NASCAR commentator and Top Gear USA host Rutledge Wood described the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race as “the coolest thing I’ve ever done.” It’s something he watched as a kid, and he’ll be participating in this year’s event as a past winner and honorary “pro.” We’re just as sad as he is to see it go.
Tonight is the season finale of Top Gear USA, and the guys are deciding what the best car to buy in a midlife crisis. Rutledge Wood went for a rat rod. Of course, there are challenges. This one didn't go well.
Every year Toyota, a company that makes cars in a place called Japan, hosts a race where a bunch of celebrities and professionals race around in very reasonably priced cars (a Scion FR-S this year, for the first time) and then a nice amount of money is donated to charity.
The new season of Yankee-flavored Top Gear debuts tomorrow night on History so we've invited co-host and L.L. Bean flannel model Rutledge Wood to come explain why he was driving around Tijuana, Mexico in an old VW van with a Mariachi band in the back.
As if it wasn't already clear, the three men atop American-flavored Top Gear are in love with cars to an unhealthy degree. Tanner Foust once offered to race our press Lincoln MKT and Rutledge Wood, of course, sold me his damn car. They are like us, the only question is to what degree?
This is Rut and me with Dax at Irwindale Speedway.
He's in Russia, he got shot with a flare gun.
This is a warning. Top Gear's Rutledge Wood and Adam Ferrara are in New York today promoting the new season, which premieres tomorrow at 9 PM EST/8 PM CST on HISTORY.
In a live-chat here on Jalopnik today, Top Gear USA co-host Rutledge Wood announced that the auto-obsessed show will be back for a third season on the History Channel. Wood told Jalopnik commenters today that the show begins shooting this Sunday.
With two seasons of Top Gear USA done and in the books, it appears as though the audience for the History Channel show continues to grow. So, will it be around for a third season? We have no idea.
One of the perks of this job is getting to meet cool people like Jalopnik überfriend Rutledge Wood and his pal Kyle Petty. This dynamic duo of NASCAR insight called me today to explain they'd chased a manufacturer's prototype vehicle through a Carl's Jr. and they wanted to know what the vehicle was.
Here's a a pair of exclusive photos from the set of next Tuesday's apple pie-flavored Top Gear on History, which reveal the boys will attempt to drive three infamous "dangerous cars" to the death: a Corvair, a Pinto, and a Samurai. Our money's on the Corvair.
The season premiere of Top Gear USA drops tomorrow, February 14th, on History at 9:00 PM EST. We saw a preview of the episode in Detroit and it is — literally — explosive. Find out how to win some autographed swag below.
Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying that the U.S. edition of Top Gear has one thing going for it and that's resident beard-wearer, Rutledge Wood. Now, it's rumored that today's Nice Price or Crack Pipe
‘96 Roadmaster is the Rutster's, so it's got that going for it, but does its price give you wood?
It's time for a little celebrity "Caption This" with none other than Top Gear USA star, funky wagon aficionado, and all around hilarious beard enthusiast Rutledge Wood. Joining him in this photo is giant loser-maker Jillian Michaels, Samantha Busch (Kyle Busch's wife), and those spectacular pink shorts.
The all-'Merican version of Top Gear USA returns to the History Channel for its second season of silliness on July 24. Given what happened in the off- season, we have high hopes for this one. Maybe they'll drag race desks.
One of my favorite challenges from the first season of Top Gear USA pitted the hosts against one another in their favorite abandoned GM products. Rutledge Wood took the prize in a Buick Roadmaster Estate (and not just because the other hosts picked cars from abandoned brands). Perhaps as a "Thank You" for that…
Just as Nascar spurs ardent fans and detractors, there's an equally strident break between supporters and haters of "Top Gear USA." This May, they can all come together at Nascar's Top Gear 300, the combination Pizza Hut/Taco Bell of motorsports.
Top Gear USA, the American version of the popular British motoring show, must have been popular enough for HISTORY as Jalopnik just confirmed the network's picking up TGUSA for a second season with hosts Rutledge Wood, Adam Ferrara, and Tanner Foust.
This week's Top Gear USA challenge will be to prove to GM they should bring back one of these Old GM products: Buick Roadmaster, Pontiac Fiero, or Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. We're voting Roadmaster because, you know, Buick still exists.
