With the abundance of reality TV programming, it was only a matter of time before NASCAR got in on the act. So far there are two shows—The Reality of Speed on Spike TV and NBS 24-7 on Speed Channel.

The Reality of Speed has aired two episodes and an ambitious story line has been established. Not only is the show featuring a Busch Grand National team, an AMA Motocross team is being followed as well. I think what makes this show interesting is that both of these race teams are starting from scratch and even though the type of racing between the two teams is so different viewers will discover that racing is racing despite the format.

Because these teams are new, the show will be able to detail everything it takes to become successful. Lucky Nichols, team manager for the motocross team, gave a tour of his team’s trailer. While there have been countless interviews with drivers standing outside trailers, Nicholas showed the many functions the trailer serves. It’s a place to have team meetings, to work out, to view video of practice and much more. There were also interviews with some of the guys working on the Busch car. One of them said there isn’t really an off-season. Another mentioned that the workload was so heavy that he may as well live at the shop.

One interesting topic that came up in the second episode happened during a meeting with team owner Michael Holigan and the two team managers. Todd Myers Busch team manager and Lucky Nicholas had a discussion over how the workspace in the race shop was going to be divided. While the two men were able to remain calm during the conversation, the tension over who would be able to get the optimal space came through load and clear. And then Holigan threw in the fact that he wanted the entire shop painted including the floor. Myers could only respond with, “You guys are killing me.” I can only imagine how intense future meetings will be between these three men.

The show also has a light-hearted side. An exchange between motocross drivers Cole Siebler and Matthieu Lalloz showed that racing is not all work and no fun. Siebler was teasing Lalloz that he had gotten an email from Lalloz’s sister. The two went back and forth razzing each other.

The main thing I like about this show is that viewers get to see what happens away from the racetrack. It’s really going to be interesting to see how what happens at the races affect all the people behind the scenes. How will they rally when things go poorly? Since the two teams are in completely different leagues, will they help each other or end up fighting over who gets what?

Although I think The Reality of Speed has real promise, I think its downfall may be that it dose not focus exclusively on NASCAR. Besides that, Speed Channel’s reality-show NBS 24-7 has the potential to overshadow it. That may sound like a bold prediction considering NBS 24-7 isn’t even on the air until February 16, but a quote from Speed Channel President Jim Liberatore speaks volumes. He said, “There has been a lot of talk about NASCAR reality shows, but the key has always been the access. With NASCAR giving this project its blessing, we think we are on to something special here. With full garage access and the ability to incorporate actual race footage, Speed viewers will get closer to their sport than ever before.” After hearing this statement, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the once popular but now canceled ESPN show RPM 2 Night that failed after losing the access it once had with NASCAR. I’m sure that there will also be a ton of publicity on all the NASCAR related FOX shows to help kick the show off.