Wonderful…
KJ was good in Grown Ups. I’ll give him that.
If you like Kevin James you will like this