Hyperdrive (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 5 - Knockout 1: Head to Head - full transcript
[Fielding Shredder] These top drivers
in the final 12 are fantastic.
From all around the world,
they've got different skill sets,
their cars are on point.
[Alexandre, in French] I never thought
I'd be in a competition like this.
I really want to win for France.
[Diego in Portuguese] I must always
be the best. I always have to win.
[Mike Hill] What a run by Diego Higa!
[in Portuguese] I'm not finished yet.
[Corinna] I said go hard or go home
and I do it.
Fingers crossed.
[Brittany] The knockout round
is definitely the next level.
[Sara Haro] It's a dream come true.
[Justin] Lots of good drivers here.
So now it's a knife fight.
[crowd] Oh!
- [bang]
- [in Japanese] I'm number one!
[in German] It's time for me to show
these young people how it's done.
[João, in Portuguese] The Sheriff came
to show why he's here.
But this is just the beginning.
There's still a lot of competition ahead.
[Faruk] We put everything on the line
to get here. Nothing will stop us.
We'll fight with everything we've got.
[engine roars]
[Mike Hill] This is Hyperdrive,
and we have reached the knockout rounds.
From a field of 28,
only the best of the best have survived,
and now they are really up against it.
These 12 drivers will be pushed
to the very edge of their abilities,
as they compete on courses more difficult
and more dangerous than ever before.
[Rutledge Wood] That's right.
We've jacked up the difficulty
of everything on the course.
We've doubled down
on that Rockford turn at Supernova,
unlocked an entirely new section
of the track, called Pipe City,
and the Leveler has gone
from a test of courage
to one of precision and finesse.
It's finally living up to its name.
Drivers have to figure out
how to make that monster stay
perfectly balanced for ten seconds.
This one's gonna answer the question,
"Do you truly have complete control over
your vehicle?"
And by the way, the competition
has been leveled up as well.
The bottom three have been redefined
for the knockout rounds.
At the end of the night,
the last place driver will be eliminated,
and the next two slowest racers
will have to battle it out
in a head-to-head elimination showdown.
It's an entirely new track.
A side-by-side sprint to the finish,
featuring four key obstacles.
Win and you survive another day.
Lose and you're going home.
Well, the course is harder.
The stakes are much higher.
So, ready to get this started?
- Let's do it.
- Let's do it.
The first driver's headed
to the launch gate right now.
[female announcer] Track is hot.
Driver one, prepare for launch.
[MH] Kicking off the knockout rounds
is 49-year-old Alex Graff from Germany
in his custom-built '86 BMW.
One half of the husband and wife duo
that made the top 12.
Now, going first...
Not necessarily a good thing,
because we've seen other drivers,
when they go first in the opening
qualifiers, they've struggled.
But the old-school drifter from Germany
might be prepared for this one.
[spotter] Fire it up, Alex.
[engine starts]
[Alex in German] In the year 2000,
drifting began in Germany.
I was there from the beginning.
And I think that we made
the drift culture popular in Germany.
I've always been one of the best drifters
in Germany.
I've proven myself in Germany.
Now I want to prove myself
to the whole world.
I started drifting
before some of these kids were born.
I want to show these kids how to drive.
[MH] Alex Graff at the line,
warming it up.
This guy's got a lot of experience, y'all.
As a matter of fact,
he once held the world's record
for longest and fastest drift.
[Michael Bisping] He's going to need
that experience
because not only is he the first person
on this track,
but it was just raining a little bit ago,
so this track is still a little wet.
[daughter, in German] Daddy?
Have fun with it.
[Alex, in German]
I still see the rain a bit.
[MH] You hear the words of encouragement
from his daughter Jacqueline.
She'll guide the way.
[Alex, in German]
[bleep] the weather! I can't believe it!
[in German] You can pull it off.
[Mike Hill] Let's see
what the father-daughter duo can do.
[tires squeal]
[Mike Hill] Alex Graff,
kicking off our Knockout Round.
He's got a target to hit
just past his first turn.
[engine revs]
- [daughter] Go!
- [bang]
[MH] Oh!
[MB] Yes! That was awesome!
[in German] Perfect!
[Rutledge Wood] You saw him.
Right off the line,
traction was an issue for him.
Those tires are spinning
not the way they normally would.
We'll see how he uses that wet track,
and can he still get the most
out of that '86 BMW?
[MH] Here's the thing about the Supernova.
Remember they had to do one Rockford turn?
Now you have to do two.
- [Rut] Oh!
- [MB] Yes.
[MH] There it is.
[MB] And he made that first one look easy,
so two of those, he's good to go.
[thud]
[MH] First pass through,
now he comes back.
Second pass through Supernova.
[hosts shout excitedly] Whoa!
[MB] Oh, man.
Three penalties right there.
[Rut] He's trying not to let
this slick track slow him down,
but he's got to be cautious,
the car is going to slide more
than he wants it to
at obstacles like Supernova.
[MH] He's got another precision drift
right here at Pipe City.
[in German] Two targets
you have to slide through, don't forget.
- [bang]
- [hosts] Oh!
[Rut] He took the wet track into account
and just aced that.
[in German] Perfect!
[Rut] This is a guy I know
who's definitely spent some time
in some wet parking lots
in his lifetime.
That's where a lot of people
first learn how to drift.
[MB] He has to slow it down.
[MH] Listen to that bad boy go.
Sliding all over the place,
a minute 29 into his run.
[in German] It's so damn slippery!
[Jacqueline]
Now you can go to the Leveler.
[MH] That wet track really having
an effect right now on Alex Graff.
[MB] So now we get up to the Leveler.
This is where it all changes.
He must drive up that sucker,
wait for it to actually balance out
almost to 180 degrees,
then keep it there by going forwards
and backwards for ten seconds.
[MH] And Bis, he'll only have two minutes
to pull it off.
[engine revs]
Here he goes.
His spotter is going to be key here.
[Rut] Right there on the side
you can see that indicator,
that'll help their spotters know
exactly where their drivers need to be.
[in German] Rock back a little... stop.
[MB] All the others are now watching this
and saying,
"Listen, this is what you've got to do.
You've got to go forward,
to balance that sucker out."
Go to the fulcrum, to the middle.
[MH] There it is now.
There it is. There...
[Rut] You see how wildly
that Leveler's swinging
as Alex struggles
to find the balance point.
[Alex in German] Where is the pole
from the middle of the bridge?
[Jacqueline] It's behind the rear.
[Rut] The farther these drivers stray
from that balance point,
the more wildly that bridge
is going to swing.
[Jacqueline in German]
A bit forward, Daddy. It's not going.
Jacqueline, no.
It will be too fast for me!
[MH] There you go, now stay.
[Rut] Back up.
He needs to hold it right about there.
[MB] There he is. Back it up!
[crowd cheers]
No, too far! Go forward!
There it is.
[crowd groans]
[MH] Oh my gosh. Come on, Alex.
[Rut] You can hear the other drivers
watching right now,
cheering him on,
and there's such disappointment,
because they don't know
how hard this is yet.
