TOP GEAR FESTIVAL BARBADOS ...the world's greatest motoring theater show!
Top Gear Festival will be returning to the Americas
on the Caribbean island of
Barbados at the newly renovated Bushy Park Circuit. Hosted by
Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and
James May, Top Gear Festival Barbados will feature an awe-inspiring line up of cars and driving talent including the
Top Gear Stunt Team and guest drivers from the world of motorsport and entertainment. Stars will take to the track in a series of Top Gear style stunts and features for the action packed weekend. Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the Bushy Park circuit (
Bushy Park Circuit Inc.), the developer and local promoter of the event
Firmly established as the greatest motoring theater show in the world, Top Gear Live events have featured a number of jaw-dropping stunts including the world's first indoor loop-the-loop which earned the show a Guinness World Record, an F1 ice-cream van, a heart-stopping 300ft car bungee and a fleet of flaming 911 Porsches.
Top Gear Festival, Barbados is expected to attract tens of thousands of petrol-heads keen to see the world famous presenters, guest drivers and celebrities in action and take part in this true celebration of all things motoring. Visitors are encouraged to book early so as not to miss the most exciting new event on 2015's entertainment and motoring calendar.
2015 RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS SERIES STARS at Top Gear Festival Barbados
Top Gear Festival Barbados will be hosting an international round of the 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship with an impressive line-up of motoring entertainment taking place at the festival.
The action-packed weekend, which takes place at the newly renovated Bushy Park Circuit, will be the second time both parties have been partnered on a live event as well as their second visit to the Caribbean.
The Top Gear Festival Barbados round will be the event of the 2015 championship and will be part of the Red Bull GRC's most exciting year yet. Top Gear Festival Barbados will be the only Red Bull Global Rallycross event taking place outside of the US again this year.
Red Bull Global Rallycross drivers represent some of the most talented action sports athletes in the world today, including gymkhana icon Ken Block, championship skateboarder Bucky Lasek and former Grand Prix driver Scott Speed. The legendary line-up also includes Tanner Foust who co-hosts the US version of Top Gear.
But it’s not just the drivers who are the stars, the Red Bull Global Rallycross Supercars, specifically designed to produce the most dramatic and exciting racing in motorsport, will also be a highlight for the tens of thousands of fans expected to attend the event. They’ll complete an incredible line-up of cars all in action across the two days.
Chief Operating Officer of Top Gear Festivals, James Cooke-Priest, says of the collaboration: “This unique partnership enables us to once again push the boundaries of live motoring entertainment. By combining our knowledge and experience of running sell-out motoring events, with the talent and high octane spectacle of the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship, we are able to create this ultimate actionpacked motoring weekend. It’s going to be a mind-blowing event.”
Top Gear Festival Barbados, hosted by Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond will offer a fullday festival experience with live on and off track action. As well as the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship, visitors will see the Top Gear Live Stunt Driving Team in action. Stars will take to the track in a series of Top Gear style stunts and challenges for a thrilling weekend of rip-roaring motoring action. Visitors are encouraged to book early so as not to miss the most exciting new event on 2015’s entertainment and motoring calendar.
Click here for Top Gear Festival Barbados Dates & Details...
PLEASE NOTE:
The Red Bull Global Rallycross is NOT hosted as part of Top Gear Festival Barbados for 2015
Last year’s first visit of Red Bull Global Rallycross was hosted as part of Top Gear Festival Barbados, with just Supercar action spread across two days, running alongside TGF’s other attractions. This year, there will be a full programme of Red Bull GRC action, as the event is not only a double-header, with Saturday and Sunday separate rounds of the Championship, but the addition of GRC Lites increases the on-track action almost two-fold. A programme of approaching 30 races includes heats and semi-finals, Last Chance Qualifiers and Finals, with practice and qualifying adding up to 15 hours of on-track action over the weekend, with Driver Introductions, Medal Ceremonies, post-Final interviews and autograph sessions all helping connect with fans.
