NASCAR unveils three new shows

As NASCAR begins its playoffs this coming week, the sport announced three new shows that will launch in the coming days. While two of which will be video podcasts on YouTube and other platforms, the headliner is a new truTV and Max series that is a preview of what’s to come ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery televising a midseason package of races next year.

NASCAR Inside the Playoffs will air Thursday nights on truTV and Max and features the return of longtime studio host Shannon Spake along with NBC race analyst Steve Letarte. Dylan Smith and Jordan Bianchi will also be a part of the show as will a series of rotating set of current and former drivers.

Spake had been at Fox Sports for years as an NFL reporter and host of NASCAR Race Hub . However, the show was abruptly canceled this season as the last remaining show from the FS1 original lineup. Spake will also host a NASCAR daily show on the series YouTube channel and other platforms.

Here’s more about the shows that are launching in the next week via NASCAR.com :

NASCAR Inside the Playoffs

• Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. ET on truTV and streaming on Max — Debuts Thursday, Sept. 5

NASCAR’s partnership with TNT Sports gets a head start before 2025 broadcast rights begin with the new weekly studio show NASCAR Inside the Playoffs, which will dissect the evolving postseason action through an unfiltered lens. The show is hosted by beloved veteran broadcasters Shannon Spake and Steve Letarte, along with up-and-coming media talent Dylan “Mamba” Smith. A rotating fourth voice of current and former drivers will join each week, beginning with two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch in the first two episodes. Jordan Bianchi, NASCAR reporter for The Athletic, will join to cover breaking news.

NASCAR Daily

• Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. ET on YouTube and podcast platforms — Debuts Monday, Sept. 9

Balancing breaking news with entertaining conversation, Spake will infuse her perspective while welcoming regular guest appearances from drivers, industry personalities and other contributors in episodes running approximately 10 minutes every weekday morning. The show will also introduce a rotation of recurring segments that put a spotlight on different aspects of NASCAR and the fan experience, including checking in on the latest social media chatter, and a weekly sports betting segment featuring analyst Erica Renee Davis.

Drop the Jack

• Thursdays, 3 p.m. ET on YouTube and podcast platforms — Debuts Thursday, Sept. 5

A new addition to the NASCAR podcast universe, Drop the Jack provides some of the Cup Series’ best pit crew athletes and other industry veterans a platform to engage in compelling conversations about the full spectrum of life at and away from the race track. Mamba Smith — a former full-time aspiring NASCAR driver turned rising media personality — will help guide these entertaining and emotional discussions with pit crew athletes Derrell Edwards, Michael Hicks, Jorden Paige and Paul Swan along with special guests.

Warner Bros. Discovery has not announced any talent that will be covering races for them next year when the rights contract kicks in for their mid-season package outside of Dale Earnhardt Jr. who will work for both TNT and Amazon as their lead analyst.

Naturally, looking at the personalities listed above for the truTV/Max show, some easy dots can be connected thinking that Spake, Letarte, Smith, and Bianchi may all have a role to play when next summer comes around. It’ll also be fascinating to see if WBD wants to pick up the torch from NASCAR Race Hub and provide a more consistent product for racing fans next season, especially with a greater sports emphasis for the channel moving forward.

[ NASCAR.com ]

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