[MB] You just need that sweet spot
right in the middle.
[Jacqueline, in German]
It's not moving. Okay, perfect.
Little bit forward. Little more. Forward.
[MB] Too far, buddy.
- [crowd groans]
- [MH] Time is ticking.
[MB] Could you imagine
the emotions right now?
[MH] He's close to the max time.
[Rut] Guys, think about this.
It's hard to get a visual perspective
when you're looking out
onto the whole track.
Where is too far forward?
- Where is not enough?
- [announcer] Four, three, two, one.
[MB] Ah!
[MH] He maxed out.
His is two minutes are up.
He's got a lot of time to make up
here on the back half of this course.
[Jacqueline in German]
Okay, go forward again.
[in German] That took forever.
[MB] That is going to affect his mindset
for the rest of the race,
because you know
his blood is boiling right now.
[MH] So he's got to collect himself
as he heads to Walk on Water,
and it's also been leveled up,
as there are less deflectors now
to guide his way along that path.
[in German] Don't be boring.
Your car is tough, but don't break it.
[Rut] He's got to stay on the path,
but this is a rally car,
it's built to take on water.
He'll make up some time here.
[MH] He's got wet tires, Rut,
and Target Zone will be slick
from the rain.
- [tires squeal]
- [hosts] Whoa!
[Rut] Missed the first one.
He's clearly struggling to find
the traction he needs right now.
- [bang]
- [MH] There's one.
- [MB] Keep it up.
- [Rut] Got four this time.
- [bang]
- [MH] Two, three.
[MB] He just smashed that one out the way.
Get out the way!
[bang]
[MH] Nicely done!
Alright.
Nice, super!
[MH] He survives Target Zone
and on to the final stretch now.
Just gotta bring it home.
[MB] Come on, buddy!
[Jacqueline in German]
You are fast! Super!Keep it up!
[MH] Alex Graff!
Setting the mark, here in Knockout One!
Yeah, baby!
[in German] Good job, Dad!
That was not bad,
not bad at all. Very fast.
[MH] He wasn't as fast
as he wanted to be out there,
fighting those slick conditions
the entire run,
and he definitely hurt himself
by taking max time at the Leveler.
[Rut] I'm gonna guess
that's a little bit of clutch you smell.
He was working that clutch
so hard on the Leveler,
trying to find
that backwards and forwards.
What that tells me already,
if you're a driver who has
a really race-built transmission,
you are sweating buckets right now.
The challenge of balancing the Leveler
here in the knockout rounds
is going be an absolute game changer.
[announcer] Track is hot.
Driver two, report to the start line.
[MH] With one time on the board
and the rain subsiding,
the next racers to the line were some
of the competition's heaviest hitters.
The Sheriff from Brazil,
The Wild Child from Texas,
The Lumberjack Drifter from France,
and from Japan, the Drift Sensei,
Atsushi Taniguchi.
All looking to prove
that they were at the top of the class.
[Atsushi] Oh yeah!
[hosts whoop in excitement]
[MH] And they lived up to expectations
right out of the gate.
- [bang]
- [MB] Yeah!
Whoa!
- Nailed it.
- [spotter] Nice job.
- [bang]
- Oh God. [laughs]
[MH] He just hit that barrier!
This man is wild!
Oops.
[in Portuguese] Accelerate! Let's go!
- [MH] Oh yeah, baby.
- [MB] Wow!
[MH] Second pass through Supernova.
[Michael Bisping yells] Oh!
[Rutledge] Yeah! Well played!
[Mike Hill] Nicely done.
[MB] Look at that!
[MH] Look at that! Go ahead, boy!
[MB] Oh my God!
[MH] But after a dazzling display of skill
in the first half of their runs...
[MB] He's spinning 360s whilst he waits
for the Leveler to go green.
Alright, the Leveler,
I've got to think now.
[MH] ...when the drivers arrived
at the Leveler, the course showed
that your early successes
would only get you so far.
[MH] What used to be a test
of power and courage
now demanded patience, control,
and most importantly, finesse.
[MB] He's been reckless,
he's been amazing, he's been awesome,
but now he's got to think,
he's got to take his time.
More, keep going. More.
[hosts yell] Oh!
Stupid Leveler.
[in Portuguese] Hold it.
[Rut] You have to make
smaller movements here,
because the more movement you make
out towards the end, the other end
is gonna go up
the equal and opposite move.
Go a bit more forward.
[MH] Six, seven, eight...
[hosts groan] Oh!
I [bleep] the Leveler up pretty good.
- [MH] ...nine.
- [crowd] Oh!
[in Portuguese]
There was one left, damn it!
Unbelievable that this is
such an equalizer.
[MH] Uh. Can't do it.
Crap.
[MH] He's just going to take it.
[Rut] Max time.
[crowd groans]
[in French]
Forget it. I won't get it.
[spotter in French]
You can go forward. You lost it.
[splash]
[MH] The Leveler had already become
the giant killer in Knockout One,
when Atsushi Taniguchi pulled up
to take on his old nemesis.
[in Japanese] Don't rush the Leveler.
Mm.
- [engine revs]
- [spotter Ken] Okay.
[MH] 3:33.8 as he heads up the Leveler.
Can he balance things out?
[Rut] The real key seems to be,
how much are you going to back up
as the Leveler is coming to level?
[Ken in Japanese] Doing great.
Maybe go back a little bit.
[MB] This course for me
is all about feeling.
Feeling the Leveler coming down,
and riding it like a bull.
[Ken in Japanese]Bit more. Stop!
[MB] This guy...
The car's an extension of his body.
I think he's gonna do just fine.
[Ken in Japanese] More!
[MH] Backing it down a bit.
[Ken in Japanese] Stop right there!
- [MB] Nice, look at that. Perfect.
- [MH] Here we go.
[crowd shouts excitedly]
[MH] Look at this.
Six, seven, eight, nine...
[Atsushi in Japanese] I did it.
[crowd cheers]
[MH] Oh my gosh!
The Sensei has mastered the Leveler!
After the Drift Sensei cracked the Leveler
with his superior clutch control...
- [bang]
- [MB] There's one.
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam.
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam.
- [bang]
- [crowd cheers]
[MH] ...he hit the bullseye in Target Zone
and finished in first place.
The Drift Sensei! What a masterful run!
[Rut] Man, talk about leveling up.
Each time these guys
are getting in the car,
these tracks are getting harder.
[MH] Taking a look at the leaderboard,
there's no question that the time it takes
you to solve the Leveler
will make or break your run.
So for Atsushi Taniguchi,
solving that Leveler in under a minute
has put him atop the leaderboard.
We're off to a scorching start here
in Knockout One.
So let's keep this thing going.
[announcer] Track is hot.
Driver six, report to the start line.
[MH] Time to see Alexandre Claudin
from France once again.
This guy's been super impressive,
getting that big car around the track
and getting here to the knockout round.
And of course, he calls himself
an adrenaline junkie,
but he also says he has never experienced
anything like this
before coming to Hyperdrive.
