The Amazon Prime Video docuseries "Earnhardt", a deep dive into both the on-track and off-track life of the iconic late driver of the No. 3, has been drawing rave reviews. It's been so successful that it seems to even be drawing in non-NASCAR diehards, and in the process bringing attention in the mainstream sports world to American stock car racing.
Of course, for as fascinating as Dale Earnhardt's story is, it's also one that has been told many times. Now that the rest of the world has been given its introduction to "The Intimidator", series producers would be wise to consider following it up by spotlighting some additional NASCAR legends.
With that in mind, here are five additional drivers we would love to see get their own docuseries. We race fans know their stories deserve to be told, and we think anyone else who has tuned into "Earnhardt" and enjoyed it would appreciate getting to know them as well.
Tony Stewart
Image-wise, who is the most similar driver to Dale Earnhardt that NASCAR has had since his tragic death in 2001? It might be Tony Stewart, the fiery character fans either loved or loved to hate with a burning passion.
Additionally, "Smoke" brought a new dynamic to the Cup Series, due to his success after coming over from the Indy Racing League, laying the groundwork for future open-wheel crossovers pulled off by drivers such as Juan Pablo Montoya and Danica Patrick.
After 10 successful years driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart decided to try his hand at team ownership, joining forces with Gene Haas to form Stewart-Haas Racing, with which he won his third Cup Series championship in 2011 in thrilling fashion.
Though now retired from NASCAR, the Indiana native has continued competing behind the wheel with ventures in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) and now the NHRA Top Fuel drag racing series. There's a ton to unpack here.
Kurt Busch
Perhaps the most compelling narrative from a human standpoint that NASCAR has seen in recent times is that of Kurt Busch. Busch went from zero, to hero, back to zero, and then ultimately went down as one of the good guys, albeit rather tragically.
The polarizing Las Vegas native's trials and tribulations throughout a journey of reinvention after nearly throwing it all away would make for a fascinating in-depth look, as would some perspective on the fallout from his career-ending crash at Pocono Raceway in 2022.
Jeremy Mayfield
Let's throw a wild card into the mix here. Few drivers in NASCAR's modern era have had more volatile career arcs than Jeremy Mayfield, who entered the Cup Series as a little-known prospect straight out of ARCA. He found some moderate success in the late 1990s before getting lost in the shuffle in the early 2000s, but managed to bounce back with two more top 10 points finishes in 2004 and 2005.
Then, it all fell apart in the blink of an eye, in the form of a stunning collapse on the track and a dramatic dispute off of it between Mayfield and NASCAR's sanctioning body. His train wreck of a career ending deserves some long-overdue closure, and enough time has passed that all parties involved would probably be willing to discuss.
NASCAR Truck Series pioneers
Okay, we're kind of cheating on this one since it's not one driver, but an entire series. While the Craftsman Truck Series today is often nothing more than a playground for rich kids on development deals to tear up equipment with reckless abandon, it's easy to forget that its inception was one of the coolest developments NASCAR has ever seen.
The Truck Series was initially designed as a place for blue-collar misfits who never got the right opportunity in Cup to carve out their own niche, and as they battled on short tracks across America, it produced its own legends such as Ron Hornaday Jr., Mike Skinner, and Jack Sprague. It was the American Dream on wheels, and it deserves a closer look.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Sure, the book has been written many times over about his legendary father, but if there's any one obvious sequel to "Earnhardt", it has to revolve around Dale Jr., right? From being thrust into an impossible situation after the tragic death of "The Intimidator", to his battles with head injuries and struggles to make peace with the mass fame and popularity he never asked for, there's so much to cover that hasn't ever quite been given a proper deep dive.
To this day, Earnhardt Jr. is one of the most influential people in NASCAR, and it's a genuinely inspirational story that he has become the figure he has. He has spent his whole professional life trying to make a name for himself beyond his father's massive shadow, and it's time to give him the spotlight he deserves as his own man.