I’m a little stuck now…

BBC America air(ed) Top Gear on Monday nights. I don’t know what to do with Monday now…

It is out now that host Jeremy Clarkson has been “sacked” by the BBC. It is the result of a “fracas” which, apparently, involved some verbal and physical confrontations aimed at one of the “Top Gear” producers. There was a cancellation of the remaining episodes in the current season, an immediate suspension of Clarkson, an investigation and the the final report and result.

Clarkson himself did, from what accounts can be put together, the right things (mostly) in the aftermath of the “fracas”. He called and acknowledged the incident. He made apologies. He cooperated and kept his mouth off of commenting on the investigation, mostly. He did make some colorful comments at a fund raiser he was already booked into. People laughed. Money was raised.

Now that the BBC has taken the step of pulling Clarkson what happens? Co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond have not talked much, either. The common thread from the two is that the show is a package with all three and the question of making “Top Gear” with them and without Clarkson is a grey area neither has put a foot in. It is Clarkson that opens the show and welcomes the audience. He is the engine that has driven it with May and Hammond being the fuel and the spark.

As for the BBC… They have pulled the rug from their own gold mine. The show generates a bazillion dollars (pounds, if you like) and is aired with licensing all over the world. It is quite possibly the most watched TV show out there and certainly so for the BBC. Obviously they had to do some kind of thing but was that thing necessarily shooting themselves to make a point. Yes, Jeremy Clarkson certainly earned himself sanctions and or fines, community service and a giant helping of humble pie. He could have been forced to do the next season from the driver’s seat of a Morris Marina. There were, fans believe, other options available to address the seriousness of Clarkson’s actions.

Now the future of “Top Gear” hangs in the balance. The show could go on with May and Hammond and perhaps a new somebody. Fans, and Hammond and May, know it will not be close to what it was. The playful tension that makes the show work would be forever warped and likely broken.

Let’s also examine the money again. Not only is the cash flow to the BBC put down a hole but also the cash flow for the many people involved in making the show. Clarkson, May and Hammond have enough bank to be quite fine but what of the camera crews, logistics personnel, producers (including the one with the swollen lip), assistants, back stage crew, and all the others who made their living making sure those three idiots went to air?

What will become of the crew that maintain the Stig….? And what of him…? Will he put out in front of a Vauxhall dealership waving at passing potential customers…?

Jeremy Clarkson screwed up. It is possible, even with all the political correctness and fairness in the workplace considered, that the BBC has screwed up also.

Will there be a “Top Gear” going forward? Can there be any combination of personalities that will generate the devotion and following that has made the show what it is… or was…? Have you seen American “Top Gear”?

Uh…….. Yeah…. It is like “American Idol” doing a Beatles show… It isn’t necessarily bad it just suffers from the same thing that happens whenever American TV tries to do “British” TV… Americans.

Face it, “The Office” was unwatchable if you had ever seen the British original…

Can the BBC ride this out with millions of outraged fans instead of dealing with one “Jeremy C;arkson”?

How hard can it be…?

TG_Clarkson_Sack_sm

Injuries. It is probably not the best topic on the eve of the start of NASCAR and the Daytona 500. Reality, however, may take the reigns.

As tough as it may be for some, perhaps even many, in the grandstands, the famed #3 is returning to “Cup” racing. The number may technically belong to Richard Childress but to all those who keep a fading and slanted “3” on their automobile windows it will always belong to Dale Earnhardt. The seven time Champion was killed while in the sport and in the car. It was a fatal injury that changed the way NASCAR races from that day forward.

It is not a matter of whether Austin Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress, can or even should drive the number. It is a matter of injury. The drivers, whatever the number, take a risk for their ride and for the show that the fans pay the money for. (more…)

Traveling the world without going anywhere. On a weekend on the edge of “Earth Day”, this seems largely appropriate.

