August 02, 2019 at 01:07AM
NASCAR drivers are on TV at least once a week for the vast majority of the year. But for eight weekly one-hour episodes, their wives are taking over.
Racing Wives on CMT (formerly the Country Music Channel) is set to premiere Friday, August 3 at 10 p.m. ET. This follows months of the show being in limbo after it was originally scheduled to debut in January.
The docuseries shines a spotlight on the lives of sisters-in-law Samantha Busch and Ashley Busch; best friends Whitney Ward Dillon and Mariel Lane Swan; and aspiring driver Amber Balcaen — who's the only racer among the main cast members rather than a spouse. According to CMT, it's an unscripted housewives-style reality show with the obvious sports theme.
Wives of NASCAR drivers say race day fears, anxiety never go awayFor The Win spoke with the cast members about why they wanted to do the show and what they hope viewers take away from it.
Samantha Busch
Married to: Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota driver
Occupation/hobbies: Co-owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports, IVF advocate, Murph Boutique clothing line
Favorite reality show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Other notes: 4-year-old son Brexton
What do you hope people learn about you and Kyle from the show?
What I want the fans to realize about Kyle is what an amazing husband he is, and there is a softer side to him. He's a great a dad. I try as much as I can through social media to show people that because he is a very polarizing figure. People love him or hate him in the racing world. So I'd love for people to know the Kyle I know.
For myself, I think a lot of people see us there at the track and Victory Lane and think that's about all we do. And supporting our husbands is a major focus in my life, but there are so many other things — from the Bundle of Joy Fund to Shop Murph to other projects that I'm working on and Brexton — that I'm really passionate about.
How Samantha Busch runs one of the best Twitter accounts in NASCARHow do you think the show portrays your and Kyle's relationship with Ashley and Kurt?
That's a really big part of the show — Ashley and I navigating our relationship as sisters-in-law and learning about each other. And obviously the closer that we get, the closer the boys get. They've always grown up racing. They're very competitive.
Like any family, they've had ups and downs. And I feel like with Ash's and my friendship evolving and then the addition of Brexton, the show really highlights how, at the end of the day, family's the most important.
Ashley Busch
Married to: Kurt Busch, No. 1 Chevrolet driver
Occupation/hobbies: Professional polo player, Monarch Reign bathing suit line
Favorite reality show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Other notes:Played in a charity polo match with Prince Harry (and won)
What made you want to do a show like this?
The best reason for doing the show, at least for me, is to allow people a little insight into my life outside of the track — my businesses and polo and kind of showcase a little bit of what I do outside of the track, along with Kurt as well.
What do you hope people learn about you and Kurt from the show?
You'll see some fun date nights and family time and down time at home, which we don't get very often. And of course, some time we spend with Samantha and Kyle and Brexton. So it's a really fun and unique view, especially of Kurt outside of his race suit, outside of the track and seeing the wonderful husband he is.
How will it showcase their relationship as brothers and yours as sisters-in-law?
There's a dynamic in the show for that, and I think the biggest thing us to give the audience is a view of our life and what family life is like, especially with Kurt and Kyle being so competitive on the track and not always being the closest. You'll be able to see through the show mine and Samantha's relationship grow and us do family things together and the boys get closer too.
Whitney Ward Dillon
Married to: Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet driver
Occupation/hobbies: Former NFL cheerleader, former Monster Energy Girl, co-owner of the Shop The WM jewelry company
Favorite reality show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Other notes: Runs The BFF Blog with Mariel, says Austin does not appear in the show
What do you hope people will learn about you from the show?
What I would really like for people to see is that we're real people. We struggle. We have our ups and our downs, and we have great moments and not-so-great moments. And you guys get to see that. You get to go into our lives and see that we're real people too.
Do you think your personality (or others') is different on the show than in real life?
No, I think that in real life, I'm pretty out there. I'm pretty wild and crazy, and in the show, I'm kind of the same way. I feel like at the end of the day, it's really hard to be someone else, and it just comes natural to be yourself. So I think we all portray our true personalities.
Mariel Lane Swan
Married to: Paul Swan, tire carrier on No. 3 Chevrolet team
Occupation/hobbies: Former NFL cheerleader, former Monster Energy Girl, co-owner of the Shop The WM jewelry company
Favorite reality show: Chrisley Knows Best
Other notes: Runs The BFF Blog with Whitney, married Paul earlier this year after the first season was shot
What do you hope people learn about you and Paul from the show?
There are so many different components to NASCAR and to a team, so it's going to be really cool for the fans and viewers to see all of the moving pieces that go into having a team. I get really hyped up and stressed about watching just because Austin and Paul are like brothers, and I look at Austin as my brother and Whitney as my sister. We're all a family, so when Paul is pitting for Austin, I know that he wants to give it his all.
