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John Spain II’s grandfather used to sponsor “dirt” cars in Shreveport and he even got behind the wheel of a few on some North Louisiana flat tracks. He also brought his grandson to NASCAR’s Talledega Superspeedway near Birmingham, Ala., for the very first time to feel the engines, the noise and the speed of premier racing. Spain has been hooked ever since.

“Most people think it’s a bunch of guys making left turns,” Spain says. “While that’s certainly true, the drivers are some of the most physically and mentally trained athletes in the world, and the crews are made up of some of the most talented mechanics and engineers.”

Now 32 and a television producer, Spain’s new docu-series, Three Wide Life, began last year when Leverage Sports asked him to develop a motorsports-themed show that would fit the FCC’s guidelines for educational programming. NASCAR races are consistently among the highest-rated sports broadcasts in the country, and Spain wanted to develop programming that provides a behind-the-scenes look into the culture and overlooked personalities of auto racing.

Episodes of Three Wide Life usually air on Sunday mornings before coverage of NASCAR and other circuits on Fox and ABC affiliates in 50 markets across the country.

“The style [of the show] speaks to the motorsports culture itself,” says Ryan Kurek, CEO of Leverage Sports. “Content that they can’t find on race broadcasts, Web sites or print is brought to them on their own terms. Our purpose this year has been to fine-tune the style and content for the show and be ready for our big launch in 2008.”

Spain serves as producer and director of the series, and as such, the University High School graduate and son of Baton Rouge Area Foundation Vice President John Spain spends much of his time in Charlotte, N.C., the heart of NASCAR country. Being less than an hour from the headquarters of 95% of NASCAR teams, Spain is right back in the thick of the racing culture that wowed him as a kid.

“I love the competition, the speed, and watching 43 cars with way too much horse power barrel three wide into a corner at 180-plus miles an hour,” Spain muses. “I love the smells and the sounds of the race track, and the hospitality of the fans.”

Beginning in spring 2008, 26 new episodes of Three Wide Life can be seen on Fox 44 in Baton Rouge.