It is racing across state, cultural and international lines through the convenience of a wide screen HDTV in the living room. The variety of the countryside and the racing is incredible.

Sports cars rattled the streets of Long Beach, CA., with American Le Mans. On the eastern side of the U.S., Grand-Am was at Road Atlanta. Formula 1 was racing near the Persian Gulf in Bahrain. NASCAR was in the open spaces of Kansas. The NHRA was chasing speed in Charlotte. IndyCar followed up back at Long beach.

That is just a highlight of some of the major series. Racing in the streets. Racing across the ocean. Racing in the wide, open spaces. The diversity of scenery and personalities presented in a blur of the background.

However, as we turn towards what is regarded as “Earth Day”, too many people still look at auto racing with prejudice and scorn. They only see burnt fuel and beer-topped fans. (more…)

Brad Keselowski, the defending Sprint Cup champion, had a scheduled visit to the White House on Tuesday, April 16th.

It became a case of going forward with “business as usual” as the entire country was focused on, and rebounding from, a cowardly act of violence in Boston the day before. Some might question the follow through with the visit as the President could certainly have other things to do on such a day than talk about NASCAR and stand with some race car driver next to the car boldly displaying a beer logo.

However, as President Obama said;

“We are here today to celebrate a great American sport. Obviously we’ve had this scheduled for some time, and events have a way of intervening. Obviously, our minds right now are with our fellow Americans and the fans that came from all over the world that went yesterday to run and cheer on another great American sporting event, the Boston Marathon.” (more…)

Virginia race fans have it all. They really do.

Two NASCAR sanctioned tracks plus one so close to the border it qualifies as a third. Martinsville, Richmond and Bristol…

With these you have access to the major NASCAR series Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World…

Add in the road coarse at Virginia International Raceway and you get even more with American Le Mans, SCCA, AMA… Sports cars, open wheel, motorcycles…

Virginia has smaller tracks all over the state for weekend racing of every sort. From South Boston to Motor Mile to Langley to Southside to Shenandoah… All sorts of locals and series run all summer long.

Drag strips and dirt tracks and race, race, race… (more…)

Saturday at Daytona the NASCAR Nationwide Series went green with the season opener DRIVE4COPD 300. A bunch of Cup drivers were in the field and a few went into the field…

Among the “Cups” that had their Nationwide day shortened early were Danica Patrick, Trevor Bayne and Kurt Busch.

However, the very real nature of the race, the day and the sport came in the run to the checkered flag. It started with an “out of the couch” moment at 5 laps to go wrecking the field and red lighting the rest.

The win under the sun and Florida heat went to Tony Stewart after a restart on the outside, getting taken over and chasing down inside the top 4 on a run to the finish. Regan Smith and Brad Keselowski touched and went loose out of the final turn and bunched up a melee of torn metal and battered fencing. The front of Kyle Larson’s #32 Chevy was left in the wall and fencing after going airborne in the mix, sending a wheel and brake assembly into the stands.

Stewart, in post race interviews, showed an almost complete disinterest in the win while almost tearful in concern for fans and other drivers. Other drivers showed real concern for fans as well through post race discussions. (more…)

Half way through January and watching some beautiful, classic cars roll over the stage of the Barrett-Jackson auction on SPEED made us jump at another thought. The thought of the exotic and new cars taking Daytona by storm for the Grand-Am opening ROLEX 24.

They have already been out turning laps. Just as NASCAR rolls out and does some testing and adjustments in mid-January, Grand-Am does the same with the “Roar before the 24”. The ROLEX folks, however, are out that first weekend of January. The new year hangover is barely down to a throb and they are turning laps approaching 200 mph. They give NASCAR an extra week…

In the interim, SPEED has been airing the Barrett-Jackson auction showcasing people with loads of extra cash going after classic and collectable cars showcasing the best of the best days of Destroit. It is a fun diversion to watch. However, on the days leading up to the ROLEX 24 we had a discussion with ourselves… (more…)