Every single time we're racing, it's just like hoping and praying that he's killing it out there and hoping it doesn't go wrong because at the end of the day, even on the pit crew, it's a professional sport so his job is on the line every single weekend.
Trailers and commercials imply an us-versus-them mentality between drivers' wives and Monster Energy Girls. Is that real or more just part of the show?
I don't feel like there's an us-against-them per se, but I will say that our worlds are just so different. And Whitney and I are just different. Like oil and water: neither one of them is wrong, but it just doesn't mix sometimes.
Is there something you see in other reality shows you hope is or isn't portrayed in yours?
There's nothing that I would want the cameras to exclude because for me, what I appreciate most in reality shows is showing that it's real. And with being real, there come ups and downs, and I feel like that is what viewers will relate to and connect with the most. It's seeing that people are just human and they experience the same things in different forms.
Amber Balcaen
Occupation/hobbies: Aspiring NASCAR driver
Favorite reality show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Total Divas, The Bella Twins
Other notes: From Winnipeg, started racing when she was 10, mostly dirt track experience
What made you want to be on a show like this?
It's a really good opportunity for me to share my story. I'm definitely the underdog in this sport, and I don't come from money. I'm a Canadian female in a very American male-dominated sport. And if I could be successful in this sport and use my story to inspire other people, and know that no dream is too big, and with hard work and dedication and persistence that anything is possible, then I wanted to do it.
There's times on the show where I don't look good. But to me, it's worth it because if i'm still inspiring people, that's all that matters. Nobody's perfect. I grow a lot as a person throughout the season.
What do you hope people learn about you from the show?
I hope people will see how hard I've worked to get where I am today and how bad I want this dream of becoming a professional NASCAR driver. I want to race more than anything in the world. It's my passion, it's my love, this is what excites me, this is what makes me happy, and I just hope people see how real I am and how dedicated I am to the sport.
Artsy, ridiculous and goofy photos of NASCAR drivers celebrating with beverages
Bubba Wallace on flipping off NASCAR drivers: 'I do it to the guys that I like'Dale Earnhardt Jr. on why he can't decide if Kurt or Kyle Busch is the better driverTony Stewart appeared to throw punch at a heckling fan after a dirt-track event
NASCAR drivers are on TV at least once a week for the vast majority of the year. But for eight weekly one-hour episodes, their wives are taking over.
Racing Wives on CMT (formerly the Country Music Channel) is set to premiere Friday, August 3 at 10 p.m. ET. This follows months of the show being in limbo after it was originally scheduled to debut in January.
The docuseries shines a spotlight on the lives of sisters-in-law Samantha Busch and Ashley Busch; best friends Whitney Ward Dillon and Mariel Lane Swan; and aspiring driver Amber Balcaen — who's the only racer among the main cast members rather than a spouse. According to CMT, it's an unscripted housewives-style reality show with the obvious sports theme.
Wives of NASCAR drivers say race day fears, anxiety never go awayFor The Win spoke with the cast members about why they wanted to do the show and what they hope viewers take away from it.
Samantha Busch
Married to: Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota driver
Occupation/hobbies: Co-owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports, IVF advocate, Murph Boutique clothing line
Favorite reality show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Other notes: 4-year-old son Brexton
What do you hope people learn about you and Kyle from the show?
What I want the fans to realize about Kyle is what an amazing husband he is, and there is a softer side to him. He's a great a dad. I try as much as I can through social media to show people that because he is a very polarizing figure. People love him or hate him in the racing world. So I'd love for people to know the Kyle I know.
For myself, I think a lot of people see us there at the track and Victory Lane and think that's about all we do. And supporting our husbands is a major focus in my life, but there are so many other things — from the Bundle of Joy Fund to Shop Murph to other projects that I'm working on and Brexton — that I'm really passionate about.
How Samantha Busch runs one of the best Twitter accounts in NASCARHow do you think the show portrays your and Kyle's relationship with Ashley and Kurt?
That's a really big part of the show — Ashley and I navigating our relationship as sisters-in-law and learning about each other. And obviously the closer that we get, the closer the boys get. They've always grown up racing. They're very competitive.
Like any family, they've had ups and downs. And I feel like with Ash's and my friendship evolving and then the addition of Brexton, the show really highlights how, at the end of the day, family's the most important.
Ashley Busch
Married to: Kurt Busch, No. 1 Chevrolet driver
Occupation/hobbies: Professional polo player, Monarch Reign bathing suit line
Favorite reality show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Other notes:Played in a charity polo match with Prince Harry (and won)
What made you want to do a show like this?
