NASCAR is adding three weekly shows to its 2024 Playoff coverage. The cast of these three shows includes Shannon Spake, known for her work with the late NASCAR Race Hub, the Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi, and Dylan ‘Mamba’ Smith.
The NASCAR media landscape changed this year when Fox canceled NASCAR Race Hub shortly after the conclusion of its 2024 Cup Series coverage. While Fox is sticking around, it shocked many fans that a NASCAR TV staple that began in 2009 would no longer be available.
Beyond Race Hub, NASCAR’s daily programming has slowly left the airways in the past two decades. Shows like ESPN’s RPM 2Night and NBC’s NASCAR America have come and gone, with the former shutting down over 20 years ago.
Since the loss of Race Hub, the closest thing to a NASCAR show on television is Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour on Fox. Fox utilizes a hybrid Podcast TV show format.
Fans are clamoring for a new show with familiar faces. Now that the Playoffs have begun, they will get their show, in fact, three of them.
Debuting on Sept. 5 and releasing Thursdays at 3 p.m. ET, Drop the Jack features the stories and commentary of NASCAR Pit Crew Members, an idea new to the NASCAR podcast scene.
Fox Sports’ Mamba Smith will host the exclusive YouTube and podcast show.
Joining Smith, alongside other guests, are pit crew members Derrell Edwards and Michael Hicks of Joe Gibbs Racing, Jorden Paige of 23XI, and Paul Swan of Richard Childress Racing. Crew members like these are the oft-forgotten party in NASCAR, and their stories are as much a part of the sport as the drivers.
NASCAR Daily will take a similar hybrid podcast approach, releasing on Sept. 5, with Shannon Spake hosting. The 10-minute show will highlight NASCAR news, NASCAR betting, and guest appearances from NASCAR insiders and drivers.
This more bite-sized approach is similar to other daily independent NASCAR YouTube content while providing the depth of driver interviews and insider information. According to NASCAR, NASCAR Daily will be released on weekdays at 10 a.m. ET on YouTube and podcasting platforms.
However, these two shows may not fill the void left by Race Hub. They are based on YouTube and use the podcast format, an already oversaturated market in NASCAR media. Fortunately, one of NASCAR’s new TV partners is stepping up with a premiere show.
Beginning Thursday, truTV and MAX will air a weekly look into the NASCAR Playoffs. NASCAR Inside the Playoffs will air on Thursdays at 7 p.m., with Shannon Spake and Steve Letarte hosting.
This show is groundbreaking as it is the first step in TNT’s NASCAR coverage. Warner Brothers Discovery, TNT’s parent company, owns truTV and MAX. This early commitment from a new member of NASCAR media is good news for fans.
Furthermore, Jordan Bianchi, a NASCAR insider, will also join the show, bringing a journalistic flair rather than just commentary on the sports happenings. Alongside the hosts will be Mamba Smith and a rotating door of drivers, the first of which is Kyle Busch.
Two of the many reasons that fans believe the show will be successful are its high production value and the hour-long format, which have been critical to successful shows in the past.
If NASCAR Inside the Playoffs is successful, it could lead to more shows from NASCAR’s new broadcast partner.
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