NASCAR fans could possibly get to enjoy their favorite sport on a weekly basis in real life and the scripted world.
NASCAR announced Monday it is helping develop a TV drama that will “weave exciting dramatic stories within the backdrop of this beloved sports franchise.”
“We have wanted to develop an original, scripted drama inside our sport for some time, but have been waiting to find the right partner,” said Zane Stoddard, NASCAR’s vice president of entertainment marketing and content development in a press release.
The sanctioning body decided to pair with executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, who were behind the TV miniseries “The Bible” and “A.D. The Bible Continues.” Burnett has also worked as a producer of NBC’s “The Voice.” Downey also was the lead actress in the 1990s CBS drama, “Touched by an Angel.”
“Mark and Roma are two of the biggest, most well-respected names in Hollywood,” Stoddard said. “They share our vision for this project and we are very excited to collaborate with them on the show.”
Stoddard will also serve as an executive producer on the series.
“From the first time we got to attend NASCAR, we fell in love with their racing world. The teams, the drivers, the fans, it’s an electric atmosphere and is quintessentially American,” said Downey and Burnett in a release. “Now to be able to partner with NASCAR, Brian France and Zane Stoddard is a dream come true.”
No timetable was given on the series’ development but the group is still searching for a writer to take on the project.
There is no guarantee the series will even make it to the airwaves. After a script is written, a “Pilot,” or first episode, must be ordered by a network or even an online streaming service like Netflix or Hulu.
This wouldn’t be first time NASCAR has appeared in a dramatized fashion. In 2004, ESPN produced the TV movie “3: The Dale Earnhardt Story” starring Barry Pepper as Earnhardt.
From 1999 to 2001, FOX produced 26 episodes of a cartoon called “NASCAR Racers,” which depicted a futuristic version of the sport.
In February 1999, CBS aired a two-part episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger” that revolved around stock car racing and was filmed at Texas Motor Speedway.