The best reason for doing the show, at least for me, is to allow people a little insight into my life outside of the track — my businesses and polo and kind of showcase a little bit of what I do outside of the track, along with Kurt as well.
What do you hope people learn about you and Kurt from the show?
You'll see some fun date nights and family time and down time at home, which we don't get very often. And of course, some time we spend with Samantha and Kyle and Brexton. So it's a really fun and unique view, especially of Kurt outside of his race suit, outside of the track and seeing the wonderful husband he is.
How will it showcase their relationship as brothers and yours as sisters-in-law?
There's a dynamic in the show for that, and I think the biggest thing us to give the audience is a view of our life and what family life is like, especially with Kurt and Kyle being so competitive on the track and not always being the closest. You'll be able to see through the show mine and Samantha's relationship grow and us do family things together and the boys get closer too.
Whitney Ward Dillon
Married to: Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet driver
Occupation/hobbies: Former NFL cheerleader, former Monster Energy Girl, co-owner of the Shop The WM jewelry company
Favorite reality show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Other notes: Runs The BFF Blog with Mariel, says Austin does not appear in the show
What do you hope people will learn about you from the show?
What I would really like for people to see is that we're real people. We struggle. We have our ups and our downs, and we have great moments and not-so-great moments. And you guys get to see that. You get to go into our lives and see that we're real people too.
Do you think your personality (or others') is different on the show than in real life?
No, I think that in real life, I'm pretty out there. I'm pretty wild and crazy, and in the show, I'm kind of the same way. I feel like at the end of the day, it's really hard to be someone else, and it just comes natural to be yourself. So I think we all portray our true personalities.
Mariel Lane Swan
Married to: Paul Swan, tire carrier on No. 3 Chevrolet team
Occupation/hobbies: Former NFL cheerleader, former Monster Energy Girl, co-owner of the Shop The WM jewelry company
Favorite reality show: Chrisley Knows Best
Other notes: Runs The BFF Blog with Whitney, married Paul earlier this year after the first season was shot
What do you hope people learn about you and Paul from the show?
There are so many different components to NASCAR and to a team, so it's going to be really cool for the fans and viewers to see all of the moving pieces that go into having a team. I get really hyped up and stressed about watching just because Austin and Paul are like brothers, and I look at Austin as my brother and Whitney as my sister. We're all a family, so when Paul is pitting for Austin, I know that he wants to give it his all.
Every single time we're racing, it's just like hoping and praying that he's killing it out there and hoping it doesn't go wrong because at the end of the day, even on the pit crew, it's a professional sport so his job is on the line every single weekend.
Trailers and commercials imply an us-versus-them mentality between drivers' wives and Monster Energy Girls. Is that real or more just part of the show?
I don't feel like there's an us-against-them per se, but I will say that our worlds are just so different. And Whitney and I are just different. Like oil and water: neither one of them is wrong, but it just doesn't mix sometimes.
Is there something you see in other reality shows you hope is or isn't portrayed in yours?
There's nothing that I would want the cameras to exclude because for me, what I appreciate most in reality shows is showing that it's real. And with being real, there come ups and downs, and I feel like that is what viewers will relate to and connect with the most. It's seeing that people are just human and they experience the same things in different forms.
Amber Balcaen
Occupation/hobbies: Aspiring NASCAR driver
Favorite reality show: Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Total Divas, The Bella Twins
Other notes: From Winnipeg, started racing when she was 10, mostly dirt track experience
What made you want to be on a show like this?
It's a really good opportunity for me to share my story. I'm definitely the underdog in this sport, and I don't come from money. I'm a Canadian female in a very American male-dominated sport. And if I could be successful in this sport and use my story to inspire other people, and know that no dream is too big, and with hard work and dedication and persistence that anything is possible, then I wanted to do it.
There's times on the show where I don't look good. But to me, it's worth it because if i'm still inspiring people, that's all that matters. Nobody's perfect. I grow a lot as a person throughout the season.
What do you hope people learn about you from the show?
I hope people will see how hard I've worked to get where I am today and how bad I want this dream of becoming a professional NASCAR driver. I want to race more than anything in the world. It's my passion, it's my love, this is what excites me, this is what makes me happy, and I just hope people see how real I am and how dedicated I am to the sport.
Artsy, ridiculous and goofy photos of NASCAR drivers celebrating with beverages
Bubba Wallace on flipping off NASCAR drivers: 'I do it to the guys that I like'Dale Earnhardt Jr. on why he can't decide if Kurt or Kyle Busch is the better driverTony Stewart appeared to throw punch at a heckling fan after a dirt-track event