With only the 12th and final round to follow at Las Vegas on November 4 and the points so close at the sharp end of both Supercar and GRC Lites, the Bushy Park double-header might prove to be a championship-deciding weekend.
Click here to see RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS 2015 Barbados Dates & Details...
For further information, please contact Bushy Park Circuit Inc:
e-mail: tgfbarbados@bushyparkcircuitinc.com
For Top Gear FestivalPhotos - Click here...
To view TopGear Festival Videos - Click here...
Countdown to Top Gear Festival Barbados…
Visitors to the newly renovated Bushy Park Circuit should prepare to be amazed as the incredible line up of drivers and cars are pushed to their absolute limits throughout the action-packed weekend.
Here’s what to expect:
- In a motoring crusade to remember, Top Gear Festival Barbados brings you the Ultimate Motorsport Showdown. In the battle of the fastest, a Le Mans car, a group B rally car, an 80’s F1 car, a Supercar and an F1 car will all compete for the speediest of accolades
- Those who would like to visit Top Gear Festival Barbados to witness some of the greatest cars and motorsport stars on earth are advised to book their tickets as soon as possible. ub
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LATEST NEWS
BPCI-15-23: September 28, 2015
Barbados winner Speed confident for Red Bull GRC return
Former Toro Rosso grand prix driver Scott Speed is heading for Bushy Park Barbados in confident mood for the penultimate rounds of the Red Bull Global Rallycross season this weekend (October 3/4). Winner of the inaugural Red Bull GRC event in the Caribbean last May, he has since become the first driver in series history to win both rounds of a double-header, in Los Angeles last month.
As Red Bull Global Rallycross confirms its entry list for rounds 10 and 11 of the 2015 campaign, featuring a mix of the sport’s biggest stars and some of its top young talent, Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle driver Speed is looking forward to his return. Thanks to sweeping the LA weekend, combined with Ken Block’s worst finishes of the year, Speed jumped from 99 points behind Block to 13, results which have Speed confident of a championship-winning season.
“All we needed to do was take care of the deficit that we dug ourselves into,” Speed said, referring to two missed finals and a dnf at Daytona and MCAS New River. “And we’ve taken care of that. At this point, if we do our job and just take care of our own thing, it’s our championship to win.”
Speed’s sixth and seventh career victories in LA moved him to the top of the all-time Supercar winners’ table ahead of Block, who had earned his sixth victory in the previous round in Detroit in July in his Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST. While Block has good memories of Barbados as a destination, he finished his weekend last year with a dramatic roll while fighting for the lead in the Final: “My trip to Barbados for the Top Gear Festival was ridiculously fun (well, besides that crash thing). Hung out with some great people, enjoyed the amazing beaches, and spent some quality time doing stuff like backflips off of a pier and free-diving shipwrecks.”
When the 2015 Red Bull GRC season expanded to 12 races from 10 last year, with four double-headers – in date order, Daytona, Detroit, Los Angeles and Barbados – it was clear that those double-headers might prove key to this year’s title fight. The maximum points a driver can earn in a double-header weekend is 112 - assuming each driver runs both points-paying heats and earns at least one point for participation, a driver can make up a maximum of 106 points over two days. It’s a large margin, but making it up isn’t completely unheard of: eight Supercar drivers, from Speed to ninth-place Austin Dyne, are within 106 points of Block heading into Barbados.
Featuring the Bushy Park debut of the GRC Lites class, the event’s entry list is one of the most exciting of the Red Bull GRC season so far. Of the 22 drivers - 12 in the Supercar class and 10 in Lites - exactly half, including Supercar championship contender Sebastian Eriksson and the entire Lites line-up, will be racing at Bushy Park for the first time. Additionally, two-time Supercar race winner Rhys Millen will be competing in a Red Bull GRC event for the first time since last season’s finale in Las Vegas.
