Top Gear Is Over. What Now?

We all heard the news yesterday that Jeremy Clarkson's contract would not be renewed with the BBC following an investigation into a "fracas" that occurred earlier this month between the Top Gear presenter and producer Oisin Tymon. And with James May and Richard Hammond refusing to continue on with the show due to JC's absence, it seems then that the world's most popular motoring show is all but doomed to the history books. As a result, many have wondered about the next chapter in life for the dynamic trio, or even what will become of one of the BBC's top grossing shows.

I for one will admit that I shed a tear when I learned that Jeremy had been let go. And the news following only got worse. The Mirror paid a visit to the Mecca that was the Top Gear studio, only to find that the BBC was dismantling the set and putting it all into storage until the immediate future of the show could be sorted out. But, though the end of the show has left the automotive world feeling like a high school teenager that just got dumped, I think it's important to look at a few aspects of the situation that have left me with a sense of confidence that we'll be seeing Jezz, Dick and Jim back together very soon.

1. Jeremy came forward on his own about the incident
When the entire event unfolded in the hotel between Tymon and Clarkson over a late dinner, the encounter was brief, but violent. Tymon had to be sent to the hospital to get stitched up, and the entire hotel could hear the event as it happened, though the only ones there were the film crew. But rather than the BBC having to find out on their own merit, Jeremy, despite speculation that he's a selfish prick, actually came forward to the BBC himself to notify them of the incident. He made sure that they understood the circumstances of the incident, and that he knew he was in the wrong. Now you can put whatever spin or incentive you'd like on it, but this speaks volumes about character to me, and lets me know that while Jeremy has been known to get himself into trouble thanks to his outspoken nature, he still is a good person at heart, and knew that his outlash at Oisin was more or less ridiculous and unmerited.

2. This isn't the first time Top Gear has disappeared from the airwaves
As James May pointed out in a recent interview, this isn't the first time the popular show has gone off air. He states in his response to the Mirror: "I'm sure Top Gear will continue. It existed before us and has been reformatted several times." However, though this is the case, he did also bring up a point in saying that the BBC would have to do plenty of research if they wanted to keep the show going at its current capacity without losing any of the vigor or chemistry that existed between the three original presenters on the show. "But I think we're very much, the three of us a package, it works for very complicated reasons that a lot of people don't fully understand, so that will require a lot of careful thought." He is right - where will the BBC find another clever-witted dynamic trio capable of the kind of debauchery and cheekiness that May, Hammond and Clarkson displayed while perfectly capturing the "Ambitious but rubbish" philosophy that sort of came into its own throughout the duration of the show? Or will they forgo the current show's setup in favor of a new format? Will that bring an end to stars in a reasonably priced car? I think I speak for many when I express my optimism that the BBC will keep the test track in action.

3. Jeremy rode a bike during the entire investigation
This might not be significant to one who is unfamiliar with the show, but for anyone, and I mean anyone that has managed to watch even 10 minutes of an episode of Top Gear, you probably heard Jeremy express his hatred for 2 wheeled vehicles in all forms. This was a shock to many given his opinion of bikers, one time referring to bicyclists as "..wizened muesli freaks in figure-hugging Lycra". Though there is no real speculation into his recent choice of transportation, I think any true TG fan knows this was a hilarious ploy for JC to do some trolling on the media by using the bike instead of any of his cars that he normally drives - a sort of inside joke between him and his dedicated fan base. Well played, Jeremy. Well played.

Image: Motorward

4. Will we ever know who wins "The Race"? 
I've been asking this same question to myself ever since Jeremy first brought up the possibility. I'm of course talking about the race that was supposed to occur between the McLaren P1, the Ferrari LaFerrari, and the Porsche 918 - a race that's considered the equivalent in the automotive world to the upcoming fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. At first, the three automakers were up in arms about just about every circumstance surrounding the race, including whether they should use factory-fresh cars or those that are currently owned by the public, what track to use, and the conditions on the day of the race itself. But it wasn't until the episode before "The Fracas" that all three automakers were finally on the same page - with Jeremy confirming that we WOULD see this event happen. All I know is that no matter what, if the BBC ever does decide to air it, I just hope it's not on Pay-Per-View (though it's not an impossible theory, given the financial blow to the plums that the BBC will be taking for deciding to take Top Gear off the air).

With the way things are right now, there are a lot of questions that Top Gear fans need answers to. But I believe with full sincerity that eventually, the BBC will re-air Top Gear, and no one will be watching most likely, because we'll all be channel surfing, looking for any signs of Jeremy, James and Richard talking about cars and falling over in ridiculous ways on some other network. Here's to the future, Top Gear - you were an engrained part of automotive culture and we all hope that we'll be able to see a show like this soon once again.