It’s been a long time since former “Top Gear” hosts James May and Richard Hammond took a lap around the show’s iconic track at the Dunsfold Aerodrome. The two, along with co-host Jeremey Clarkson, left the show back in 2015 after Clarkson was fired. It’s been years since the two drove around the Aerodrome, which now has a deeply uncertain future. Because of that, Hammond and May decided to use it as a sort of memory lane, driving a Porsche Taycan Turbo GT around it while reminiscing on past adventures they shared.
With May behind the wheel, the two set off on an unsurprisingly slow lap and tour of the 1.9-mile track. The two chatted about some of the past segments they filmed there, like a police chase, the man-with-a-van competition and an ambulance challenge as they passed by a couple of Boeing 747s. They also talked about various spins and mishaps they had on the track while trying to remember the names of the corners. Of course, “Top Gear” freaks like you and I know them by heart, but it was a long time ago for these guys.
I don’t want to give too much else about this video away, so I really suggest you watch it on the DriveTribe YouTube channel. It’s only eight minutes long, and if you’re an emotional fella like myself, you might find yourself tearing up a bit.
The track’s future
It’s hard to say exactly what’s going to happen to the old “Top Gear” test track — and Dunsfold Aerodrome as a whole. In 2023, we reported that the BBC had halted “Top Gear” production after a gruesome crash suffered by host Freddie Flintoff that left him “lucky to be alive.”
“We understand this [halting the show] will be disappointing for fans, but it is the right thing to do,” the BBC statement read. “We’ll make a judgment about how best to continue later this year.”
The track is still used by Top Gear Magazine, though, and so is the Stig. He just laid down an all-time track record in the McMurtry Spéirling by getting all the way around in just 59 seconds.
There were some rumblings that the track could end up being destroyed. In 2018, rumors circulated that it would be demolished to make way for a new residential housing project. Luckily, it looks like the track will stick around until at least 2026, according to RadioTimes.com, despite the fact that development has begun on the opposite end of the site.