So he's a bit nervous,
but he's got to bring it home tonight.
[Alexandre in French] I came to the US
for my American dream.
The farther I go in this competition,
the stronger I get,
and the more I learn from my mistakes.
I hope I can make it to the end.
To give my best
to represent France.
To all the people that support me,
a big thank you to everyone.
[crowd cheers]
[Alexandre] We're in the United States!
[crowd cheers]
[in French] Babe, be a fighter.
- [sings] Da-da!
- [MH] He's getting fired up right now.
The Frenchman is pumped!
[in French] Don't break the car.
Woo!
[Alexandre in French] Are you ready?
- Yes, totally!
Woo!
[MH] Alright, Alexandre Claudin
in his '68 Dodge Charger.
The heaviest and widest car
in the competition.
How will it perform
on this Knockout One track?
[crowd cheers]
[Mike Hill] Let's go!
[MB] Wow!
[MH] Right out of the gate.
[MB] Let's go.
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam!
- [MB] Yes!
- [MH] That was beautiful.
[Rut] I love seeing
this '68 Charger sideways.
That just does something
for your soul, doesn't it?
[MH] Heading into Supernova.
Remember, Alexandre's never seen
this obstacle before.
[Rut] A big test coming up here.
Can Alexandre control this car
and execute these Rockford turns?
[Michael Bisping] Oh...
- [bang]
- [MH] Boom.
[bang]
[in French] Just one tube.
[MB] Come on.
[MH] Takes a two-second penalty there
on his first pass.
[in French] Just breathe,
everything is perfect.
[MH] Can he clean it up on the second?
[in French] Try to be faster.
[MB] Left.
[hosts] Whoa!
[in French] Oh [bleep] babe.
This is a catastrophe.
[in French] It's all good.
[MH] Making some mistakes. Three down,
that'll be four penalties right there.
Two seconds a piece.
[MB] This is the biggest, heaviest car
in the competition.
[Rut] It's a land-yacht,
it's all in how you use it.
[MH] Well, we know he's got the skill
to drift it.
Coming up here on Pipe City.
Can he right the ship?
[bang]
[MH] Oh yeah!
[Rut] Beautiful linking.
[in French] It's good!
[MB] In the barrel. Out the way.
Coming through.
[Rut] Look at this tunnel.
How hard could you push it
in something this big going through there?
[in French] Awesome!
[MH] 1:27 into his run now.
Go!
[Rut] He's trying to be smart.
You go fast
but don't wreck this car on the way.
[MH] And this is where he can make up
that time, right here.
[MB] Wow!
It sounds so angry.
[MH] Headed to the Leveler now.
[thud]
[in French] Oh dear.
[MH] Ooh.
[MB] Oh no.
[MH] Is he stalled?
[MB] Oh, no way. Look at this.
[crowd groans]
[Rut] Something's going on with the car.
[MH] Wasting valuable time.
[MB] Oh, man. What is going on?
[groans]
What the hell is going on, Rut?
- [Julie in French] What happened?
- [Alexandre] The car is broken.
The car is broken?
No!
The car is broken.
[bleep]
No! Anything but that!
[MB] Engine's down, he's out the car.
[MH] Let's go down to Lindsay.
[MB] Oh man, what is going on?
Julie's here saying he's finished,
he lost power.
What did he say,
and what do you know of this?
I don't know yet.
He pulled the helmet off
so I have no sound,
I have nothing.
[Lindsay] She has no sound, guys.
So they've lost communication,
and all she can do right now
is watch his agony.
[MB] Oh God.
[MH] Oh my gosh, that is...
- Oh.
- [MB] Oh.
That doesn't look good.
- [MH] You see his girl is...
- [MB] Running over to him.
[MH] Oh gosh.
[Julie speaks in French]
[Julie speaks in French]
[Rut] He is crushed, man.
[MB] Man.
[MH] Total disappointment.
[Rut] You see that whole suspension there
is broken off,
that wheel is tucked underneath.
The suspension piece, that shock,
the coil-over sitting right there.
There's literally nothing you can do,
and it essentially acts
like an anchor, too.
[MB] Poor guy.
Come all this way from France,
doing so well, made it this far,
and then the car just gives up on him.
[Alexandre, in French]
I didn't come here just as a racer.
I came here as a racer with a dream.
A dream that turned into a nightmare.
[male announcer] Track is cold.
Car is broken down at Leveler.
Claudin's car not being able to finish
the course just made me really down.
I was like, "Wait, what just happened?"
Because they fought so hard to get here.
It just broke my heart seeing it.
[female announcer]
Driver seven, report to the start line.
[Brittany] More nervous on this one.
[spotter] You got it.
This course was made for you.
[MH] In the wake of Alexandre's DNF,
the night's remaining drivers
had no choice
but to focus on the task at hand:
surviving this relentless
Knockout One course.
[spotter] Okay, Sara.
Light her up, let's go.
[engine roars]
[MH] Sara Haro, Jordan Martin
and Brittany Williams approached the line
as three of the biggest surprises
from the qualifiers.
[female spotter] Go!
[MH] And the trio was determined to prove
their place in the knockout rounds
was no fluke.
- [MB] Come on, baby!
- [bang]
There's a penalty.
[Rut] Oh, and she missed it!
- [bang]
- [MH] Hit it with the front though.
After all three drivers showed
frayed nerves at the first target,
Brittany and Sara recovered nicely
though Supernova...
- [crowd cheers]
- [MB] Nailed it!
[Rut] Oh yes!
[MH] Great job through Supernova.
...while Jordan's Lambo continued
to struggle with the Rockford turn.
- [bangs]
- [hosts] Oh!
Brakes didn't work.
[Rut] Jordan will to have to keep fighting
his Lambo in order to get it to rotate.
[MH] The Midwest MacGyver
dropped the ball again at Pipe City...
[Rut] He cannot get the car to rotate
the way some of the other drivers can.
[MH] ...and the failures
became contagious.
[Rut] Oh, missed the second one.
[MB] Come on, go back.
Better clean it up,
or you'll be fighting for your life
in the head-to-head.
[bang]
[MB] Brittany looked to stabilize her run
at the Leveler.
Forward a tiny bit... right there. Stop!
- [MH] Seven, eight...
- Go.
- [MH] nine, ten!
- [spotter] Stay right there.
- [MB] Go, baby!
- [MH] Perfectly executed.
[MH] While Sara and Jordan continue
to battle with the Knockout One course.
[Jordan] We've got to get this right.
[MH] This is intense.
We're too far off.
Back.
[crowd groans]
This thing is hard to do.
[Rut] There it is.
She's hit the max time for that.
[MB] Brush it off. Alexandre's out,
so she's still in with a chance.
Keep going... bring it home.
[MH] Crossing the line in seventh
and eighth place, respectively...
Sara and Jordan had put themselves
in jeopardy of elimination.
[Rut] As it stands right now,
Jordan Martin and Sara Haro
will be facing off
in the first ever head-to-head race.
That wasn't good.
[MB] That's so frustrating.
