Television Review: NASCAR Angels
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this reality show revolves around
a group of mechanics with one goal in mind: helping people fix
broken cars. It's a feel-good half-hour with very few faults
(unless you're opposed to constant NASCAR promotion) and shows
a softer side of the fast-paced world of auto racing.
Families can talk about race-car driving. Where did the sport
originate? Is it really as dangerous as it looks? What kind of
cars are used? What safety precautions are taken to make sure
the drivers don't get hurt in crashes? How are racing cars
different from regular ones? (For example, did you know that
most race cars don't have real headlights? The heavy lights are
replaced with decals.)
In NASCAR ANGELS, a group of auto mechanics gives cars in need of some TLC a major makeover, changing their owners' lives in the process. Shannon Wiseman (a Miss Winston NASCAR ambassador) and racer Rusty Wallace host this family-friendly cross of Trick It Out and Extreme Makeover, where each episode follows the team -- known as the Goodyear Gemini -- as they tackle a challenging car overhaul in three days. In one episode, for example, the mechanics souped up a van owned by rock-'n'-roll/bluegrass group The Outlaw Family Band. The six members rely on the van to get to all of their gigs, but it had steadily deteriorated ever since they bought it; by the time the Gemini got to it, it needed new brakes, bumpers, handles, and a sliding door. In just three days, the mechanics managed to turn it into virtually a brand-new vehicle -- and were rewarded with a surprise concert in thanks.
NASCAR Angels lacks the suspense (and violent crashes) inherent in the sport's races, but more than makes up for that "lack" with its feel-good makeovers. Car buffs will want to tune in, as will parents looking for shows that the whole family can watch together.
Trick It OutIGPX
Cars
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