First Andre, then Mark, and now Serena. Just when you thought they had run out of ideas for reality shows for the already famous, ABC comes up with yet another one. Not “Dancing with the Stars,” but rather, driving with them.
The network that took ballroom dancing’s popularity to new heights is now airing “Fast Cars & Superstars – Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race," a new seven-episode reality series that pairs celebrities with stock car racing’s finest in a race to test their driving skills and their nerves.
So while Serena may have made an early exit from Paris, she was still on television screens nationwide on Thursday night’s primetime lineup, co-starring in the show along with 11 other celebrity drivers. While the former World No. 1 is no stranger to winning on the court, she finds that winning on the track is a completely different notion.
Fellow celebs joining the 8-time Slam winner were skateboarder Tony Hawk, actress Krista Allen, Rodeo champ Ty Murray, actor William Shatner, singer Jewel, NBA Champion John Salley, Super Bowl Champion John Elway, the WWE’s John Cena, surfer Laird Hamilton, football coachHead Coach Bill Cowher, and model/pro volleyballer, Gabriel Reese.
"I hope these celebrities are ready to feel the real power of a stock car," said Jimmie Johnson, the current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion and member of the show. He was joined by Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray as the cast of the Gillette Young Guns team.
Serena was pegged against Elway and Hamilton and was up first in the group’s preliminary time trial.
The 8-time Grand Slammer was optimistic about her chances going into the show. “I was excited. I love to drive fast and I couldn’t wait to get out there and kill them dead.
“My goal is definitely to go out there and drive as fast as I can serve [over 125 mph] but I think if I want to win, I have to go a little bit faster.”
But by the time she sat in the driver’s seat, the magnitude of the occasion and the reality of driving a car at speeds in excess of 130 mph began to set in. Serena was barely able to keep her composure during her practice laps earlier in the day.
“I was really scared in the driver’s seat. I didn’t like it at all,” she said.
But in true champion form, she was able to do what she has done so many times on the tennis court: steady her nerves and hit the mark when it really counts. Williams hit 143 mph at her peak and maintained an impressive mid-130 mph speed throughout the contest, clocking a time of 2 minutes, 5 seconds for the three lap race.
Unfortunately for her, Elway was able to better her time by 15 seconds, and Hamilton topped even that, sending the reigning Australian Open Champion packing.
The good news for Serena, the athlete, is that the early exit from the show will give her more time to practice tennis. The bad news for Serena, the actress, is that the third place finish means limited screen time.
Each half-hour show, hosted by ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne, will follow the stars of the sports and entertainment industry as they learn to put pedal to the metal and try to race to victory. The show will culminate in a one-hour finale in which they will race against one another for bragging rights.