[MH] Next into the launch gate
was the Drift Beast from Germany.
Mother-of-two, Corinna Graff.
A seasoned driver
and the very last competitor to qualify
for the knockout round.
Here she goes!
And although she got off
to a rocky start...
That's going to cost her.
[bleep]
...she recovered to put together
a masterful performance.
[MB] Look at that.
[MH] Eight, nine, ten! She did it!
- Yeah, go!
- [crowd cheers]
[MH] And a healthy dose of gas
down the back stretch...
[Alex] Beast mode!Give it.
[MH] ...vaulting Corinna
to the top of the leaderboard...
[Rut] Go!
[MH] ...guaranteeing her spot
in the next round.
[Rut] That run by Corinna Graff
puts her into fourth place.
Such a solid performance.
A performance that says,
"I am here to stay."
[engine growls]
[MH] Here's the latest. Ten racers down,
just two to go,
and the Leveler continues to be
the story of the night.
Brittany Williams salvaged
a less-than-stellar run
with her skill in balancing the monster.
And as it stands right now,
it's Sara Haro and Jordan Martin
who will be facing off
in our head-to-head elimination race.
[announcer] Track is hot.
Driver 11, prepare for launch.
[spotter] You ready, Faruk?
Yep, we're good.
[MH] Guys, after ten drivers, we have yet
to see anyone really crack this course.
So for Faruk Kugay,
a solid run right here should secure him
a spot in the next round.
[MB] He's been on the sidelines
since his third-place finish
in the very first qualifier.
This opportunity's been a long time coming
for Faruk Kugay.
[Faruk] I was born in Poland.
We moved to the United States
when I was a year old
and we moved to San Francisco.
I've had a love for cars
since I was a kid.
When I got my first car...
You know, you start driving it faster
than you should,
I discovered drifting and I got hooked.
My parents always wanted me
to do something that I love,
and they taught me that life is more
than just making money.
It's about really enjoying life
and enjoying what you do.
So in 2013, I made the decision
that I wanted to try to be pro.
Sell everything I have, build a car
and let's give it a shot.
Let's see if I can do this.
[commentator]
Here we go, Faruk in the Escort...
[Faruk] Drifting,
you get to do things with cars
that sometimes you don't even
imagine are possible.
[commentator] Nice job on that center-rear
clipping zone.
[Faruk] To be a Formula Drift driver,
it is not cheap.
Oh, thanks.
I do everything to stay in the sport,
and at the same time,
everything to pay the bills.
I deliver pizzas.
See you.
Sometimes basic needs fall to the wayside,
because the race car needs a part,
and I'm here to change that.
Winning this would mean a lot to me.
It would prove that, through hard work,
working your butt off
at different jobs, and sweating,
you'll get where you want to be.
[MH] Alright, Faruk Kugay.
He is fearless.
He believes in himself,
but does he have the car to get it done?
[Rut] For sure. Talking about a dream,
from the scrapyard to the drift track,
to 2008 BMW E92 he bought
in a junkyard as a shell,
built it up to be a Formula Drift,
Pro-2 car...
That's a car that's actually competed.
It's got 700 horsepower under the hood,
coming out of that Toyota 2JZ.
He's got nitrous
to help the turbo spool up.
This car is a monster.
[engine revs]
[Faruk] Dave, can you hear me?
Yeah, buddy. I'm ready, man.
Shake 'n bake, brother.
[engine roars]
- [MB] Wow!
- [engine revs]
[MH] Listen to that.
[hosts shout] Oh!
[MB] Think he'll take it easy?
[MH] Penalty right from the start.
Hit it with the front of his car.
I broke something!
[Dave] Broke something?
Something feels really strange.
Give me a second.
[bang]
Just talk to me.
I got one wheel. I broke an axle.
[MB] He's broke an axle, he said.
[bang]
Oh, God.
[crowd groans]
[MH] When you break an axle,
how does that affect
the performance of the car?
[Rut] Your axles transfer power
from engine to ground through the wheels.
So half that power is gone.
It's like running on one leg.
- [bang]
- [bleep] damn it, man.
[Dave] Just breathe, we'll figure it out.
I got no mirrors.
[Dave] Just watch your...
No, the other way!
- [Faruk] Tell me.
- [bang]
You gotta tell me, brother.
Go straight and smooth back, alright?
[MB] This is terrible.
He came out the gate too hot,
and I think he's just jeopardized
his position in this race.
[bleep] damn it, man.
[Dave] Just take it smooth and fast.
Just go right.
I've got one axle! Do you hear me?
- The car has no power.
- Yes, I hear you. Just go smooth.
[MB] It's such a shame,
because he was so happy, so charged,
so calm, in his element.
[Dave] Just handbrake in.
Through the pass.
[bang]
[Dave] It's a penalty. It's okay.
Don't worry about it. Keep going.
[MB] One axle, man.
[Dave] Let's take our time.
Because of where Alexandre is,
All you have to do
is to make it through the Leveler,
let's get on through this course.
I know it's going to be hard,
going up the degree of the Leveler,
but let's get up there
and even if we have to take
the two-minute penalty, we'll take it.
[Faruk] Yep.
Make sure the car doesn't break
and just get through the course.
[Rut] Faruk and his spotter,
talking strategy.
They're being smart about this.
Alexandre posted a "Did Not Finish,"
so Faruk just needs to make it
past the Leveler.
But that would only get him
to the head-to-head,
and in this condition,
I don't think he wins at head-to-head.
Well no, he will have time to wrench
on the car after this run is done.
So if it's just an axle,
he's got the parts here with him,
he can fix this car
and he could take on almost anybody.
But none of that is possible
if he can't get his car up
and over the Leveler.
[MH] So Rut, let me ask you this.
What what are his chances
of making it up here?
[Rut] He's in trouble.
Six stories straight up,
a broken axle giving him one-wheel drive
that's just pushing him left.
This is beyond sketchy.
- [MH] There he goes. Oh.
- [engine revs]
[MB] Oh, he's trying to take a run up.
Smart.
Ever seen Dukes of Hazzard?
- I love Dukes of Hazzard.
- We're hoping that doesn't happen,
but he's got to get the running start
to get up this right now.
[MH] Got to get a running start.
Got to get some momentum.
[Dave] Let's try this. Ready?
[crowd cheers]
[engine roars]
[MB] Here we go!
[MH] Here he goes. Going up.
[hosts] Whoa!
- [MH] Here we go!
- [Rut] Look at this.
[MB] Yes!
[crowd cheers]
[laughs]
That's too good, dude.
[Rut] Unreal, I cannot believe
he made it up that incline.
[MH] The Leveler has been make or break
for everyone tonight,
and in his own way, for what he needs,
Faruk just beat it.
[MH] He's going to take the max time here,
but...
Faruk is now guaranteed to finish
ahead of Alexandre, so...
it's probably time for him
to start thinking about
that head-to-head race now.
Just club-foot it home, buddy.
[Faruk] The Leveler with one wheel
was tricky,
I just had to ramp up as much speed
to get above it.
The obvious answer would be,
"Hey, let's stop."
