Top Gear (UK) to film at VIR this month?

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:31 pm

JohnByers wrote:

Marty Howard wrote:

We just got back.

Donnie,
Did we miss you out there?

How was it?

Ended up beign a long day. We ran 4 laps at a time, then go in the pits and wait for the filming crew to move to the next turn, then do it again. Clarkson slide his car around EVERY corner, James spun his car dramatically, and Richard was just Out there.

I didn't get to meet any of them, or even get that close.

We were asked to not give any details or publish any pictures until after the air date. We won't know that until later.

MarekRozanski · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:43 pm

Marty Howard wrote:

We were asked to not give any details or publish any pictures until after the air date. We won't know that until later.

Rumor has it that Marty is the new Stig.

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 7:44 pm

MarekRozanski wrote:

Marty Howard wrote:

We were asked to not give any details or publish any pictures until after the air date. We won't know that until later.

Rumor has it that Marty is the new Stig.

I can be the new "FAT AMERICAN" stig.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:12 pm

Marty Howard wrote:

We just got back.

Donnie,
Did we miss you out there?

I was there. I obviously didn't get asked to stay for the second part...glad someone here did! I did the full hour with just one stop for tire pressures. My tires were three years old and acted like it, sadly. I just had no grip. But still had fun, and the new LSD in the car does seem a little better.

Did see the entire cast briefly as we came off track...they were chatting by their cars outside the tech shed. Very neat just to be there. Hopefully I at least get caught in a shot used in the show, but somehow I doubt it. In fact, I'll bet NONE of the first session gets used other than what just happens to pass by the Villas while they walk out onto the deck briefly (if that even makes it into the show). Time will tell. Either way, it was fun. I'm sure you've got a much better shot of making the show being in that second wave...

Story we heard in the drivers meeting was that Clarkson was drifting the SLS around the North Wilkesboro Speedway so much yesterday that he totally wore out a set of tires. They had a set overnighted to VIR and mounted up this morning. They were also at Grandfather Mountain yesterday, and I'll bet that was so they could "close the road" easily (and cheaply) for some mountain road action. Will be neat to see if I can spot that if it makes the show, too.

--Donnie

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:19 pm

The way he was driving today I bet he wasted another set of tires today. And May spun in 2 rather dramatically. Were you playing with the yellow 350Z of Glen mead?

I am going to go through my picts and try to pick out the car.

JohnByers · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:38 pm

I am sure you guys were sworn to secrecy, but I am sure I speak on the behalf of the others that I(we?) appreciate the bits of information you have shared so we can all live vicariously through you all!

Congrats on getting picked and having a day of free track time!

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:02 pm

Marty Howard wrote:

The way he was driving today I bet he wasted another set of tires today. And May spun in 2 rather dramatically. Were you playing with the yellow 350Z of Glen mead?

I am going to go through my picts and try to pick out the car.

Yeah, I was with the yellow Z a lot. Hope he wasn't getting pissed at me, but I let him lead quite a bit, too. I'm curious what he was on for tires...because he definitely had a LOT more grip than I did. Once my motor quit acting up I had way more straight line speed, but he could out-brake me and out-turn me BIG TIME. I had plenty more brakes than I had tire...I was in and out of ABS a LOT and he could wait a LOT longer to brake. I was on Michelin PS2's that are three years old now. *sigh*

--Donnie

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:09 pm

pretty sure He was on his RA1's.

either that or the Hoosier R6's. He runs both.

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:16 pm

Marty Howard wrote:

pretty sure He was on his RA1's.

either that or the Hoosier R6's. He runs both.

Okay, good. As I suspected. I should get some good tires for the Cayman. *sigh*

--Donnie

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:27 pm

Here you go Donnie:

Donnie Barnes · **Posted:** Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:30 pm

Cool. That's me. Wonder who owns that SL-C. Maybe I'll have time to go check gt40s.com tomorrow and see if they posted over there on the RCR forum. That thing was pretty fast for the little bit I saw it!

--Donnie

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Top Gear was in the local paper around Wilkesboro.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:01 am

We will have to revive this thread once the episode is shown and Donnie and Marty are free to talk. It will be interesting to see how much of whatever they are doing (It seems pretty clear the entire thing is a classic Top Gear road trip with "challenges") is scripted vs. ad-lib. I have no doubt they make some of it up as they go, but is it 80% scripted, 99% scripted?

Marty Howard · **Posted:** Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:20 am

my guess is 45% of it is made up as they go.

VIR is planning a viewing party once we get the air date.

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:49 am

Word has it that the episode will air sometime in late spring -summer of 2011. They left VIR yesterday around 11:00 am so they won't make it to New York till today. I guess that means their schedule has lapsed.
As a point of interest, the 2012 corvette ZO6 was track tested yesterday by the GM engineering staff and a professional driver. And it's wicked fast!!

THSCC Forums

Top Gear (UK) to film at VIR this month?

Who is online