Driving Sports

In March of 2008, Jay Leno wrote a column in London’s Sunday Times, the same paper that Jeremy Clarkson (host of Top Gear) contributes a weekly column to. The subject was the news that an American version of Top Gear was in development and that Jay Leno was being considered to host it. Leno writes:

I like the show just the way it is. Jeremy and the guys are extremely talented, so maybe it would be an idea to do an American show similar to Top Gear but not with the same name, because I think it would be impossible to recreate or live up to the standards of the British show.

NBC did eventually cast the show, without Jay Leno, who was still very busy with The Tonight Show. Instead, The Peacock hired shock-jock Adam Carolla, stunt driver Tanner Foust and TV handyman (yes, a handyman) Eric Stromer for hosting duties.

Barrymore sporting a dress, heels and Cleopatra hair.

Though a pilot was filmed for Top Gear USA (complete with studio audience) it never aired. I spoke recently with Tanner Foust who is hopeful that it will eventually find a home on a network outside of NBC, but nothing yet has been decided. We can only presume the American version of the show – for now – is sitting on a shelf, gathering dust.

Fast-forward to September 2009. Jay went and launched his own show, aptly named The Jay Leno show. Now, one week into his new variety program and what does he feature? His own version of Top Gear’s “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” segment. Is that what he meant by “similar... but not with the same name?”

Since this is America, naturally there won’t be a car like the Brits’ Chevy Lacetti (slightly larger than an Aveo) running around a high-speed track. Nope, we get a slower and safer track along with a stupidly expensive, prototype electric car. Ford is, no doubt, paying the show heavily for the promotion.

So, let’s take a look at what Leno is calling the “Green Car Challenge.” Drew Barrymore is his first driver in what Jay calls a “Ford Focus Electric Rally Car” (snicker) a course that is a “40,000 square foot track.” Barrymore has to complete two laps and get the best time possible.

Jay Leno Show "Race Course"

First off, what the hell is she wearing? Did she know she was going to be driving a car on the show? Tight dresses and high heels do not make good driving wear. Moving on…

Jay asks, “When was the last time you drove a car?”

Barrymore replies, “Actually, Jay, I don’t have my driver’s license right now.” She continued, while giggling, “the DMV took it away.”

Okay, well then. Back to Leno who then explains how the course works. He says how the first lap is easy. But on the second lap you may be attacked by cutouts of Al Gore, shot by ping pong canons and – oh, just stop it Jay. Stop it. This is painful. He took what was a brilliantly simple idea from the British show and turned it into an American circus.

Is this a race or a circus?

As for Barrymore, she wasn’t even on the painted portion of the course most of the time. Still, her time was 54:36, as scored using Omega timers (as Jay mentioned constantly.) He then proceeded to write it on a card and smacked it on the top of the leaderboard – a direct nod to the originating show.

Leno is a car guy. We all know that. In fact, he himself was a guest of Top Gear at the end of last season – putting in a time of 1:48.8 when he had a turn at the wheel of the Lacetti. This was only a second better than the lovely Sienna Miller, but overall a rather slow performance.

Leno is first and foremost a TV guy – an experienced professional in a cutthroat business. I would like to think that he originally wanted to do this “right,” but once it was processed by an NBC committee, it turned into a slow-motion race-meets-circus act, with his approval.  What will be interesting to see is how the guests approach it: Will they take the sideshow seriously and try to best the times of their fellow stars? Will any actual petrol heads give it a go? Or, more likely, will it only attract entertainers that take car advice from the likes of Leonardo DeCaprio (a big Prius fan, I hear) and don’t even bother to keep their license current?

Leno was clearly right in saying that nobody could live up to the standards of the original Top Gear. Make a mockery of it? That is something he is quite capable of accomplishing, as we have now seen.

Watch it yourself, the fun begins around 28-minutes in to the show.

What do you think? Did Leno make something fun and exciting for American audiences? Or, should he be stripped of his honorary "awesome car guy" title? Post a comment below!