I might have been able to save the axle,
but then we wouldn't move on
to the next round.
The way the format works is,
we can fix the axle now
and get back out there, hopefully.
[MH] He's just got to bring it on
back home, over the 10-minute mark.
[MB] Good job, buddy.
[crowd cheers]
[MH] So Faruk got it done,
crossed the finish line,
and that means he still has a chance
to stay alive in this competition.
[crowd cheers]
That was extremely not fun.
It's a war of attrition.
I got to race for my life now
and I'll be ready.
You did it.
We got around. Wow.
[MH] Faruk's work is cut out for him now.
Sitting in second-to-last place
with only one driver left to run,
he's guaranteed to be going
into that head-to-head elimination race,
and as it stands right now,
he'd be taking on Jordan Martin
in that Lamborghini.
His time of 10:36.8
represents the cut mark.
[announcer] Driver 12,
report to the start line.
[in Portuguese] Are you hearing me, Dad?
[Dad] Yes, son.
[MH] Got to admit, it's the moment
I've been waiting for all night,
because this guy was a freak
in his first run.
The 21-year-old Diego Higa out of Brazil.
He might have a baby face,
but he's not here to play any games.
Of course, his father Neto
acting as his spotter.
And for these two,
racing has meant everything
since Diego was just a boy.
[Diego, in Portuguese]
There's a lot of pressure on me.
My father has invested a lot in me,
because he believes in me.
Years ago he decided
not to compete anymore,
so that he could mentor me.
So I think he expects a great return
on his investment.
I sacrifice all of my free time
to turn myself into the best.
But it's what I want for my life.
Everything that we've been through,
all the arguments we've had
as a result of the pressure...
I believe it will have been worth it.
Because he made my dream come true.
I owe everything I am to my dad,
because he put me here.
I don't have the words to thank him.
All I can do to show my gratitude
is win more titles.
- [engine revs up]
- [crowd cheers]
[MH] It's Diego Higa,
coming off a dominant performance
in Qualifier Three...
looking to make a statement
here in the knockout rounds.
He'll have to beat Jordan MartIn's time
of 10:36 to advance,
otherwise he's facing off
against this guy, Faruk Kugay,
in a head-to-head,
do-or-die elimination race.
- [in Portuguese] Good luck!
- To us both.
[crowd cheers]
[Rut] The crowd is on their feet.
They know we are going to get a show
right now.
[tires squeal]
[Mike Hill] Let's go!
[MB] Wow!
[MH] Hit that corner, baby!
[Rut] Woo!
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam.
- [bang]
- He ain't taking it easy.
[MB] I was gonna say.
Definitely not taking it easy.
- [MH] No sir.
- [Rut] Nailed that first target.
He was almost up on the curb there,
on that first left turn.
[announcer] Supernova engaged.
[Rut] Let's see how he does
with the Double Supernova.
[MH] Here he goes.
[Rut] I got it!
[crowd cheers]
[MB] Look at the speed he's going there.
[Rut] Beautiful, isn't it?
[MH] Nicely done.
- Supernova, got to do it twice.
- [bang]
[engine revs]
[MH] Back it up again.
[Michael Bisping] Ah, wow!
[Neto in Portuguese]
Sensational son, let's go.
[MB] Absolute perfection.
[in Potuguese] Well done!
[Rut] We're looking at a kid
who's got a future
at being a precision driver.
[in Portuguese] Two targets coming.
Try to hit them on the first try.
[Rut] When you have moves like that
and you can hold it so perfectly,
What can't you do?
[crowd cheers]
- [bang]
- [MB] Absolutely flawless.
- [in Portuguese] Did I hit them both?
- You got them both! Let's go!
[hosts] Whoa!
[MH] Look at him,
flying through that narrow tunnel.
Diego Higa showing no fear on this course.
[Rut] He is on fire out there.
[MH] Working his way to the Leveler.
[MB] So the thing is this.
He's clearly a superior driver.
But the Leveler right now
is like nothing that people have ever seen
before in their lives.
They're just not used to doing that.
So I'm really intrigued to see
how it's going to go for him
[MH] Diego Higa,
coming up on that checkpoint,
well ahead of Atsushi's first place time.
But as we've seen already tonight,
if you cannot solve the Leveler,
it can absolutely cripple your run.
[Rut] The Leveler doesn't care
where you're from,
it doesn't care
how good you think you are,
it only cares about one thing,
that's the balance.
[in Portuguese] Let's go!
[MH] It does not discriminate.
[bang]
[MH] We'll see how he levels this out.
[Neto in Portuguese] Go back.
Go back. Go!
Stop!
Stop, stay there.
[MH] You can see that communication
between father and son there.
Go back.
You need to go back further, son!
Calm down! The reverse wasn't engaged.
[MH] Diego clearly frustrated now,
[MB] He's falling apart here.
[MH] He's having some issues.
[Rut] He's trying to use his speed
- to speed this process up.
- [MB] To level it up, I get it.
[Rut]
Except it doesn't really help everybody.
[MB] Here's the thing, 21 years old,
still a little...
I don't wanna say immature,
but not as mature as the other drivers,
and you can't rev your way out
of this one.
Patience is key.
[in Portuguese] Just a little bit,
you're going too far!
You need to listen, dude!
Go back, son!
There! It went!
[MH] They might get it.
Oh! Don't go back!
- [MB] That's it. Stay!
- [MH] Nine, ten!
- [hosts] Whoa!
- [in Portuguese] Well done!
[MB] Okay, Diego's the man.
[MH] Yes he is, cracking the Leveler
on his first attempt.
Great communication between him
and his father Neto there.
[in Portuguese] Let's go to the water.
[MH] Diego solves the Leveler,
but not nearly as quickly as Atsushi did.
If he wants first place, he's going to
have to execute perfectly here.
[Rut] This will be his first time
coming into Walk on Water.
We've seen this obstacle
cripple drivers once before.
[MB] Whoa.
[in Portuguese]
Foot off in the water.
[MH] He's got to link these four targets
with slick tires.
Remember, Atsushi aced this.
[bang]
[hosts] Whoa.
[MH] Missed that spot.
- [bang]
- [MB] There we go.
- [bang]
- [MH] He got it.
Here we go.
[MB] Keep it going.
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam. There it is. Okay.
[in Portuguese] Nice!
[MH] He's at 5:45. He's looking good.
6:07 the time to beat.
The kid from Brazil,
he's going to be the number one spot!
Diego Higa, the young gun!
[in Portuguese] Well done.
You can celebrate now.
[Rut] Sideways across the finish line.
[MH] 5:54.2, no penalties.
We've seen this young man
take this track twice
and finish atop the leaderboard
both times.
[MB] Wow, by a long way.
Unbelievable.
- So satisfying to watch. I'm like, "Yay!"
- Yeah, he's a good driver.
He's a really good driver.
[Diego in Portuguese]
The race is done.
I'm very happy,
because the result was marvelous.
I'm speechless. First place again.
[laughs]
I came here to win,
so I'm super happy.
