The American version of Top Gear is back for its third season, beginning on Tuesday, February 14 at 9:00. All three hosts return, so expect to see more drifting from Tanner Foust, more jokes from Adam Ferrara and more flannel from Rutledge Wood. If the clips we’ve seen so far are any indication, it looks like the series’ budget may be creeping upward with its ratings, and that’s a good thing.
Yes, we know the show isn’t the equivalent of it’s English cousin, but keep in mind that Clarkson, May and Hammond have had a decade longer to perfect their version. The U.K. show’s seemingly unlimited budget helps, too, since nothing draws in viewers like expensive cars, bodily-harm-inducing stunts and exotic locations. Given what Foust, Ferrara and Wood have to work with, we’d say they’re doing the best they can.
Besides, with the demise of The Car Show, Top Gear USA is all we have to call our own. It improved from the first season to the second season, and we’re expecting it to do the same this year. We’ll be tuning in, but here’s the question – are you watching the third season, or have you given up on the show entirely?
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
