NASCAR is part history, part story. Narrated by Kevin Costner, The Ride of Their Lives traces the history of the sport from the days of moonshiners in the 1950s to the organized, multi-billion dollar sport it is today. Each point in history is illustrated by stories from stars of the sport, including Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Richard Petty. There's also the last interview with former NASCAR president Bill France Jr. Although the background history is interesting, these stories are the real meat of the presentation and provided just enough pull to pique my interest.
Many of the stories are ones that hardcore NASCAR fans are likely already familiar with. However, some will really tug at the heartstrings of even the casual fans like myself. There's the story of the Allisons, a racing family that has seen more tragedy than most on the track, and Wendell Scott, the first African American driver. Few punches are pulled when it comes to the accompanying footage. It's raw and might be disturbing for some viewers. The Tim Richmond stuff is particularly hard to watch, particularly for fans who know how his story ends. It's rough, but does its job at bringing viewers closer to the story.
In addition to the stories of drivers, The Ride of Their Lives also delves into the technology behind the sport. This is something that has always interested me and seeing how much goes into keeping drivers safe and fast is interesting. Even more interesting is the story behind the technology's evolution.
NASCAR: The Ride of Their Lives is a no-brainer purchase for NASCAR fans. I've had the opportunity to review several documentaries in the last few years and can easily say this is one of the better ones and even manages to top some of best that PBS (a company that usually gets high marks from me) has to offer.