[MH] So once again,
Diego Higa's taken the top spot.
He and drivers two through nine will be
moving onto the next knockout round.
Unfortunately for Alexandre Claudin,
his competition is done.
Right now it's all eyes
on Jordan Martin and Faruk Kugay.
And for Kugay, the question is,
can his car hold up?
As he goes head-to-head in a race
to keep his Hyperdrive dream alive.
[engine roars]
[MH] Alright, get your popcorn ready
for the first ever Hyperdrive
head-to-head elimination race.
Rut, tell us about the track.
[Rut] Jordan and Faruk will launch
side by side
and negotiate identical obstacles
plotted along the course.
In the first turn,
they'll have to hit a target
with the backside of their car.
After that, it's a trip
through a narrow shipping container,
followed by a second target,
then a tight barrel turn,
and finally a mad scramble
to the finish line.
This is going to be insane.
[MH] Fellas, this is it.
The first ever head-to-head
in Hyperdrive history.
The winner will move on,
the loser, well...
he ain't gotta go home,
but he ain't in this competition anymore.
So who's it gonna be?
Is it gonna be Faruk Kugay,
the pizza delivery guy
out of San Francisco, in his BMW?
Or will be Jordan Martin,
the inventor out of Illinois,
in that beautiful Lamborghini?
[Rut] Well, guys, no one's taken
this course before
and we don't know who it's going to favor.
But on one side,
you've got the fastest car
in the competition
with Jordan's Lambo...
[MH] Whoa, you can feel that thunder!
...on the other side, you've got
an elite drift car in Faruk's BMW.
- [MH] Whoa!
- [MB] Spin it, baby.
[Rut] The course features both speed
and precision elements.
This is anybody's race.
- [spotter] Good luck, Jordan.
- Thanks, Martin.
[Jordan] Going into this challenge,
the car's been performing well.
It's ready, I think I am.
We're gonna see what happens.
We're not leaving anything on the table.
[Martin] Faruk, you've got this, buddy.
I'm pulling for you.
[Faruk] Thanks, bud.
I'm confident that our repairs
that we've been doing non-stop on this car
will hold
through the head-to-head competition,
because we've been double-checking,
triple-checking...
so we're not really worried
about any mechanical failures.
We think we've got it all solved.
[engine revs]
[MH] Oh, boy.
Jordan Martin
with that Lamborghini Huracan.
Faruk Kugay in his custom-built BMW.
[tires squeal]
[engines roar]
[MB] Let's go! Wow!
[Rut] Jordan in the Lambo
with the early lead,
as we come up on that first target!
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam! Bam!
- Look at that!
- [MB] Go, baby!
[Rut] Faruk makes up some time.
- [MH] This is unbelievable.
- [spotter] Go through there!
[MB] Flying through that container!
[spotter] Hammer on, dude.
[MH] Jordan taking it slow,
falling behind,
but remember,
he's got that inside edge on the turn.
Faruk's at the second target.
[MB] Here we go.
[bang]
[Rut] Threw his whole car into that.
[MH] Jordan's going to have to be perfect
from here on out to have a shot.
- [MB] Come on.
- [bang]
[MH] Yeah!
[spotter] Looking good, man.
[MH] Faruk with a solid lead.
Can he execute this barrel turn
and bring it on home?
- [Rut] Here comes Jordan.
- [MH] Making that turn right there.
We knew Jordan would have trouble
making that turn.
[MB] Got to be so close.
- [bang]
- [hosts] Oh.
[spotter] Hammer on. Full force.
- [MH] Jordan's still behind.
- [Rut] But he got the car to hang out!
[MH] Down the stretch, here he comes!
[spotter] Go!
[MH] What a finish!
[MB] He has done it!
[crowd cheers]
[MH] Faruk Kugay crosses the line
one second ahead of Jordan Martin.
[MH] But wait, we are getting word
that Faruk's hit on that target
at the second turn
is currently under review,
so hold on a sec.
Good job. Good damn job.
[MH] Right now, Faruk looking confident
that he's won this bad boy,
but once again, we'll just have to see
how this shakes out.
[onlooker] If Faruk has...
hit a target with his front fender
and Jordan didn't, that...
That can be a game changer.
[MH] Let's take a look
at the replay right here.
Remember, he's got to hit this
with the back end of his car
Not the front. And... ooh.
[MH] Super close.
I don't now about that, guys.
What do you think?
[Rut] It does look like the front
of the car,
and that is such a heartbreaker for Faruk.
He's a drifter,
he knows how to get the car sideways.
It wasn't caught in the run,
but that but looks pretty definitive.
[MH] It all happened fast out there
and we can't be a 100% sure
until we get the official results.
So for that, let's go down
to Lindsay Czarniak, down in the pits,
ready to deliver that final decision.
[Lindsay] Are you guys ready
to hear the official result?
So, as you know...
Faruk crossed the line first.
You crossed the line
by a little more than a second.
However...
there was a mishit that you had
in turn two...
We'd like to see that.
...with a target, and therefore,
it is actually Jordan
who has won this head-to-head,
because that cost you five seconds.
[spotter] Good job.
Awesome, that was awesome.
[MH] And there we have it.
Jordan Martin moves on.
It is the end of the road for Faruk Kugay.
Congratulations.
[applause]
- [Lindsay] Jordan, that was crazy...
- Yeah.
...that obviously you guys came into this
thinking that you lost that head-to-head.
A little bit shocked in all honesty.
Faruk's a good driver,
and I didn't see that coming,
he usually doesn't make mistakes.
[Faruk] I didn't realize
that we had gotten a penalty,
and it's honestly a bit devastating.
Losing in the first knockout round
to Jordan
mimics a lot of my personal racing career
where there is a lot of peril,
and there's a lot of hurdles to get over,
and I and my team will not give up.
[MH] What an incredible round,
the knockout round,
the head-to-head was unbelievable.
Jordan Martin moves on,
but you gotta feel terribly
for a guy like Faruk Kugay.
[MB] Poor guy, he went out there
for that lap,
blew off the axle
but showed a lot of fighting spirit,
made it to the head-to-head,
looked like he'd won, but of course,
got a penalty, he has to go home.
You thought it was good on this course?
Wait until you see the next course.
We're talking about something
called the Gauntlet.
You have got to see it to believe it,
and it's coming up on Hyperdrive
right now.
in the final 12 are fantastic.
From all around the world,
they've got different skill sets,
their cars are on point.
[Alexandre, in French] I never thought
I'd be in a competition like this.
I really want to win for France.
[Diego in Portuguese] I must always
be the best. I always have to win.
[Mike Hill] What a run by Diego Higa!
[in Portuguese] I'm not finished yet.
[Corinna] I said go hard or go home
and I do it.
Fingers crossed.
[Brittany] The knockout round
is definitely the next level.
[Sara Haro] It's a dream come true.
[Justin] Lots of good drivers here.
So now it's a knife fight.
[crowd] Oh!
- [bang]
- [in Japanese] I'm number one!
[in German] It's time for me to show
these young people how it's done.
