Top Gear America Chooses SPEEDVEGAS as Film Studio and Test Track

It's Official; ‘Top Gear’ Spinoff ‘Top Gear America’ Greenlighted By BBC America, and the show will be filmed at SPEEDVEGAS.

20/03/17

NEWS

The network says the eight-episode hourlong series will be hosted by racing enthusiast and actor William Fichtner, world champion drag racer Antron Brown, and British car journalist Tom “Wookie” Ford.

Top Gear America reviews not just exclusive and state-of-the-art vehicles but also the cars of America’s culture defining past, according to BBCA. Each week also will feature a different celebrity who will compete for top honor on the leader board at the new Top Gear studio and track, Speed Vegas.

History previously aired Top Gear USA, which ended its six-season run in 2016. Like the History version, BBC America’s version also will be produced by UK distributor BBC Worldwide. The previous U.S. version of “Top Gear” had a six-season run on A+E Networks-owned History before being canceled in 2016. Produced by BBC Worldwide, it was hosted by Adam Ferrara, Rutledge Wood, and Tanner Foust.

BBC America’s “Top Gear America,” also produced by BBC Worldwide, will be hosted by William Fichtner, world champion drag racer Antron Brown, and British automotive journalist Tom “Wookie” Ford. The three will race various vehicles along the scenic highways and historic tracks of the American west and, in “Top Gear” tradition, each episode will feature a celebrity guest racing around a track in an attempt to beat other celebrities’ times and will include the presence of mysterious masked driver The Stig.

“We are big fans of the mix of cars, credibility and charisma that adds up to the winning formula for ‘Top Gear,’ and couldn’t be happier that BBCA is now the home for the franchise in the U.S., with ‘Top Gear America’ joining the original show on our network,” said BBC America president Sarah Barnett. “Bill, Antron and Wookie are serious gearheads who never take themselves too seriously. It will be quite the trip.”

The British “Top Gear” underwent a revamping of its own after the departure of original presenters Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond. American actor Matt LeBlanc hosts the show now, with British journalists Rory Reid and Chris Harris. Meanwhile, Clarkson, May, and Hammond haven’t been sitting idle: their motoring show “The Grand Tour” wrapped its first season on Amazon Prime, with a second slated to debut in November.

“Top Gear America” will premiere on BBC America later this year. The current, 24th season of the original “Top Gear” is airing now on the network.

SPEEDVEGAS is the award-winning 100-acre motorsports complex. Guests experience the world’s most sought-after muscle cars and exotic supercars from Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, McLaren and more. The $30 million SPEEDVEGAS experience features an impressive 1.5-mile (2.4 km) Formula One-inspired racetrack comparable to top circuits in the world, and includes 12 sweeping turns, 20-degree banked turns, 60 feet of total elevation change and a half-mile straightaway. The track at SPEEDVEGAS is the only track of its kind in the world designed specifically so the public can enjoy supercar driving experiences. In addition, the 20,000-square-foot, 2-story welcome center features indoor and outdoor observation decks, food and beverage selections at a well-appointed café, meetings and event space and much more. SPEEDVEGAS is located just minutes south of the world-famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign.