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Discovery Communications-owned network Velocity is revving up for the return of Dream Car Week.
The cable channel has set the weeklong lineup — which focuses on the most unique, beautiful and exotic vehicles coupled with the top experts in the automotive genre — for Sunday, July 27, through Saturday, Aug. 2, and will air 14 hours of new programming this time around.
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Each night will be themed by series and hosted by automotive authorities. The week kicks off with the season-two premiere of Fantomworks and also will include new episodes of Chasing Classic Cars, Overhaulin’, Wheeler Dealers and Graveyard Carz along with the series premiere of Garage Squad.
Capping off the week will be the Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge 2, a two-hour event where the prize is a sponsorship for one worthy race car driver. NASCAR star Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing executive vp and general manager Ty Norris invite 18 amateur drivers to compete in a series of challenges at Charlotte Motor Speedway for a chance at a Peak Motorsports sponsorship and the opportunity to race in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series. After being coached by leading NASCAR drivers Danica Patrick, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers and NHRA legend John Force, the winning racer will be announced Aug. 2.
Robert Scanlon, general manager of Velocity, noted that Dream Car Week launched last year as a block of programming that generated a lot of interest among viewers despite little promotion.
“This year we’re supersizing it, premiering 14 hours of programming and having hosts or experts from our series host an entire night,” he said. “What distinguishes us from other [networks] is that we have these individual men and women who are recognized experts for their knowledge about cars — in building, designing, restoring, locating, valuing — as opposed to good-looking talking heads.”
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Scanlon also noted that following the network rebrand — HD Theater switched to Velocity just over two years ago, targeting upscale males — it became clear that viewers really responded to such programming.
“What the audience really reacted to was car and vehicle programming, and that was we’re really focused on,” he said, noting that Velocity is the top-rated network among men 25-54 among networks available in less than 65 million homes and has seen 24 months of year-over-year growth in primetime among adults and men 18-49 and adults and men 25-54.
The full lineup of Dream Car Week programming, and Velocity’s descriptions of each show, are below.
FANTOMWORKS NIGHT
Premieres Sunday, July 27 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Night hosted by Dan Short of Velocity’s Fantomworks
Season two of the hit series Fantomworks kicks off Dream Car Week on Sunday with all-new back-to-back episodes. Dan Short is an automotive force of nature — doing whatever it takes to restore cars to the highest possible standard. At 9 p.m., hidden problems with a 1983 Avanti resto-mod pushes and a 1951 Chevy pieced together by a self-taught mechanics push Dan and his team to the brink. At10 p.m. a 1977 Corvette Stingray arrives with seven layers of paint and too many problems to count, and work on a 1965 Cobra Kit car spirals out of control when the owner wants to wrap the car like a fighter jet.
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CHASING CLASSIC CARS NIGHT
World Premieres Monday, July 28 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Night hosted by Wayne Carini, owner of F40 Motorsports and host of Chasing Classic Cars
Chasing Classic Cars follows collector-car archeologist Wayne Carini on a hunt for some of the rarest, most extraordinary cars ever assembled. At 9 p.m. Wayne heads to the iconic Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance where his main goal is to sell a 1988 Porsche 959 Sport for $1.2 million. At 10 p.m. viewers are invited to take a ride down memory lane as Wayne counts down his top 10 Chasing Classic Cars moments in series history.
OVERHAULIN’ NIGHT
World Premieres Tuesday, July 29 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Night hosted by Chip Foose, owner of Foose Designs, and Chris Jacobs, co-host of Overhaulin’
Overhaulin’ is the emotional automotive restoration series where Chip Foose and his A-Team carry out incredible design visions. At 9 p.m. Chip and the A-Team are amped to tackle an iconic Porsche for the first time in show history … that is until they see how much rust and bodywork damage the car has. At 10 p.m. Chip and Chris reflect on the greatest builds in Overhaulin’ history. With 10 years and 100 amazing customized vehicles since its inception, they highlight the moments that made Overhaulin’ an incredible ride.
WHEELER DEALERS NIGHT
World Premieres Wednesday, July 30 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Night hosted by Mike Brewer and Edd China, co-hosts of Wheeler Dealers
Wheeler Dealers is the definitive auto restoration series with a sharp British wit. Veteran automotive dealer Mike Brewer and ace mechanic Edd China embark on a mission to locate and restore iconic cars that turn a serious profit. At 9 p.m. Mike buys a supercar from the supersaver menu — an Italian thoroughbred for under $15,000. But supercars mean super repair bills for the dynamic duo. At 10 p.m. is a countdown of the top “EDD” Aches where Mike and Edd relive their most challenging restorations to date, their most expensive projects, and sales that failed to turn the profit they hoped for.
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GRAVEYARD CARZ NIGHT
World Premieres Thursday, July 31 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
Night hosted by Mark Worman, owner of Welby’s Car Shop and host of Graveyard Carz
Graveyard Carz host Mark Worman and the rest of the gang are ready for a challenge and will not settle until wrecked muscle cars are restored to their original charm. At 9 p.m. the guys tackle the restoration of a 1970 Dodge Charger with a 426 Hemi. Will they be able to get it started for the first time in 30 years? At 10 p.m. Mark and the guys count down the top 10 muscle car moments from past the three previous seasons of Graveyard Carz.
GARAGE SQUAD / TECH TOYS NIGHT
Series World Premiere Double Episode Event, Friday, August 1 at 9 and 10 p.m.
Night hosted by Lauren Bohlander and Bruno Massel of Garage Squad
At 9 p.m., hosts Lauren Bohlander and Bruno Massel help people nationwide finish that “toy car” that’s been sitting in the garage collecting dust just waiting for a little love in the all-new series Garage Squad. Bruno and Lauren surprise people who have been working on their dream autos with the opportunity to get expert help to finally finish the project – taking those cars from DIY to done. At 10 p.m. Velocity’s Tech Toys invites viewers to experience supercars — a Ford Galpin GT, Hennessey Venom GT, Corvette Stingray and Dodge SRT Viper — throughout the design and manufacturing process. From boutique designers to legendary brands, this Tech Toys special travels the globe, breaking down the best in automotive.
THE PEAK STOCK CAR DREAM CHALLENGE 2
World Premiere Saturday, August 2 from 9-11 p.m.
Night hosted by Danica Patrick
Velocity is taking viewers inside the preeminent nationwide search to find the racing world’s next professional driver in the Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge 2. Featuring NASCAR stars Michael Waltrip, Danica Patrick, Brian Vickers and Clint Bowyer, this two-hour special goes inside the once-in-a-lifetime contest for rookie stock car drivers, and culminates at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a series of challenges to determine which driver will go on to compete in the NASCAR K&N Series on behalf of PEAK Motorsports.
Fantomworks is produced for Velocity by New Dominion Pictures, Chasing Classic Cars by Crashing Wave Entertainment, Overhaulin’ by Brentwood Communications International Inc., Wheeler Dealers by Attaboy TV, Graveyard Carz by The Division Productions, Garage Squad by Super Genius and Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge 2 by NASCAR Productions.
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