At first it was doubtful if Tony Intrieri would have the opportunity to rev the engine of his 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 on the reality show "Bullrun.”

The Rye Township, Perry County man and his longtime friend, Kenny Brown, had applied to be on the show that airs the cable channel SPEED but were told they were a reserve team in case another team had dropped out.

About a week before the teams were to be in Corona, Calif., Intrieri received the call that he and Brown had to pack up and head to California with the Mustang to be part of the show.

The car was sent across the country in a carrier while Intrieri and Brown went by plane.

"(The car) got there in time for us to get going,” he said.

Apart from that, Intrieri said he has to be tight-lipped about what happened on the road until after the show has aired.

Born to run

"Bullrun” revolves around 12 teams of drivers with their cars as they compete for $200,000 over 4,000 miles in a 10-episode reality elimination show.

The show includes a series of challenges the teams must compete in. It is hosted by WWE Wrestling star Bill Goldberg.

The third season is slated to begin airing Feb. 12 at 10:30 p.m. with the Survival Guide episode that introduces the teams.

On Feb. 18, the episode will air again before the hour-long season premiere.

Intrieri’s wife, Kelly Intrieri, said she’s excited to see what happens during the show because even she doesn’t know what happened to Tony during filming.

"My children and myself are in the dark,” she said.

As the teams race to their destinations, Tony Intrieri, an operations manager at Penn Tech Deployments in Harrisburg, said, they have to do so without the use of satellite navigation. They are allowed to have a map, but have to buy one along the way.

The rules are so strict, he added, that participants can’t have computers to tune up their cars or troubleshoot a problem should one arise. They also can’t have cell phones or even a radio in the cars incase they are tempted to check on traffic reports.

Being on television is something Tony Intrieri said he’s wanted to do for some time.

He just had to find the right show to try out for and the show that couples cars and driving seemed like a perfect match.

"After awhile you become accustom with a camera in front of you,” he said.

After the show, Tony Intrieri said, the driving didn’t stop. He and Brown drove the Mustang back to Pennsylvania.

Brown, a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, is currently in Haiti with his unit assisting with relief efforts.

Though they had the use of radio on the return trip from California to Pennsylvania, the options were limited.

The Mustang only has an AM radio.

"I could listen to country music or Rush Limbaugh,” Tony Intrieri said.