Saturday, October 3 & Sunday, October 4 - adult/child (6 to 12 years) prices for one day: General Admission Bds $50/$30; Clubhouse (food and drinks on sale) Bds $200/$120; VIP (food and drinks included) Bds $400/$200. Hilti 4 x 4 Hammer Zone vehicle pass Bds $100, plus $50/$30 General Admission pass per person. Cyclone 4 x 4 Zone vehicle pass Bds $100, plus $50/$30 General Admission pass per person. Tickets are on sale on-line at
bushyparkbarbados.com/grc-tickets and at all Automotive Art Outlets; Sol Redmans, Speightstown, Warrens, Wildey; Digicel Sheraton, Sky Mall; CS Pharmacy
For media information only. No regulatory value
For more information on Bushy Park Barbados:
For media information, contact Bushy Park Barbados Media Team:
BPB-15-23a: September 28, 2015
Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship
Rounds 10 & 11 - entry list
No Driver – Nat (team)
Supercar
00 Steve Arpin – USA (Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST)
07 Nelson Piquet Jr – BRA (SH Racing Rallycross Ford Fiesta ST)
11 Sverre Isachsen - NOR (Subaru Rally Team USA WRX STi)
14 Austin Dyne – USA (Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST)
18 Patrik Sandell – SWE (Bryan Herta Rallysport Ford Fiesta ST)
31 Joni Wiman – FIN (Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST)
34 Tanner Foust – USA (Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle)
38 Brian Deegan – USA (Chip Ganassi Racing Ford Fiesta ST)
41 Scott Speed – USA (Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle)
43 Ken Block – USA (Hoonigan Racing Division Ford Fiesta ST)
67 Rhys Millen – USA (Rhys Millen Racing Hyundai Veloster)
93 Sebastian Eriksson (R) – SWE (Olsbergs MSE Ford Fiesta ST)
GRC Lites
07 Collete Davis (R) – USA (River Racing)
15 Tanner Whitten (R) – USA (DirtFish Motorsports)
16 Oliver Eriksson - SWE (Olsbergs MSE)
24 Miles Maroney (R) – USA (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing)
42 Nur Ali (R) – USA (AF Racing)
61 Alex Keyes (R) – USA (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing)
77 Austin Cindric – USA (Olsbergs MSE)
88 Harry Cheung – USA (Rhys Millen Racing)
126 Alejandro Fernandez - COL (AF Racing)
tba tba – tba (Rhys Millen Racing)
Key to nationalities: BRA – Brazil; COL – Columbia; FIN – Finland; NOR – Norway; SWE – Sweden; USA – United States of America
BPB-15-23b: September 28, 2015
Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship
Rounds 10 & 11 – fan schedule
Friday, October 2
7.30pm – 10:00pm
Kick-Off Party & Driver Q & A Session
Saturday, October 3
9.00am Gates open
9.30am Driver Autograph Session (1 hour, first 100 fans guaranteed)
11.10am Driver Introductions
11.30am Aaron Colton Stunt Bike
11.50am Supercar Heats 2a & 2b
12.30pm Lites Heats 1a & 1b
1.10pm Supercar Semi-Finals A & B
1.40pm Aaron Colton Stunt Bike
1.50pm Lites Heats 2a & 2b
2.30pm Supercar Last Chance Qualifier
2.55pm Lites Final
3.25pm Aaron Colton Stunt Bike
3.35pm Supercar Final
4.10pm Supercar & Lites Trophies
5.00pm Lites Final Practice
6.00pm Pit Walk (1 hour, paddock open to fans)
Sunday, October 4
8.00am Gates open
8.00am Supercar Final Practice
9.20am Lites Final Practice
9.50am Supercar Qualifying
10.45am Lites Qualifying
11.20am Driver Introductions
11.50pm Aaron Colton Stunt Bike
12.00pm
Supercar Heats 1a & 1b
12.40pm Lites Heats 1a & 1b
1.20pm Supercar Semi Finals A & B
1.50pm Aaron Colton Stunt Bike
2.00pm Lites Heats 2a & 2b
2.25pm Supercar Last Chance Qualifier
2.50pm Lites Final
3.20pm Aaron Colton Stunt Bike
3.30pm Supercar Final
4.00pm Supercar & Lites Trophies
5.00pm Pit Walk (1 hour, paddock open to fans)
BPCI-15-22: September 24, 2015
Longest track in series history for Red Bull GRC Barbados
Red Bull Global Rallycross returns to Bushy Park Barbados next week (October 3/4) with a brand new course layout, the longest and fastest in series history. At 1.1208 miles long, it is the first track to run for more than a mile; with the addition of two new passing zones via track design and a ‘camelback’ jump - cars will fly over two jumps in succession - the new course should only serve to improve upon a venue that produced some of the best racing in last year’s Red Bull GRC season.
