The second season of NASCAR: Full Speed, Netflix’s documentary series that takes viewers behind the scenes of the Cup Series Playoffs, finally arrived on May 7, 2025. As a follow-up to the critically acclaimed first season, which aired just prior the 2024 NASCAR season and served as the perfect promotional tool, Season 2 faced high expectations. However, its delayed release—coming ten races into the current season, essentially a third of the way through—may have dulled its impact. With the hallmark race of the Daytona 500 already so far in the rearview mirror that it’s barely visible and people more likely to be away from their TV screens as spring turns to summer, the timing is off and totally missed the opportunity to capture a broader audience at the season’s start. This delay, reportedly due to production issues, is a missed chance to leverage the series’ potential as a gateway for new fans.
The documentary’s content also reflects a step back from its predecessor. While Season 1 offered a fresh, engaging look at NASCAR’s playoff system and its drivers, Season 2 feels somewhat repetitive and rushed. The constant emphasis on the difficulty of winning and making the playoffs, while accurate, becomes tiresome for viewers already familiar with the sport. Moreover, by focusing exclusively on the playoffs, the series fails to provide newcomers with a broader understanding of the season’s journey and “why” it is so difficult. Additional highlights from the regular season, instead of seconds worth of bits and pieces, could have underscored the stakes of the playoffs. This narrow focus leaves viewers with only a partial picture of NASCAR’s competitive landscape, and might alienate the people seeking a more comprehensive overview of the sport.
One of the series’ strengths remains its ability to humanize the drivers, blending on-track action with off-track drama. Moments like William Byron discussing sports therapy, Julia Piquet’s obvious frustration with Daniel Suárez’s car, and Chase Briscoe’s emotional challenges during the shutdown of Stewart-Haas are highlights that resonate deeply. These personal stories add emotional depth and make the drivers relatable. However, the balance between personal and professional narratives sometimes falters. For instance, while including the wives and girlfriends of drivers is completely understandable—given their highly supportive roles in their spouse’s careers—some segments felt unnecessary and detached from the “sport,” such as some with Gianna Blaney. Specifically the party bus to Miami-Homestead seemed forced and the group on board the bus was so affected by the presence of the camera that their antics of drinking, dancing and partying was uncomfortable, in addition to raising questions about the relevance to the playoff narrative. In contrast, other partners’ segments were more directly tied to their spouses’ racing journeys, emotions, and very real problems and distractions.
The portrayal of drivers as “everyman” is another point of contention. While Season 1 successfully positioned drivers as relatable yet extraordinary, Season 2 risks making them seem “too ordinary”. Descriptions like Chase Briscoe being unreccognizeable without a firesuit or Christopher Bell as “just that guy” may resonate with fans but fails to inspire awe for potential new viewers. Such a narrative makes it sound like virtually anyone could take the wheel. NASCAR’s drivers are elite athletes, and elevating their status, even slightly, could better showcase the skill and dedication required to compete at this level.
Critically, Season 2 has received mixed reviews. IMDb users rated it 7.3/10, with praise for its authenticity but criticism for its focus on certain drivers. Rotten Tomatoes’ gave it an 86% Tomatometer score, though audience feedback varies, with some calling it “awful”. Social media posts from regular viewers echo this divide in opinions. Although it featured standouts like Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, Christopher Bell, and Daniel Suárez, other key drivers—namely the other half of the playoff drivers—were conspicuously absent. While some drivers, feeling overexposed from their already public lives, understandably opted out, it’s doubtful they ALL did. And it leaves gaps in the narrative, especially for newbies to the sport. Fans expressed frustration over these omissions, feeling that the series missed opportunities to highlight some of the sport’s biggest names.
Structurally, the series shows signs of strain. With only five episodes in the series, some storylines feel underdeveloped. Episodes 1, 2, and 3 are stronger, offering a good balance of drama and insight, but Episodes 4 and 5 drag on, particularly with Episode 5’s extended focus on the Phoenix race, which loses its luster. The series’ soundtrack deserves praise for enhancing the narration and adding emotional weight to key moments in the first few episodes… however, the music aspect disappears by Episodes 4 and 5 and adds to the feeling of being rushed.
As a prime example of “rushed,” in Episode 2 the focus was Harrison Burton winning the summer Daytona race while knowing he would not return to the Wood Brothers #21 Ford for the 2025 season. However, they failed in letting viewers know that Burton was not bounced from NASCAR, and in mid-September secured a ride in the Xfinity Series. Considering filming continued until the Phoenix race in early November, there was plenty of time to reference where Burton had landed, at the very least.
Everything considered, NASCAR: Full Speed Season 2 is a commendable effort but falls short of its predecessor. For future seasons, NASCAR and Netflix should consider expanding the scope to include more of the regular season, ensuring broader driver participation, and refining the balance between personal and professional narratives. It needs to be a powerful tool for growing NASCAR’s audience. As it currently sits, it’s a DNF.