NASCAR & William Levy to Produce TV Series About Hispanic Drivers

William Levy has partnered with NASCAR Productions' Entertainment Marketing division to produce a TV series about Hispanic race car drivers, Fox News Latino reported.

According to the news outlet, "The new series will focus on the challenges drivers face as they try to make it on the NASCAR circuit. It will follow a series of drivers trying to catch on in one of the United States' most popular sports."

The show, also produced by Gladys Gonzalez, does not have a home network yet, but it will start getting pitched to networks next month, Deadline noted.

Levy, who starred in Triunfo del Amor (Love's Triumph), Lionsgate's "Addicted," and in the upcoming "Term Life" alongside Vince Vaughn and Jon Faverau, expressed his excitement over his partnership with NASCAR.

"I'm truly thrilled about partnering with NASCAR and I can't wait to show my fans worldwide this creative endeavor," the 38-year-old actor said, as quoted by Deadline. He also posted a tweet about his enthusiasm for the new reality series.

"Very exited [sic] !! @Deadline William Levy & NASCAR Team For Reality Series On Hispanic Race Car Drivers https://bit.ly/1DtINnQ #NASCAR"

NASCAR Productions and the company's LA-based Entertainment Marketing division aim to incorporate NASCAR into mainstream pop culture in order "to expand the sport's reach to new and more diverse audiences."

"Our goal is to produce original TV, film and digital projects that highlight some of the most compelling stories in NASCAR," said Zane Stoddard, NASCAR's VP Entertainment Marketing and Content Development, as reported by Deadline. "We are excited about the opportunity to partner with William Levy and his team on a project we believe both sports and nonsports fans alike will enjoy."

According to Fox News Latinos, NASCAR's popularity among the Hispanic race has continously grown over the years. This season, Cuban-American driver Aric Almirola reached NASCAR's top division championship series Chase for the Sprint Cup, in which only 16 drivers qualify.

Media Post also pointed out that the popularity of motorsports racing has increased among U.S. Hispanics, as "reflected in more racing coverage on Hispanic media." NBC Universal's Hispanic cable network Mun2 has been airing La NASCAR en mun2 for many years now.

Univision Deportes, on the other hand, has been carrying Formula 1 since 2013, Media Post added. Univision thinks that the rise of Hispanic drivers also contributed to the popularity of motorsports in the U.S., as well as the fact that "Formula 1 has always been international in scope, with Grand Prix races held around the world." For this year, Spain, Mexico, and Brazil will be included in the Grand Prix's schedule.