DRIVEN -- Michael Waltrip Racing: Life in the Pits coming to FOX Sports South
FOX Sports South's EMMY Award-winning original programming series DRIVEN presented by Toyota returns for the 2015 season with Michael Waltrip Racing: Life in the Pits on Friday, May 15 at 11 p.m. ET.
DRIVEN -- Michael Waltrip Racing: Life in the Pits follows the six-person pit crews for the No. 15 and No. 55 cars running under Michael Waltrip Racing. Viewers will get a first-hand look into what life is like "in the pits" and the realities of jumping out in front of a car approaching at 50 miles per hour with the goal of getting back on the track in 10 seconds. The show also explores the constant collaboration and competition between the two teams, the dangers on pit road and the drive to always be improving from one pit stop to the next.
"It's a choreographed dance between six guys and a 3,200 pound race car," said Michael Waltrip, two-time Daytona 500 winner and co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing. "That has all the signs of going wrong somehow or another if it isn't done properly."
With agility, fitness, speed and brute strength as integral parts of a successful NASCAR pit crew, today's crews are made up of former professional athletes, members of the military and people who have spent their entire lives with NASCAR, all working together toward one common goal -- the perfect pit stop.
When describing the experience on pit road, Evan Marchal, gasman for the No. 15 car and former offensive lineman for UNLV, put it bluntly: "It's like going out to the highway and playing in traffic."
DRIVEN -- Michael Waltrip Racing: Life in the Pits also showcases the exhilarating lives of the pit crew members outside of racing -- the family man, the triathlete, the thrill seeker.
"There are so many great stories in our industry that are untold ... these can't be faceless, nameless people who jump over the wall and pit these cars," said Ty Norris, executive vice president for Michael Waltrip Racing. "These guys are critical to our success, and their stories should be told."
DRIVEN -- Michael Waltrip Racing: Life in the Pits
Debut:
• May 15 -- 11 p.m. ET on FOX Sports South
Re-airs:
• May 17 -- 6 p.m. ET on FOX Sports South
• May 23 -- 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports South
• May 23 -- 10 p.m. ET on SportSouth
• May 24 -- Noon ET on FOX Sports South
• May 25 -- 10 p.m. ET on FOX Sports South
• May 26 -- 7 p.m. ET on SportSouth
• May 28 -- 8:30 p.m. ET on SportSouth
• May 30 -- 4 p.m. ET on SportSouth
• May 30 -- 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports South
For more information on the special screening of DRIVEN -- Michael Waltrip Racing: Life in the Pits at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, please contact Eric Welch (eric.welch@foxsports.net).
Debuting on FOX Sports South in 2012, DRIVEN is an award-winning original series featuring stories of dedication, focus and success both on and off the track or field. Previous episodes in the series have focused on Hendrick Motorsports, Bobby Cox, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. DRIVEN received Emmy Awards in 2013 and 2014 for DRIVEN -- Tougher, Faster, Stronger: The 2012 Bobcats Draft and DRIVEN: The Chipper Jones Story, respectively. Six additional shows are planned for this year.
About FOX Sports South
The FOX Sports regional networks serving the Southeast -- FOX Sports South, FOX Sports Tennessee, FOX Sports Carolinas and SportSouth -- collectively reach more than 13 million cable and satellite households in seven states across the Southeast. They are the television home of the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Dream, Atlanta Hawks, Carolina Hurricanes, Charlotte Hornets, Charlotte Hounds, Memphis Grizzlies, Nashville Predators, Cincinnati Reds, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Pelicans, and St. Louis Cardinals, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference, Conference USA, and Big 12 Conference. Combined, the four networks produce more than 750 live local events and televise more than 1400 live local events each year. For more information, please visit FOXSportsSouth.com, FOXSportsTennessee.com, and FOXSportsCarolinas.com.
