RISING

NASCAR Studios

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The 7th Annual Awards

Nominee ✨

• Best Original Film or Series: Long-Form

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ABOUT THIS ENTRY

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 Nov. 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 have fueled these talented stars, part of the next generation poised to help carry NASCAR into the future.

How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?

"RISING" is an example of the growing possibilities for longform sports programming on YouTube that innovates on the follow-doc format. It's a roadmap to successfully expanding the venue that sports leagues can meet existing fans and create new relationships with prospective fans.

Objective

NASCAR wanted to highlight its up-and-coming drivers in a way that showcases what it takes to climb the ladder to superstardom in the world of stock car racing. We sought to get viewers in on the ground floor of these drivers' careers, linking them to personalities they can hopefully follow for decades. The goal was to not only give viewers a look into the drivers' world, but do so in a style that reflected the characters' personalities and youthful vibes. 

Strategy & Execution

"RISING" was designed with the plan to release all episodes to YouTube across a stretch of five back-to-back days. Recognizing that more and more viewers are watching longform content on YouTube on their televisions, NASCAR sought to bring best-in-class documentary storytelling to the platform while appealing to a younger audiences in the creative and casting.

Organizations

• NASCAR Studios

  Words & Pictures

  Full Speed Entertainment

Links

•   Website

Featured

• Carson Hocevar

  Jesse Love

  Rajah Caruth

   

Credits

Matthew Chase
Director, Producer, Editor
Words + Pictures

Connor Schell
Executive Producer
Words + Pictures

Libby Geist
Executive Producer
Words + Pictures

Aaron Cohen
Executive Producer
Words + Pictures

Tim Clark
Executive Producer
NASCAR Studios

John Dahl
Executive Producer
NASCAR Studios

Tally Hair
Executive Producer
Full Speed Entertainment

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