On your mark! USA Network is taking fans behind the scenes of the 2022 NASCAR Cup in an all-new docuseries called Race for the Championship.
“NASCAR drivers are some of the best race car drivers in the world,” one of the elite drivers said in the super tease for the series, which dropped on Thursday, July 28.
Racer Joey Logano confessed, “I just want to win,” while Ross Chastain revealed just how wild the sport has become.
“We’ve all got those couple of crazy friends who do crazy things. Well, this is 40 of us,” Chastain, 29, explained in the clip. “When I think about gladiators, NASCAR drivers are very much in that vein.”
The 10-episode series will document the lives of NASCAR’s best and brightest drivers both on and off the track during the 10-week NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. The road to being dubbed the champion, however, won’t be easy … and will definitely be dangerous.
“When you’re in the car you don’t think about, ‘Oh, I can get hurt.’ I got life insurance policy for that and it’s up to date,” Corey LaJoie said in the trailer, while holding his baby boy, Levi, in his arms and touching upon just how dangerous the sport can be.
Fans got a sneak peek at the terrors that can consume the track as scenes of crashes, fires, and bloody athletes filled the screen. At one point, a racer can be heard saying, “Death is my biggest fear,” before images of collisions and cars flipping play out in the background.
The rivalries between the sports’ most iconic names and legacies will also be front and center when the series premieres in September.
“When you race with somebody wheel to wheel, it’s inevitable to piss somebody off,” LaJoie, 30, added. “Our livelihoods are made by beating that guy.”
Ryan Blaney, who races for Team Penske, chimed in, “Sometimes I feel like people are better when they’re pissed off.”
Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suárez and the 2021 NASCAR CUP champion Kyle Larson will also be featured in the exhilarating show, documenting their crashes, fights, tears and celebrations all season long.
Race for the Championship premieres on USA Network Thursday, September 1, at 10 p.m. ET.
Scroll down for some behind-the-scenes moments from filming the show and see the complete NASCAR playoffs results and schedule here: