MTV Road Rules doing Skip Barber tonight

**G.Irish** · 02-28-2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the Skip Barber Racing School were recently visited by the MTV television show Road Rules. Road Rules, now in its 14th season, films six cast members who live in an RV and compete in various contests at locations throughout (this season) California. The episode airs tonight, February 27 at 9 p.m. on MTV and again throughout the week (check local listings for times).

The Road Rules cast spent a day in the Skip Barber Racing School learning defensive driving and car control techniques in Mazda3, Mazda MX-5 and Mazda RX-8 cars before taking on their weekly mission incorporating those skills. Each weekly mission comes with a $10,000 prize for successful completion.

Might be decent mindless fare to watch on a Wednesday. Also, the Forza Motorsports showdown comes on at 8 pm tonight on Speed Channel.

<a class="postlink" href="http://forzamotorsport.net/news/announcements/showdown.htm">http://forzamotorsport.net/news/announc ... owdown.htm</a>

Its sort of a reality promo show for Forza 2. Some people who saw episode one said its kinda goofy and ridiculous but again, probably decent viewing for a Wednesday night.

ScottyB · 02-28-2007, 03:16 PM

G.Irish Wrote:Some people who saw episode one said its kinda goofy and ridiculous but again, probably decent viewing for a Wednesday night.

sorry to say but i'm one of them. bunch of overly dramatic hacks.

but again, better than most of weeknight nasc....i mean speed tv.

GQROB · 02-28-2007, 03:26 PM

Yeah, what he ^ said.
Forza show was silly, kinda like a Pinks show for the twisties.

**G.Irish** · 03-01-2007, 02:10 AM

I saw the Forza motorsports thing and...it was good for a laugh. I especially liked how Ken Gushi cut the chicane at the end of the back straight to pass the Corvette. That was something straight out of a video game.

Overall I like the concept but it was poorly executed. For one the cars they chose were pretty uneven. A Corvette is going to eat every one of the other cars for breakfast, lunch, and dinner given a decent driver. Also some of those drivers were awful. I could understand not being good at drifting but most of them looked like rubbish in autocross and road course.

Somewhat entertaining I guess. If they improved on the format (and the atrocious video-editing) it could be really good. Right now it seems like it was put together by some hacks at MTV. I'll probably watch the last episode though.

ScottyB · 03-01-2007, 07:57 AM

G.Irish Wrote:Ken Gushi

i loved how the massively quicker vette pulls a damn zip code on the Z when they hit a straight but on the next shot coming into a corner, the Z has closed the gap down to striking distance! meanwhile Ken "The Drifter" is destroying the crap out of his tires but somehow comes to within a few car lengths of first at the end of it all to get second place.

i have to believe the marketing people at speed have more understanding of racing than this. i can understand wanting to appeal to the 8th graders who will want to grow up with speed but come on....they left alot of mature enthusiasts from the speedvision era behind. what a tragedy.

**Jeff** · 03-01-2007, 09:35 AM

I thought Skip Barber was still working with Dodge. I wonder when they switched to Mazda as the official driving school cars?

Maengelito · 03-01-2007, 10:32 AM

TurboOmni08 Wrote:I thought Skip Barber was still working with Dodge. I wonder when they switched to Mazda as the official driving school cars?

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.miata.net/news/n0612141.html">http://www.miata.net/news/n0612141.html</a>

dated dec. 14

**Jeff** · 03-01-2007, 10:55 AM

still would rather drive a Viper then a miata...but I guess it costs less if you kiss the tire wall...

Maengelito · 03-01-2007, 10:58 AM

well i would too, but i dont think they previously gave every student a viper and i think you currently have more choices than a miata currently. it probably all depends on what exercise they have you do and which track you go to.

**G.Irish** · 03-01-2007, 11:20 AM

TurboOmni08 Wrote:still would rather drive a Viper then a miata...but I guess it costs less if you kiss the tire wall...

Skip Barber has never used Vipers. They used Dodge Neon powered formula cars and Neons. I'm wondering what kind of new formula car they're going to use from Mazda though. The Pro Formula Mazdas are probably a bit too fast for a school and the older Formula Mazdas are well, old.

I missed the MTV bit though, maybe I'll tivo a replay.

**Jeff** · 03-01-2007, 11:20 AM

Maengelito Wrote:well i would too, but i dont think they previously gave every student a viper and i think you currently have more choices than a miata currently. it probably all depends on what exercise they have you do and which track you go to.

Yeah, the Viper was for the more advanced groups. You started in a Daytona (later they used Neons) then you went to a Stealth I think...then the Viper. So the Mazda offering will give a wider range of experience.

**G.Irish** · 03-01-2007, 12:28 PM

TurboOmni08 Wrote:
Maengelito Wrote:well i would too, but i dont think they previously gave every student a viper and i think you currently have more choices than a miata currently. it probably all depends on what exercise they have you do and which track you go to.

Yeah, the Viper was for the more advanced groups. You started in a Daytona (later they used Neons) then you went to a Stealth I think...then the Viper. So the Mazda offering will give a wider range of experience.

You know what I think you're right. I was thinking about the road racing school but I guess they did use Vipers too. *duh* on me.

So yeah how was the show?

Feersty · 03-01-2007, 09:25 PM

I missed the show, but did catch some of Import Racer on ESPN where the showed the bullrun gumball event, driving across the U.S.

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