[João, in Portuguese] The Sheriff came
to show why he's here.
But this is just the beginning.
There's still a lot of competition ahead.
[Faruk] We put everything on the line
to get here. Nothing will stop us.
We'll fight with everything we've got.
[engine roars]
[Mike Hill] This is Hyperdrive,
and we have reached the knockout rounds.
From a field of 28,
only the best of the best have survived,
and now they are really up against it.
These 12 drivers will be pushed
to the very edge of their abilities,
as they compete on courses more difficult
and more dangerous than ever before.
[Rutledge Wood] That's right.
We've jacked up the difficulty
of everything on the course.
We've doubled down
on that Rockford turn at Supernova,
unlocked an entirely new section
of the track, called Pipe City,
and the Leveler has gone
from a test of courage
to one of precision and finesse.
It's finally living up to its name.
Drivers have to figure out
how to make that monster stay
perfectly balanced for ten seconds.
This one's gonna answer the question,
"Do you truly have complete control over
your vehicle?"
And by the way, the competition
has been leveled up as well.
The bottom three have been redefined
for the knockout rounds.
At the end of the night,
the last place driver will be eliminated,
and the next two slowest racers
will have to battle it out
in a head-to-head elimination showdown.
It's an entirely new track.
A side-by-side sprint to the finish,
featuring four key obstacles.
Win and you survive another day.
Lose and you're going home.
Well, the course is harder.
The stakes are much higher.
So, ready to get this started?
- Let's do it.
- Let's do it.
The first driver's headed
to the launch gate right now.
[female announcer] Track is hot.
Driver one, prepare for launch.
[MH] Kicking off the knockout rounds
is 49-year-old Alex Graff from Germany
in his custom-built '86 BMW.
One half of the husband and wife duo
that made the top 12.
Now, going first...
Not necessarily a good thing,
because we've seen other drivers,
when they go first in the opening
qualifiers, they've struggled.
But the old-school drifter from Germany
might be prepared for this one.
[spotter] Fire it up, Alex.
[engine starts]
[Alex in German] In the year 2000,
drifting began in Germany.
I was there from the beginning.
And I think that we made
the drift culture popular in Germany.
I've always been one of the best drifters
in Germany.
I've proven myself in Germany.
Now I want to prove myself
to the whole world.
I started drifting
before some of these kids were born.
I want to show these kids how to drive.
[MH] Alex Graff at the line,
warming it up.
This guy's got a lot of experience, y'all.
As a matter of fact,
he once held the world's record
for longest and fastest drift.
[Michael Bisping] He's going to need
that experience
because not only is he the first person
on this track,
but it was just raining a little bit ago,
so this track is still a little wet.
[daughter, in German] Daddy?
Have fun with it.
[Alex, in German]
I still see the rain a bit.
[MH] You hear the words of encouragement
from his daughter Jacqueline.
She'll guide the way.
[Alex, in German]
[bleep] the weather! I can't believe it!
[in German] You can pull it off.
[Mike Hill] Let's see
what the father-daughter duo can do.
[tires squeal]
[Mike Hill] Alex Graff,
kicking off our Knockout Round.
He's got a target to hit
just past his first turn.
[engine revs]
- [daughter] Go!
- [bang]
[MH] Oh!
[MB] Yes! That was awesome!
[in German] Perfect!
[Rutledge Wood] You saw him.
Right off the line,
traction was an issue for him.
Those tires are spinning
not the way they normally would.
We'll see how he uses that wet track,
and can he still get the most
out of that '86 BMW?
[MH] Here's the thing about the Supernova.
Remember they had to do one Rockford turn?
Now you have to do two.
- [Rut] Oh!
- [MB] Yes.
[MH] There it is.
[MB] And he made that first one look easy,
so two of those, he's good to go.
[thud]
[MH] First pass through,
now he comes back.
Second pass through Supernova.
[hosts shout excitedly] Whoa!
[MB] Oh, man.
Three penalties right there.
[Rut] He's trying not to let
this slick track slow him down,
but he's got to be cautious,
the car is going to slide more
than he wants it to
at obstacles like Supernova.
[MH] He's got another precision drift
right here at Pipe City.
[in German] Two targets
you have to slide through, don't forget.
- [bang]
- [hosts] Oh!
[Rut] He took the wet track into account
and just aced that.
[in German] Perfect!
[Rut] This is a guy I know
who's definitely spent some time
in some wet parking lots
in his lifetime.
That's where a lot of people
first learn how to drift.
[MB] He has to slow it down.
[MH] Listen to that bad boy go.
Sliding all over the place,
a minute 29 into his run.
[in German] It's so damn slippery!
[Jacqueline]
Now you can go to the Leveler.
[MH] That wet track really having
an effect right now on Alex Graff.
[MB] So now we get up to the Leveler.
This is where it all changes.
He must drive up that sucker,
wait for it to actually balance out
almost to 180 degrees,
then keep it there by going forwards
and backwards for ten seconds.
[MH] And Bis, he'll only have two minutes
to pull it off.
[engine revs]
Here he goes.
His spotter is going to be key here.
[Rut] Right there on the side
you can see that indicator,
that'll help their spotters know
exactly where their drivers need to be.
[in German] Rock back a little... stop.
[MB] All the others are now watching this
and saying,
"Listen, this is what you've got to do.
You've got to go forward,
to balance that sucker out."
Go to the fulcrum, to the middle.
[MH] There it is now.
There it is. There...
[Rut] You see how wildly
that Leveler's swinging
as Alex struggles
to find the balance point.
[Alex in German] Where is the pole
from the middle of the bridge?
[Jacqueline] It's behind the rear.
[Rut] The farther these drivers stray
from that balance point,
the more wildly that bridge
is going to swing.
[Jacqueline in German]
A bit forward, Daddy. It's not going.
Jacqueline, no.
It will be too fast for me!
[MH] There you go, now stay.
[Rut] Back up.
He needs to hold it right about there.
[MB] There he is. Back it up!
[crowd cheers]
No, too far! Go forward!
There it is.
[crowd groans]
[MH] Oh my gosh. Come on, Alex.
[Rut] You can hear the other drivers
watching right now,
cheering him on,
and there's such disappointment,
because they don't know
how hard this is yet.
[MB] You just need that sweet spot
right in the middle.
[Jacqueline, in German]
It's not moving. Okay, perfect.
Little bit forward. Little more. Forward.
[MB] Too far, buddy.
- [crowd groans]
- [MH] Time is ticking.
[MB] Could you imagine
the emotions right now?
[MH] He's close to the max time.
[Rut] Guys, think about this.
It's hard to get a visual perspective
when you're looking out
onto the whole track.
Where is too far forward?
- Where is not enough?
- [announcer] Four, three, two, one.
[MB] Ah!
[MH] He maxed out.
His is two minutes are up.
He's got a lot of time to make up
here on the back half of this course.
[Jacqueline in German]
Okay, go forward again.
[in German] That took forever.
[MB] That is going to affect his mindset
for the rest of the race,
because you know
his blood is boiling right now.