Drivers will once again launch from the drag racing start pad onto the Clubhouse Straight, where they will reach speeds in excess of 130mph before approaching the slight left-hand turn one and a pair of right-hand corners; these three corners are known locally as the Kink, Digicel Hammer and Shak-Shak and are all elements of the original 1970s Bushy Park layout, which were retained in the recent redevelopment.
Turn four - Ready Mix Paddock - will see the pack head into the expanded back section of the course in front of the Automotive Art Pits Complex, where drivers will look to make passes in turns six and seven, using the southern kart link on to the eastbound centre straight.
The loose surface section of the course begins in turn eight - the Courtesy Dipper - where drivers will once again encounter coquina, or crushed coral. The right-hand turn nine will lead them into the unique camelback jump, which will see drivers fly over coquina and paved jumps back-to-back, before ducking into turn 10. Turns 11 and 12 the Sesash Hairpin and Cockspur Cyclone - will see drivers rejoin the standard Bushy Park road course, as they make their way back to the finish line.
On the Kobalt Tools Joker Lap, drivers will bypass turns nine and 10 for an alternate, paved layout through the Banks Esses, before rejoining the course in turn 11. As was the case in Los Angeles, the Kobalt Tools Joker Lap will be closed for the first lap of every heat, semi-final, last chance qualifier and main event.
Last year’s first visit of Red Bull Global Rallycross was hosted as part of Top Gear Festival Barbados, with just Supercar action spread across two days, running alongside TGF’s other attractions. This year, there will be a full programme of Red Bull GRC action, as the event is not only a double-header, with Saturday and Sunday separate rounds of the Championship, but the addition of feeder category GRC Lites increases the on-track action almost two-fold. A programme of approaching 30 races includes heats and semi-finals, last chance qualifiers and main events, with practice and qualifying adding up to 15 hours of on-track action over the weekend, with Driver Introductions, Medal Ceremonies, post-Final interviews and autograph sessions all helping connect with fans.
With only the 12th and final round to follow at Las Vegas on November 4 and the points so close at the sharp end of both Supercar and GRC Lites, the Bushy Park double-header might prove to be a championship-deciding weekend.
Saturday, October 3 & Sunday, October 4 - adult/child (6 to 12 years) prices for one day: General Admission Bds $50/$30; Clubhouse (food and drinks on sale) Bds $200/$120; VIP (food and drinks included) Bds $400/$200. Hilti 4 x 4 Hammer Zone vehicle pass Bds $100, plus 50/$30 General Admission pass per person. Cyclone 4 x 4 Zone vehicle pass Bds $100, plus $50/$30 General Admission pass per person. Party Zone (adults only) $150. Tickets are on sale on-line at bushyparkbarbados.com/grc-tickets and at all Automotive Art Outlets; Sol Redmans, Speightstown, Warrens, Wildey; Digicel Sheraton, Sky Mall; CS Pharmacy
For media information only. No regulatory value
For more information on Bushy Park Barbados:
For media information, contact Bushy Park Barbados Media Team:
e-mail: media@bushyparkbarbados.com
BPCI-15-21: September 18, 2015
Red Bull Global Rallycross Pre-Race Party for island fans
Island motor sport fans will get the chance to mix and mingle with the stars of the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship when they make the almost 12,000-kilometre round trip to Bushy Park Barbados next month (October 3/4) for the double-header penultimate round of their 2015 campaign.
