So who do you think should be the third presenter? Place your bets.

I swear to God i read it somewhere back when the news broke that Jezza and the gang won't be coming to host an American TG. I think James made the comment after visiting the Southern US for their American Challenge episode.
 
My initial impressions of Adam say he is fail for primary host. I have no experience listening to Tanner, so, meh.

I think we should get Tim Allen as host. He's funny, stubborn, has race driving experience, and he's such a car nut that he's put up his own money to fund his own race efforts when he was doing them. Anyone remember him Running a team at the 24h of Daytona?

secondary host: Probably more of a James May than anything, we should get a C/D columnist like Patrick Bedard, Brock Yates, or even Csaba Csere. Patrick would be a great older guy who's really REALLY anally details-oriented, and he knows how to put things in a humorous context.

Third presenter should maybe have the bike bug almost more than cars. He should be smart, worldly, and can even take a shot at Tim for being a "cager" this one i think would be easiest, because he would be more of an all-rounder.

Stig = Arie Luyendyk. he's a fantastic driver, smart/funny, and retired. heck, we could even use him as a double for the third presenter if it so strikes him.

EDIT: it seems like he's still going, turning laps in the A1GP. I did not know that.

Maybe a nod to Scott Goodyear? one of my favorite mentions of him in the press is deciding to test a 700hp race car on public roads and got a speeding ticket for like 150mph.
 
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Could we just hire 3 good people and not worry about having "our clarkson" "our hammond" and "our may"? Sure the formula should be copied, but not that strictly.
 
Maybe a nod to Scott Goodyear? one of my favorite mentions of him in the press is deciding to test a 700hp race car on public roads and got a speeding ticket for like 150mph.

But he sounds so dull on tv, he'd suck the life out of anything just like he manages to do to IRL race broadcast. :zzz:
 
But he sounds so dull on tv, he'd suck the life out of anything just like he manages to do to IRL race broadcast. :zzz:


i meant scott as the Stig, :lol:

i guess that means he's a perfect candidate, for he knows not the ways of tv presentation, speech, and charisma. :p
 
Think like a casting director

Think like a casting director

Having worked in the talent search industry, being a big fan of Top Gear and being American, I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

----
PRIMARY REQUIREMENTS:

1) Large contrast to other two cast members.

2) Appeals to Women -OR- minorities -OR- Average Joe.

3) Appeals to existing NASCAR fan base (too large to ignore).

4) Appeals to Male 25-34 demo

5) Must play 'under dog' or 'love-to-hate' roles. Root for him? Hope he/she fails?

6) Will likely approach Top Gear 'challenge' solutions drastically different from existing two cast memebers, eg the "geeky" way or "shy and helpless" way.

SOFT REQUIREMENTS

1) Sex appeal

2) Comedic timing -AND- Charisma

3) Appeals to Male 18-24 demo

4) Regional appeal in mid-west states

5) Hispanic decent
----

Most important... candidates should approach TG challenges in a way far different from Adam and Tanner, that?s what makes watching the challenges fun? to see which approach/personality wins. We should also want to root for them because we share some aspect with them, either race, gender, personality, birth region or because we just want Adam to lose.

If I was the casting director I would cast:

1) Ashley Force - NASCAR fan overlap, female, tom-boy, professional drag racer, cute/shy/underdog-type, appeals to all males, appeal to females, comes from modest westcoast/socioeconomic background. Has her own driving show, Driving Force. automotive credibility. will be a pushover like James, but in a cute little sister way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOoMr5r3rQI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Force
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/extramustard/05/02/patrick.force.tale/index.html

2) Jamie Little - largest NASCAR fan base, female, hot/model-type, appeals to all males, negative female appeal, southwest decent, add sex appeal and comedy, play dumb blonde role. gets her way and wins the TG challenges by using her sexuality.
http://www.sidelinehotties.com/nascars-jamie-little/
http://www.jamielittle.com/

3) Brad Daugherty - former african american NBA star, crossover appeal, large NASCAR fan base, currently co-owner of a NASCAR team, very recognizeable among male sports fans, broadcast experience on ESPN, deep south decent (north carolina). Adam is great at racial comedy and can rattle sabers with Daugherty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzyZ19SlVuQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Daugherty_(basketball)

4) Juan Pablo Montoya - huge hispanic demo, NASCAR fan appeal, open-wheel fan appeal, race credibility. Not yet retired. Similar masculine charicteristics to Adam/Tanner is negative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFnnwdlerJM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pablo_Montoya

... more to come


Here are my personal candidates since i'm NOT a casting director:

Sabine Schmidt - no explanation necessary...we all know her well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvc5rDc4Fc0

Mike Greenberg or Mike Golic - already part of a Yin/Yang team on Mike&Mike in the Morning. Greenberg plays the anti-masculine role so he?s a great contrast to Adam... or plays the "boffin" role where he mirrors James May. Golic would have the most chemistry with Adam and the crew as the "guy's guy."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_and_Mike_in_the_Morning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Greenberg

By the way... i think the Chris Titus idea is perfect from a chemistry perspective. He's my first choice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWVrec9pT_g

... more to come
 
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Dale Earnhardt Jr has the popularity to bring in the southern demographic, and the women. One will definitly be from NASCAR
 
Having worked in the talent search industry, being a big fan of Top Gear and being American, I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

----
PRIMARY REQUIREMENTS:

1) Large contrast to other two cast members.

