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The second season of “Top Gear America” comes to a close on Friday, August 26, with a special trip to a short track steeped in NASCAR history. The three hosts took on Irwindale Speedway while battling some standout competitors in minivans.
Prior to the episode’s release, Heavy received an exclusive clip. Hosts Dax Shepard, Jethro Bovingdon, and Rob Corddry climbed behind the wheels of three minivans at the short track that has hosted ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Southwest Series races over the years. They were joined by former Formula One world champion Jenson Button, IndyCar Series driver Josef Newgarden, and the winningest driver in sports car history Bill Auberlen.
The clip did not reveal the winner of the no-holds-barred minivan battle at the California short track. However, it did show some key details. Specifically, Corddry was off the pace while battling with these veteran drivers. Meanwhile, Shepard hit the wall while running the outside line and he put California’s version of the Darlington Stripe on his minivan.
The season finale, which focuses on making minivans cool, will be available exclusively on MotorTrend on Demand (MotorTrend+), starting on Friday, August 26. The subscription price for the streaming app is $4.99 per month or $44.99 annually. The streaming service serves as the home of numerous series including both seasons of “Top Gear America,” “Roadkill,” and “Faster With Finnegan” among others.
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‘Top Gear America’ Has Taken on Unique Challenges
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povipullinenThe ‘Top Gear America’ hosts have taken on some unique challenges.
The trip to Irwindale Speedway caps off a season that has featured the hosts of “Top Gear America” taking on unique challenges. They have enjoyed the electric lap of luxury and tested themselves in forgotten off-road vehicles, cheap junkers, and foreign station wagons.
Not all of these adventures have played out as the hosts expected. One off-road jaunt, in particular, began with the hosts controlling an Isuzu VehiCROSS, Suzuki Jimny, and a Hummer H2. One of these vehicles did not complete the journey after dealing with some unexpected issues on the unforgiving terrain.
The second season also tested the hosts in a wide-open state. They took three supercars to Butte, Mont., and tried to channel Evel Knievel, albeit on four wheels instead of two. The goal was to hit 200 mph in a Ford GT, Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, and a Bugatti Chiron.
This trip to Big Sky Country was a fitting way to kick off an automotive show. Shepard, Corddry, and Bovingdon hit impressive speeds in very expensive vehicles before taking on a variety of challenges across the country. These episodes all led up to the minivan battle at Irwindale Speedway.
Irwindale Speedway Has Ties to NASCAR Champions
GettyJoey Logano celebrates a win in the Toyota All-Star Showdown.
Two-time IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden is not the only member of Team Penske that has competed at Irwindale Speedway. Though he has the unique bragging rights of battling in a minivan. His teammate, 2018 NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, also has experience at the short track.
Logano is one of the many drivers that competed at Irwindale Speedway while working up the ladder toward the national NASCAR series. This list also includes Kurt Busch, David Gilliland, Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears, Jason Bowles, Matt Crafton, and Travis Pastrana. Cup Series rookie Todd Gilliland also won three straight NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races at the track in 2016 and 2017.
Logano won two important races during his time with Joe Gibbs Racing. He captured the 2007 Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway after leading 87 of the 250 laps. He then returned to Victory Lane during the 2009 Toyota All-Star Showdown after leading 171 laps. California native Matt DiBenedetto also participated in this race and finished fourth overall.
The 2007 Toyota All-Star Showdown, in particular, capped off a memorable campaign for Logano. He ran full-time in the NASCAR Busch Series East, won five races, and captured the championship. He then added the Toyota All-Star Showdown win before moving up to a part-time schedule in what is now the Xfinity Series in 2008.
The national NASCAR series no longer compete at Irwindale Speedway, but the track continues to feature the rising drivers of the future. The ARCA Menards Series visits the short track twice each year. The 2022 season alone has featured both Tanner Reif and Jake Drew securing a win.
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