Points leader Ken Block (Hoonigan Racing Division) returns to the Caribbean at a crucial stage in the Championship, after his advantage was slashed from 41 to just 13 points by Scott Speed (Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross), who became the first driver in Red Bull GRC history to win both rounds of a double-header last weekend (September 12/13) in Los Angeles. Former Toro Rosso grand prix driver Speed won at Bushy Park last year, while his sixth and seventh career victories in LA have moved him to the top of the all-time Supercar winners’ table ahead of Block, who had earned his sixth victory in the previous round in Detroit in July.
In GRC Lites, the feeder category which joins the Supercars on the bill in Barbados for the first time, the title fight is even closer, with Austin Cindric (Olsbergs MSE) and Miles Maroney (Dreyer and Reinbold Racing) tied on points and Cindric’s team-mate Oliver Eriksson just five behind.
The Pre-Race Party in the Bushy Park Clubhouse on Friday evening (October 2), which will run from 7.30pm to 10.00pm, will allow local fans to meet all those involved in the staging of Red Bull GRC, including drivers, officials and sponsors. Bushy Park Barbados Inc (BPCI) Business Development & Marketing Manager Zoe Manning said: “This is a great opportunity for our patrons to get together with our visitors. There will be an official welcome to the international teams, a Question & Answer session with the drivers, photo opportunities, a chance to collect autographs, plus give-aways, competitions and much more. After the formalities, Kirk Brown and DJ Indian are sure to keep the mood lively.”
One lucky race fan, a regular member of Bushy Park’s family of Grid Girls, has already won the chance to be involved throughout the Red Bull GRC weekend. Voted by the loudest cheers of the fans at last Sunday’s Williams Industries Digicel International Race Meet, Nicola Badnock aka ‘Number 10’ will be the GRC 30-Second Girl, with the responsibility for holding up the penultimate warning board before the start of each race.
Last year’s first visit of Red Bull Global Rallycross was hosted as part of Top Gear Festival Barbados, with just Supercar action spread across two days, running alongside TGF’s other attractions. This year, there will be a full programme of Red Bull GRC action, as the event is not only a double-header, with Saturday and Sunday separate rounds of the Championship, but the addition of GRC Lites increases the on-track action almost two-fold. A programme of approaching 30 races includes heats and semi-finals, Last Chance Qualifiers and Finals, with practice and qualifying adding up to 15 hours of on-track action over the weekend, with Driver Introductions, Medal Ceremonies, post-Final interviews and autograph sessions all helping connect with fans.
With only the 12th and final round to follow at Las Vegas on November 4 and the points so close at the sharp end of both Supercar and GRC Lites, the Bushy Park double-header might prove to be a championship-deciding weekend.
Friday, October 2 - Red Bull GRC Pre-Race Party $50
Saturday, October 3 & Sunday, October 4 - adult/child (6 to 12 years) prices for one day: General Admission Bds $50/$30; Clubhouse (food and drinks on sale) Bds $200/$120; VIP (food and drinks included) Bds $400/$200. Hilti 4 x 4 Hammer Zone vehicle pass Bds $100, plus 50/$30 General Admission pass per person. Cyclone 4 x 4 Zone vehicle pass Bds $100, plus 50/$30 General Admission pass per person. Party Zone (adults only) $150. Tickets are on sale on-line at bushyparkbarbados.com/grc-tickets and at all Automotive Art Outlets; Sol Redmans, Speightstown, Warrens, Wildey; Digicel Sheraton, Sky Mall; CS Pharmacy
For media information only. No regulatory value
For more information on Bushy Park Barbados:
For media information, contact Bushy Park Barbados Media Team:
e-mail: media@bushyparkbarbados.com
BPB-15-01: January 13, 2015
Red Bull Global Rallycross back at Bushy Park Barbados
Following its hugely-successful first visit as part of last May’s Top Gear Festival, Red Bull Global Rallycross will return to Bushy Park Barbados on October 3/4, 2015 . . . and island fans will enjoy an even bigger helping of 600 horsepower thrills, hosting one of three double-headers in the 12-race calendar, confirmed today (January 13).
