Autoblog

Clarkson's at it again, casting shadows of doubt on the future of Top Gear. The celebrity automotive journalist (perhaps the most well-known, period) claims that while the BBC program ranks among the most watched television shows on the air, and that its audience continues to climb "like an F-15 on combat power," Top Gear is facing serious problems which could jeopardize its future.

The first, according to Jezza, is that following Richard Hammond's miraculous recovery and return to the show, the production schedule got horribly delayed. Clarkson figures that it takes about half a year to produce a season, which puts them severely behind schedule for the next series. Even if the show were to return in October, which he figures is the earliest a new series could air, Clarkson cites disgruntled fans who lamented the lack of content in the hastily-produced and recently-concluded 9th season.

"The series that's just finished was full of us three cocking about, and almost completely devoid of anything you might fairly call a 'road test,'" surmised Clarkson in his recent column. "This has gone down very badly with the people in internet land." (Hey, is he talking about us?)

Clarkson fears that most television viewers don't want to see him and the gang driving Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but just want to be entertained, and that if and when the show does return for a tenth season, it stands the danger of being watered-down. But it's the extraordinary track tests and tire-munching road trips that made the show as popular as it is. Top Gear, it seems, needs to be rescued from its own success.

Cheerio for the tip, Kim.

[Source: Top Gear]

The Hamster's back! We're pleased to report that after a miraculously brief recovery period following his mishap with a 300-mph jet-powered dragster, Richard Hammond is back in action, and so is Top Gear.

Richard was on hand today for the filming of the program's annual awards ceremony. While we never did get the point of awarding more than one Man or Car of the Year prize, Richard's colleagues presented him with one of their Man of the Year awards for his epic recovery and to welcome him back. And he sure deserves it. The folks at Lego, the skill-building toy to which Hammond previously attributed his rapid recovery, also presented him with a toy-block replica of the jet car that sent him plowing the field, as well as a replica of the Top Gear set, complete with little Hammond, little Clarkson, little May and little Stig.

And now with Richard back in action and with no further ado, the news you've all been waiting for: the new season of Top Gear is confirmed to air on January 28, only a month and a half away. Of course that's only if you get BBC2, but we won't be surprised to find the episodes popping up online at the BBC's website and intermittently on YouTube et al.

Welcome back, Richard, and welcome back, Top Gear. We've all missed you terribly.

For those coming late to the story, check out these...
Related posts:

• Richard Hammond, released from hospital, describes crash and recovery
• VIDEO: Hamster dragster crash footage!
• Set the TiVo: Hammond crash will be made into show
• BBC won't sTop Gear: show resumes filming
• Hammond Watch: the grueling road ahead
• Hammond to BBC: show the crash and me in the hospital
• Top Gear fights for survival as BBC postpones show indefinitely
• Hammond Update: "Was I driving like a tw*t?"
• Giving in the name of Richard Hammond
• Top Gear's "Hamster" in stable but serious condition day after crash
• UPDATE: Details on Richard Hammond crash
• Top Gear's Richard Hammond in critical condition

[Source: Top Gear]

The American Le Mans Series has enjoyed unprecedented success this season thanks to the attention being paid to Audi and its dominant pair of diesel-powered R10 racers. In addition to the action in the top LMP1 class, however, the rest of the classes feature entertaining battles every race between the likes of Chevy and Aston Martin, Porsche and Ferrari and many other marques and independent teams.

The ALMS will be capitalizing on its success next season with a schedule that's grown by two races to 12 and features three new venues. The new races are the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 31st, the Long Beach Grand Prix on April 14th and the recently announced return to racing at Belle Isle organized by Roger Penske on September 1st. The Portland Grand Prix was the only race dropped from the 2007 season schedule, but the new races announced will place ALMS within some giant major metropolitan markets and more than make up for the loss of Portland's race.

All twelve races can also be caught on TV thanks to partnerships with SPEED, which will carry the three new races and the final four of the season, CBS and NBC. We've got one race left to go in the 2006 season, the Monterey Sports Car Championships at Mazda's Laguna Seca Raceway on October 21st, after which the ALMS is on hiatus until the third annual Sebring Winter Test from January 22-24th.

[Source: ALMS via Fourtitude]