2) Appeals to Women -OR- minorities -OR- Average Joe.

3) Appeals to existing NASCAR fan base (too large to ignore).

4) Appeals to Male 25-34 demo

5) Must play 'under dog' or 'love-to-hate' roles. Root for him? Hope he/she fails?

6) Will likely approach Top Gear 'challenge' solutions drastically different from existing two cast memebers, eg the "geeky" way or "shy and helpless" way.

SOFT REQUIREMENTS

1) Sex appeal

2) Comedic timing -AND- Charisma

3) Appeals to Male 18-24 demo

4) Regional appeal in mid-west states

5) Hispanic decent
----

Most important... candidates should approach TG challenges in a way far different from Adam and Tanner, that?s what makes watching the challenges fun? to see which approach/personality wins. We should also want to root for them because we share some aspect with them, either race, gender, personality, birth region or because we just want Adam to lose.

If I was the casting director I would cast:

1) Ashley Force - NASCAR fan overlap, female, tom-boy, professional drag racer, cute/shy/underdog-type, appeals to all males, appeal to females, comes from modest westcoast/socioeconomic background. Has her own driving show, Driving Force. automotive credibility. will be a pushover like James, but in a cute little sister way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOoMr5r3rQI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Force
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/extramustard/05/02/patrick.force.tale/index.html

2) Jamie Little - largest NASCAR fan base, female, hot/model-type, appeals to all males, negative female appeal, southwest decent, add sex appeal and comedy, play dumb blonde role. gets her way and wins the TG challenges by using her sexuality.
http://www.sidelinehotties.com/nascars-jamie-little/
http://www.jamielittle.com/

3) Brad Daugherty - former african american NBA star, crossover appeal, large NASCAR fan base, currently co-owner of a NASCAR team, very recognizeable among male sports fans, broadcast experience on ESPN, deep south decent (north carolina). Adam is great at racial comedy and can rattle sabers with Daugherty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzyZ19SlVuQ
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Daugherty_(basketball)

4) Juan Pablo Montoya - huge hispanic demo, NASCAR fan appeal, open-wheel fan appeal, race credibility. Not yet retired. Similar masculine charicteristics to Adam/Tanner is negative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFnnwdlerJM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pablo_Montoya

... more to come


Here are my personal candidates since i'm NOT a casting director:

Sabine Schmidt - no explanation necessary...we all know her well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvc5rDc4Fc0

Mike Greenberg or Mike Golic - already part of a Yin/Yang team on Mike&Mike in the Morning. Greenberg plays the anti-masculine role so he?s a great contrast to Adam... or plays the "boffin" role where he mirrors James May. Golic would have the most chemistry with Adam and the crew as the "guy's guy."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_and_Mike_in_the_Morning
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Greenberg

By the way... i think the Chris Titus idea is perfect from a chemistry perspective. He's my first choice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWVrec9pT_g

... more to come

Jamie Little and Brad Daugherty would both be bad choices to appeal to NASCAR fans, because neither of them knows what they're talking about.
Unfortunately, the average network suit doesn't realize this.
 
Haven't read any of the thread, so this might have been mentioned...

Wut if Hammond and May don't get their desired pay increases and they come to Gear!??!?

lulz
 
Matt Farah, who hosts (for the most part) Garage 419 by Next New Networks which also produces Fast Lane Daily, VODcars, and Vette Dogs video sites. He's roughly mid-to-late twenties with very keen automotive sensibilities. He owns a Mini Cooper S and Shelby Cobra. He also sports his signature sideburns and a New York Motor Club membership. On his site, he frequents auto museums, collections, garages, tuners, auto shows, and holds one-on-one debates on the current affairs of the automotive biz. He's got great truthful insight and sensible taste mixed with some extremely subjective criticism. Kind of like a brasher, younger version of May and Clarkson mixed together. His review of the NYIAS is classic. He also test drove the C8 Spyker and brought a brilliant car to to the attention of viewers that would have otherwise gone unnoticed (escecially for me!). Here are those two clips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydmL73xI-1g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHG2VXsH1_E
 
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Having worked in the talent search industry, being a big fan of Top Gear and being American, I thought I'd throw in my two cents.

----
PRIMARY REQUIREMENTS:

1) Large contrast to other two cast members.
X
2) Appeals to Women -OR- minorities -OR- Average Joe.
X
3) Appeals to existing NASCAR fan base (too large to ignore).
X
4) Appeals to Male 25-34 demo
X
5) Must play 'under dog' or 'love-to-hate' roles. Root for him? Hope he/she fails?
X
6) Will likely approach Top Gear 'challenge' solutions drastically different from existing two cast memebers, eg the "geeky" way or "shy and helpless" way.
X
SOFT REQUIREMENTS

1) Sex appeal
X
2) Comedic timing -AND- Charisma
X
3) Appeals to Male 18-24 demo
X
4) Regional appeal in mid-west states
X
----

I think Mike Rowe fits all of those and would make a great presenter if they could steal him away from Discovery Channel. He'd bring a more technical side to the show, along with sarcasm that most American actors lack.

mike rowe on QVC talking about 'dickies'

mike rowe's fan crush
 
Don't know how he'd be on TV but writer Peter Egan would have great credibility with both bike and car guys.
 
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