Will Top Gear America be a hit like this past season of the British version Top Gear? Only time will tell. But we do know that one of the first guests on the revitalized stateside version will be Chris Daughtry, former American Idol star and leader of the band named...Daughtry.
Last week Daughtry posted a picture of himself on Instagram with host William Fichtner, dressed in a racing suit with "Top Gear America" clearly visible. He also posted a video of himself wearing a Top Gear America helmet, and he said he that was about to go "smoke some fools on the track."
It seems that lawsuit calling for the SpeedVegas to close after a fatal crash earlier this year has not prevented Top Gear America from continuing to use the facility for their celebrity laps. Daughtry's statement implies that he had some competition, either previously set times or other guests at the track at the same time he was, so it appears to be business as usual there.
There is still no word on what car Top Gear America is using for their celebrity laps. As much as I love British Top Gear's choice of the Toyota 86 (I'm a little biased—I owned its twin, a Subaru BRZ), I'd love to see them use some American muscle, such as a Mustang or Camaro. If that's too fast, they should pick up some ex-cop Crown Victorias while they still can and beat on them.
What we do know is that Top Gear America will once again feature a trio of hosts: actor William Fichtner, drag racer Antron Brown, and British automotive journalist Tom "Wookie" Ford. An initial run of eight episodes will begin airing this summer, according to BBC America's advertisements for the show, as well as Daughtry's own Instagram video. I look forward to seeing if Top Gear America can succeed where Top Gear USA never quite seemed to gain traction.