- Tanner Foust will be piloting a Hennessey-tuned Ford F-150 SVT VelociRaptor against a HALO jumper in the next episode of American Top Gear.
- The hosts will also try to create a Hummer replacement for the military, and review the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
ELOY, Arizona — The next American Top Gear episode is set to feature host and racer Tanner Foust trying to beat a HALO (high-altitude, low-opening) skydiver in a 5-mile race to a designated spot in the Arizona desert.
Foust will be piloting a Hennessey Ford F-150 SVT VelociRaptor over the 5 miles of desert terrain. The truck develops 501 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque, mostly thanks to its high 9.1 psi of boost. Its K&N air filter, custom fuel rails and stainless-steel exhaust help it sprint to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.
His opponent will be Jeff Provenzano, a HALO skydiver, who will be dropped from 26,400 feet. In HALO, the high-altitude, low-opening form of the sport, experienced jumpers are known to wait to open the parachute until 1,000 or even 800 feet above the ground. Provenzano has more than 14,000 jumps to his credit and will be equipped with a tiny parachute and two thin oxygen tanks on his left side.
This episode of Top Gear USA premieres this Sunday at 9 p.m. on the History Channel. In other segments, hosts Adam Ferrara and Rutledge Wood will attempt to create a replacement for the Hummer for the military, and Ferrara will review the gullwing Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
Inside Line says: With a well-timed parachute opening, the skydiver should have the advantage with a terminal velocity close to 200 mph as he approaches the ground. — Mike Lysaght, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
jackson611 says:
07:28 PM, 12/09/2010
Does Woods live with his mom? I get the feeling that he would. Also, why does he insist on wearing cheap looking western style shirts. I know he's from the south but still. Why doesn't the show make him shave his beard and make him wear contacts? Better yet, replace him with someone interesting that isn't amazed at a Toyota Camry. Does his mom pack him a lunch? Actually, given his weight I would assume she doesn't. But she might bring him alphabet soup or maybe grilled cheese and tomato soup, cut on a diagonal of course. That's about the only thing that isn't square about him. On the 5th week is it possible that he could review his mothers Odyssey? Instead of having his mom drop him off, she could stick around and wait while he bores us about how many cup-holders it has and how she got the Premium package so instead of cloth it has fake leather and a sunroof. Then he could tell us about its reliability and the warranty. That sounds like a hell of a time, or what the producers and writers think is a hell of a time.
Yes History, TopGear USA/America sucks. How sad is it that the UK version is better? Are we so lazy that we can't even spend the time and money to make an entertaining car show half as good as the Brits? Take the PawnStars guys and give them TopGear USA. I would watch that. Why the hell not? I would rather see Ben Bernanke, Charlie Rose, and Rosie O'Donnald host TopGear USA instead of these guys. Actually, take out Bernanke, he has important stuff to do. Keep Foust and take out Bernanke. That's what would increase ratings. You keep the current audience because of Foust. You get numbers like The View because of O'Donnald, and you get old people to watch Charlie Rose. How come History didn't think of this?