BULLRUN II (SPEED): ONE HELLAVA PREVIEW Show?

 They built it up as a "PREVIEW" show. If that show was just the preview then I was just knighted by the Queen of England.
 
     Whatever you want to call it, it was a treat to see it back on the air. As a fan you would think that is just what I would say and you would be right. But I had several people over that have never seen the Bullrun show and they were glued to the set. The new format is off the hook and was so good my wife who doesn't like car shows was picking "her" team (Team Strange).  It was faster paced and felt like there was a real race being run. The well thought out pacing and editing improved the overall show. The casting was very well done and had a team for everyone who watched the show on Friday. I bet you know just who you are whooping it up for already. (Hold up you don't even know some of the teams yet. There are several really great ones you have yet to meet.) 

   I liked the walk-off of the teams as they reviewed the other cars. Even if Team (EVO) Codpiece was like two pimps scoping out the ho's. I would have liked a little more time on the team intro's but that would have taken away from the pace of the show. So maybe it was good that they didn't hang around and got right to the meat of the show. 
  
  I'm a little off subject but I wrote about the walk off a few blogs back and for the most part I nailed it. The only thing I didn't get right was the roll in it was more like stroll in. Still it had to get the blood pumping seeing the other teams cars for the first time. 
  
   Bill didn't waste anytime on getting the teams started and on the road. There wasn't any "my way or they highway" it was just get there and here is where your headed! and boy did they scatter. Elvis and Steve took the side roads thinking the traffic would be much heavier being from the LA area. While Team Solstice knew exactly where to go being as Las Vegas is their own backyard and all. Some of the teams spent more time at the gas stations than driving. Team Porsche got to know the local L.A. cops and talked about safe driving habit's for a while on the side of the California Highway. (5-mph over isn't what the po-po said? Did you beat or eat the ticket?$$$.)
  
  That brings us up to the elimination run in Las Vegas. Team Supersnake and Team Porsche being the last to arrive have a spot behind the Flaming bus from season one with a new twist. Team Solstice winning the stage elected to toss Team Ferrari under that bus as well.  I like Theresa and Tony's choice of the Ferrari for the first elimination run. All Supercars in the elimination run in the first show gave me goose bumps. 
 
  The Mustang and the Porsche had some issues in the run compared to the Ferrari which handled just as you would expect from a car that is named Ferrari. Yelena Krupen the cars co-driver proved she is a KGB agent with her unreal shooting skills. Team Supersnake proved it had a driver and co-driver that understood that they had made an error and pushed that American steel to it's limits even if that damn bulb wouldn't break. They had a lot to prove and in the end were able to stand proud at the Shelby headquarters.

   That leaves the Porsche as the first team to get the keys tossed back to them. It was a heartbreaking loss. The 911 refused to shift into gear going into safe mode to save the clutch from the punishment they were putting that car through in the elimination run. You can say that they did push that car and it was doing very well until the shut down. It was just a shame that the transmission couldn't stay with the drivers will. The outcome might have been different if they had known about the defeat switch installed on the car.

   If you don't believe me about the car's transmission here is the link about the short comings of the part. As wrote up by Motortrend.

"You have the choice of two all-new transmissions: a lighter, simpler, six-speed designed by Porsche and developed and built by Getrag, or the new ZF-built Tiptronic S five-speed automatic. We sampled the manual, but found the six-speed's cable shifter wasn't as precise and crisp as we'd expect, while the clutch actuation was more than a little touchy, perhaps exacerbated by the engine's meager idle-speed torque. Additionally, the optional traction control applies brakes, and cuts ignition and fuel to control wheelspin, but is too invasive for a performance-oriented car. Fortunately, for extreme driving there's a defeat switch."
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/112_9711_1999_porsche_carrera_911/996.html

   With One Team down and 10 more waiting to get their keys tossed to them. This first leg has shown that even one of the worlds finest supercars must be running in tune with the driver's will or its over. If Team Porsche had to do it over would they have made a couple of different choices? Did this outcome shocked a couple of the remaining teams into playing it smarter on the open roads? Or are we going to see Teams reaching into the quiver for that poison arrow? Only time will tell and I can't wait to see the final outcome. If this was just a Preview. Then I need to get a bigger TV because this show isn't going to fit on my 52-inch 1080p plasma screen.  

AARON & MISTER HAPPY!