Five-Part Series Premieres November 17, Showcasing the Grit, Heart, and Humanity of Three Promising Drivers
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 27, 2025) – NASCAR, in partnership with Emmy® Award-winning studio Words + Pictures, today announced RISING, a new multi-part documentary series offering an unprecedented look inside the lives of three young, up-and-coming NASCAR drivers as they’ve established their identities both on and off the track this past season. The project was produced by FULL SPEED ENTERTAINMENT, the production partnership between NASCAR Studios and Words + Pictures which focuses on elevating the cultural footprint of NASCAR, its drivers, and teams through bold storytelling, talent-driven initiatives, premium content, and large-scale specials.
Premiering November 17-21, 2025, on NASCAR’s YouTube Channel, RISING follows Carson Hocevar (22, Cup Series), Jesse Love (20, Xfinity Series), and Rajah Caruth (23, CRAFTSMAN Truck Series) through a key season in their careers. Each of the five episodes captures the pressure, sacrifice, and ambition that has fueled these talented stars, part of the next generation poised to help carry NASCAR into the future.
“RISING explores the ups and downs of trying to make it at the highest levels of our sport,” said John Dahl, NASCAR SVP of Content. “We’re providing an inside look at the vulnerability and hunger of these young drivers to prove themselves. It’s a series for anyone who can relate to that daily struggle of striving to reach your dreams, and premiering the series on our NASCAR YouTube Channel allows us to meet fans exactly where they are, offering free, global access and bingeable storytelling on a platform that’s already home to one of the most engaged communities in the world.”
The series, in partnership with Words + Pictures (The Last Dance, 30 For 30, Court of Gold, Full Speed), continues NASCAR’s commitment to authentic storytelling and reaching new audiences in a variety of formats including documentary-style content. Shot across multiple circuits and personal settings, RISING balances the thrill of speed with the human stories that define the sport’s evolution.
“We wanted to strip away the helmets and let viewers meet these young men as people first,” said Aaron Cohen, Chief Creative Officer, Words + Pictures. “They’re competitors, but also sons, friends, and dreamers. RISING gives a raw, unfiltered look at how much heart it takes to make it in NASCAR. YouTube is the natural home for these stories, allowing us to connect these personal journeys directly with the passionate fanbase that already lives on the platform.”
With more than 2.5 billion active users globally, YouTube is the largest streamer in the world. Additionally, more people in the U.S. are watching YouTube on their televisions than their mobile devices and users now stream over 1 billion hours of content on their televisions. Debuting RISING on YouTube underscores NASCAR’s commitment to growing on the platform and reaching a massive digital-native audience as part of its content strategy.
FOX Sports will air RISING on FS1beginning in December with a special five-week programming schedule, providing its viewers with premium NASCAR content leading up to FOX’s telecast of the 2026 DAYTONA 500 on Feb. 15.
RISING is executive produced by Tim Clark, John Dahl and Tally Hair from NASCAR Studios, Connor Schell, Libby Geist and Aaron Cohen from Words + Pictures, and directed and produced by Matthew Chase from Words + Pictures.
ABOUT THE SERIES
- Title: RISING
- Format: 5 episodes (44–45 minutes each)
- Platform: NASCAR’s YouTube Channel
- Premiere Dates: November 17–21 (one new episode every night)
- Produced by: FULL SPEED ENTERTAINMENT
About NASCAR Studios
NASCAR Studios is the dedicated hub for developing world-class, on-demand content and dynamic storytelling executions on behalf of America’s No. 1 form of motorsports, from original content, films, docuseries, and podcasts to driver and team-focused storytelling. Projects released this past year include the second season of the docuseries Full Speed on Netflix, the Amazon Prime Video multi-part documentary Earnhardt, and the Prime Video documentary American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans.
About Words + Pictures
Words + Pictures is an award-winning multi-platform storytelling studio creating premium content at the intersection of entertainment, sports, and culture. Founded by Connor Schell and part of The North Road Company, W+P focuses on powerful, character-centered narratives, partnering with leading platforms, global brands, and cultural icons to deliver stories that resonate on screen and across generations. From groundbreaking documentary series to original formats and branded storytelling, Words + Pictures is redefining how true stories are told and shared in today’s media landscape.
