CBS The Challenge: USA
Eliminated “Challenge: USA” season 2 contestant Dusty Harris is all in on crossing over to MTV’s flagship series.
Harris was the third male and final “Amazing Race” representative to leave Croatia after losing in an elimination match to “Challenge” legend Wes Bergmann during August 27’s episode.
After TJ Lavin revealed Bergmann came out on top of the “Arena,” he told Harris he hoped to see him in the future — a classic line from the longtime “Challenge” host. But Harris told Parade in an interview published the next day that he fully intends on seeing Lavin again. And that’ll be as a competitor on the mainline series.
“100 percent,” Harris said about crossing over to MTV’s “The Challenge.” “My goal is to get back on and finish what I’ve started. I know that I can win The Challenge. I 100% believe that. I know I can physically. I know that I can play the social game as well. The wave hit me as a rookie.
“I turned right when I should have turned left. I’ve learned a bunch; I got to learn from the best in the business. I’m going to take that with me into the next one, and I’m ready to bust people’s a**es, 100 [percent].”
Wes Bergmann & Dusty Harris Dueled in ‘Crank Shafted’
Bergmann and “The Amazing Race 33” star faced off in “Crank Shafted,” a game that had the two competitors take turns unknotting steering wheels which were then used to rotate a wheel their opponent was standing on. Whoever fell the quickest lost.
Even though the edit made it seem Bergmann was about to be given his walking papers, it was Harris who fell around 30 seconds quicker.
Through six episodes of the CBS spin-off show, seven players have been sent home, including two-time “Challenge” champion Jonna Mannion, “Big Brother 18” and “Challenge” veteran Paulie Calafiore and “The Amazing Race 34” contestant Luis Colon.
Dusty Harris Is a Massive Fan of ‘The Challenge’
A big part of Harris’ storyline in “The Challenge: USA” season 2 was his “Challenge” fandom and infatuation with the series’ biggest name, John “Johnny Bananas” Devenanzio.
And he shared with the outlet his excitement for joining the franchise he’s watched for years.
“Man, I had to pinch myself when I was approached to do that,” Harris said. “So I received a message through Instagram. I literally blew it off, like, ‘Someone’s messing with me, this can’t be real.’ Communication kept coming through, and then I was like, ‘Okay, I actually have a chance to do this.’ And so when I realized that I was actually going to be on ‘The Challenge,’ it was surreal.
“You hear a lot of the people that were on the cast talking about their dream shows they got to go on. And it’s like, ‘Well, I’m doing mine now.’
Harris partnered up with his best friend, Ryan Ferguson, during “The Amazing Race 34” which aired last year. Ferguson was wrongfully convicted of murder and sat in prison for around a decade before being released in 2013 after his conviction was overturned, according to Fox 2 Now.
Although Ferguson’s story was at the forefront of their partnership during “The Amazing Race,” “The Challenge: USA” marked an opportunity for Harris to solely focus on achieving his dream.
“‘The Amazing Race,’ I was brought in because of Ryan, his story,” Harris continued. “I’m so blessed that I got to do it. And it’s one of the best things ever happened to me. But this was the one where I was like, ‘This is what I want.’
“And so for the chance to represent ‘The Amazing Race,’ represent myself, and literally put myself to the test that I’ve watched, basically, the majority of my life, it was a dream come true. I can’t put it into perspective.”