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Written by:
David Harris
01/01/2008 - 07:00 PM
Charlotte, NC
Croiset (left) tasted the GXP.R's 450 horses at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. (Grand-Am photo) ยป More Photos
Popular SPEED lifestyle show Setup will be back with seven episodes in 720p high definition for Season Two, starting Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Once again, aspiring professional drivers will be competing in comparably prepared Pontiac Solstice GXP.Rs for $100,000 and a coveted testing opportunity with one of Pontiac's factory Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona race teams.
Former Trans-Am Series champion Tommy Kendall, who also hosts Test Drive on SPEED, reprises his role as host and lead talent evaluator, will be joined by co-host Jamie Wozny, who will help manage the on-air sponsors and personalities. Special appearances from drifting star Rhys Millen and road racing specialist Boris Said are also scheduled.
"There has been no shortage of automotive-themed competition-based series on broadcast and cable television, but I dare say none of its predecessors achieved the level of credibility and superior production value that were the hallmarks of Setup," said Robert Ecker, SPEED VP of Programming. "It was clear going into this second season that everything had to be that much bigger, better and faster, and it will be."
According to producer Scott Gillen, more opportunities to win will bring an even higher level of competition to an already intense concept.
"We've changed the format from 10 cars to 12," Gillen said. "For Season Two, we'll have two-man driving teams and they'll have to work together to set up the car. Every episode will have two races, and with only one of the drivers leaving the teams, sponsors will also have more on-air opportunities as well.
"The other thing the audience will notice is how talented and deep this group of drivers is," Gillen added. "This will be an extremely competitive season. If you don't lose, you'll stay in this thing until the end, and anyone
Kendall thinks the show connects to audiences on many levels, and for different reasons. As a road racing champion turned television host and commentator, Kendall has himself experienced the nerves and motivations that go into making it big within the cutthroat world of professional racing.
"One of the things that really stood out about doing this show and later watching it on SPEED was how intense it was, and how Scott was able to really capture that for television," Kendall noted. "When you have family, friends and racers all competing together, in that single-minded focus, it reminded me of the pure emotion and ambition I remember when I was making my way up the ladder. These are real people chasing their dreams, and it's pretty inspiring.
"We had ten times the applications for spots on the show this year," Kendall added. "We have some real runners this year, and I think you'll see a step up in competition over even last year's series. There are some added competitive elements, and with the addition of having an actual teammate, it's been played out over every form of racing that teammates don't always get along."
SPEED is the nation's first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 78 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.
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