“The 2015 Red Bull Global Rallycross schedule stands to be our best yet,” said Colin Dyne, Red Bull GRC CEO. “The combination of one of the strongest calendars in all of motorsports, as well as one of racing’s best broadcast packages, thanks to our partnership with NBC Sports Group, is one that will take the racing world by storm this year. With more races and points on the line, we expect to see a thrilling chase for the championship. We are grateful to our many partners for their support throughout the 2014 season, as well as NBC for a fantastic job in their event broadcasts, and we look forward to bringing these relationships into 2015.”
In 2014, the practice, qualifying and race action was spread across two days, but this year, each day will represent a full points-scoring round of the Championship, Barbados joining Detroit and Los Angeles as double-headers. Last year’s Bushy Park winner Scott Speed (Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross) went on to finish third at year-end, behind the Ford Fiesta STs of Joni Wiman (Oldsberg MSE) and Ken Block (Hoonigan Racing Division), with the title fight decided at the final round in Las Vegas.
Despite finishing his weekend back in May with a dramatic roll while fighting for the lead in the Final, Block was one of many competitors who took to social media to praise the welcome he enjoyed in the island. He told his five million Facebook followers: “My trip to Barbados for the Top Gear Festival was ridiculously fun (well, besides that crash thing). Hung out with some great people, enjoyed the amazing beaches, and spent some quality time doing stuff like backflips off of a pier and free-diving shipwrecks. Hope to go back there sometime in the near future!”
With Block’s wish now fulfilled, Bushy Park Circuit Inc (BPCI) Executive Chairman Mark Maloney said: “Ken was only one of many drivers who said how much they enjoyed their visit last year. As a racetrack, Bushy Park presents them with a different environment, and I am really pleased that Global Rallycross sees it as complementary to their city centre events in the United States, so much so that they are expanding on last year’s programme with the double-header format.”
Top Gear Festival Barbados, during which GRC was hosted in 2014, will not be repeated in 2015. Maloney added: “While our agreement with Top Gear Festival is for three years, the option was there for the event to run non-consecutively, which has worked out well for the plans that were being developed by Global Rallycross for a full-on, action-packed double-header weekend. The next Top Gear Festival is currently scheduled for 2016.”
Designed to produce the fastest and most exciting racing in motor sport, Red Bull Global Rallycross pits small production-based cars against each other in door-to-door racing featuring dirt, asphalt, and table-top jumps. With enhanced engineering and safety features, the cars produce 600 horsepower and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds, and can also withstand 70-foot jumps and other vehicle contact.
Red Bull Global Rallycross 2015 - calendar
May 31 - Tampa/St Petersburg, Florida
June 21 - Daytona, Florida
July 5 - United States Military Base
July 25/26 - Detroit, Michigan (double-header)
August 15 - Washington, DC
August 30 - Seattle, Washington
September 12/13 - Los Angeles, California (double-header)
October 3/4 – Bushy Park Barbados (double-header)
November 5 - Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast dates and times will be released at a later date - Red Bull Global Rallycross will also return to the NBC family of networks for the 2015 season, with 14.5 hours of original content, an increase of 4.5 hours from 2014. For the first time, GRC Lites will have its own broadcast schedule, with 30-minute broadcasts of all events airing on weekdays on NBCSN.
For further media information, contact Bushy Park Barbados Media Team:
BushyParkMap_GRCTRACK.pdf