‘Bullrun’ to Begin Run on Speed

By Jon Lafayette

Speed has picked up the cross-country racing series “Bullrun,” which follows 12 teams of drivers traveling 3,500 miles across the southwestern United States for a $200,000 prize.

Hosted by former professional wrestler and car buff Bill Goldberg, the series originally aired on Spike TV. Speed has licensed 10 new original one-hour episodes of the show. They will anchor Speed’s Thursday night lineup starting Feb. 19 at 10 p.m.

“‘Bullrun’ is a perfect fit for Speed viewers,” said Steve Craddock, senior VP of programming at the network. “It has intense competition, incredible rides, spectacular stunts and a cast of characters willing to do whatever it takes to win … and Goldberg is the perfect ringleader for this over-the-top car lover’s competition.”

In the series, the drivers do more than race. They must overcome challenges designed by the show’s production team, which includes stunt director Matt Kutcher.

The drivers are not permitted certain modern luxuries as they race for the finish line. For example, satellite navigation systems are banned, as are cell phones, laptops, radios and CD players.

And speeding is cause for severe penalties: An arrest leads to immediate disqualification.

The racing teams were given portable video equipment that will provide behind-the-scenes clips to be made available on SpeedTV.com. Other short-form content will be available on cable VOD services and iTunes, and via podcasts and mobile phones.