[MH] So he's got to collect himself
as he heads to Walk on Water,
and it's also been leveled up,
as there are less deflectors now
to guide his way along that path.
[in German] Don't be boring.
Your car is tough, but don't break it.
[Rut] He's got to stay on the path,
but this is a rally car,
it's built to take on water.
He'll make up some time here.
[MH] He's got wet tires, Rut,
and Target Zone will be slick
from the rain.
- [tires squeal]
- [hosts] Whoa!
[Rut] Missed the first one.
He's clearly struggling to find
the traction he needs right now.
- [bang]
- [MH] There's one.
- [MB] Keep it up.
- [Rut] Got four this time.
- [bang]
- [MH] Two, three.
[MB] He just smashed that one out the way.
Get out the way!
[bang]
[MH] Nicely done!
Alright.
Nice, super!
[MH] He survives Target Zone
and on to the final stretch now.
Just gotta bring it home.
[MB] Come on, buddy!
[Jacqueline in German]
You are fast! Super!Keep it up!
[MH] Alex Graff!
Setting the mark, here in Knockout One!
Yeah, baby!
[in German] Good job, Dad!
That was not bad,
not bad at all. Very fast.
[MH] He wasn't as fast
as he wanted to be out there,
fighting those slick conditions
the entire run,
and he definitely hurt himself
by taking max time at the Leveler.
[Rut] I'm gonna guess
that's a little bit of clutch you smell.
He was working that clutch
so hard on the Leveler,
trying to find
that backwards and forwards.
What that tells me already,
if you're a driver who has
a really race-built transmission,
you are sweating buckets right now.
The challenge of balancing the Leveler
here in the knockout rounds
is going be an absolute game changer.
[announcer] Track is hot.
Driver two, report to the start line.
[MH] With one time on the board
and the rain subsiding,
the next racers to the line were some
of the competition's heaviest hitters.
The Sheriff from Brazil,
The Wild Child from Texas,
The Lumberjack Drifter from France,
and from Japan, the Drift Sensei,
Atsushi Taniguchi.
All looking to prove
that they were at the top of the class.
[Atsushi] Oh yeah!
[hosts whoop in excitement]
[MH] And they lived up to expectations
right out of the gate.
- [bang]
- [MB] Yeah!
Whoa!
- Nailed it.
- [spotter] Nice job.
- [bang]
- Oh God. [laughs]
[MH] He just hit that barrier!
This man is wild!
Oops.
[in Portuguese] Accelerate! Let's go!
- [MH] Oh yeah, baby.
- [MB] Wow!
[MH] Second pass through Supernova.
[Michael Bisping yells] Oh!
[Rutledge] Yeah! Well played!
[Mike Hill] Nicely done.
[MB] Look at that!
[MH] Look at that! Go ahead, boy!
[MB] Oh my God!
[MH] But after a dazzling display of skill
in the first half of their runs...
[MB] He's spinning 360s whilst he waits
for the Leveler to go green.
Alright, the Leveler,
I've got to think now.
[MH] ...when the drivers arrived
at the Leveler, the course showed
that your early successes
would only get you so far.
[MH] What used to be a test
of power and courage
now demanded patience, control,
and most importantly, finesse.
[MB] He's been reckless,
he's been amazing, he's been awesome,
but now he's got to think,
he's got to take his time.
More, keep going. More.
[hosts yell] Oh!
Stupid Leveler.
[in Portuguese] Hold it.
[Rut] You have to make
smaller movements here,
because the more movement you make
out towards the end, the other end
is gonna go up
the equal and opposite move.
Go a bit more forward.
[MH] Six, seven, eight...
[hosts groan] Oh!
I [bleep] the Leveler up pretty good.
- [MH] ...nine.
- [crowd] Oh!
[in Portuguese]
There was one left, damn it!
Unbelievable that this is
such an equalizer.
[MH] Uh. Can't do it.
Crap.
[MH] He's just going to take it.
[Rut] Max time.
[crowd groans]
[in French]
Forget it. I won't get it.
[spotter in French]
You can go forward. You lost it.
[splash]
[MH] The Leveler had already become
the giant killer in Knockout One,
when Atsushi Taniguchi pulled up
to take on his old nemesis.
[in Japanese] Don't rush the Leveler.
Mm.
- [engine revs]
- [spotter Ken] Okay.
[MH] 3:33.8 as he heads up the Leveler.
Can he balance things out?
[Rut] The real key seems to be,
how much are you going to back up
as the Leveler is coming to level?
[Ken in Japanese] Doing great.
Maybe go back a little bit.
[MB] This course for me
is all about feeling.
Feeling the Leveler coming down,
and riding it like a bull.
[Ken in Japanese]Bit more. Stop!
[MB] This guy...
The car's an extension of his body.
I think he's gonna do just fine.
[Ken in Japanese] More!
[MH] Backing it down a bit.
[Ken in Japanese] Stop right there!
- [MB] Nice, look at that. Perfect.
- [MH] Here we go.
[crowd shouts excitedly]
[MH] Look at this.
Six, seven, eight, nine...
[Atsushi in Japanese] I did it.
[crowd cheers]
[MH] Oh my gosh!
The Sensei has mastered the Leveler!
After the Drift Sensei cracked the Leveler
with his superior clutch control...
- [bang]
- [MB] There's one.
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam.
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam.
- [bang]
- [crowd cheers]
[MH] ...he hit the bullseye in Target Zone
and finished in first place.
The Drift Sensei! What a masterful run!
[Rut] Man, talk about leveling up.
Each time these guys
are getting in the car,
these tracks are getting harder.
[MH] Taking a look at the leaderboard,
there's no question that the time it takes
you to solve the Leveler
will make or break your run.
So for Atsushi Taniguchi,
solving that Leveler in under a minute
has put him atop the leaderboard.
We're off to a scorching start here
in Knockout One.
So let's keep this thing going.
[announcer] Track is hot.
Driver six, report to the start line.
[MH] Time to see Alexandre Claudin
from France once again.
This guy's been super impressive,
getting that big car around the track
and getting here to the knockout round.
And of course, he calls himself
an adrenaline junkie,
but he also says he has never experienced
anything like this
before coming to Hyperdrive.
So he's a bit nervous,
but he's got to bring it home tonight.
[Alexandre in French] I came to the US
for my American dream.
The farther I go in this competition,
the stronger I get,
and the more I learn from my mistakes.
I hope I can make it to the end.
To give my best
to represent France.
To all the people that support me,
a big thank you to everyone.
[crowd cheers]
[Alexandre] We're in the United States!
[crowd cheers]
[in French] Babe, be a fighter.
- [sings] Da-da!
- [MH] He's getting fired up right now.
The Frenchman is pumped!
[in French] Don't break the car.
Woo!
[Alexandre in French] Are you ready?
- Yes, totally!
Woo!
[MH] Alright, Alexandre Claudin
in his '68 Dodge Charger.
The heaviest and widest car
in the competition.
How will it perform
on this Knockout One track?
[crowd cheers]
[Mike Hill] Let's go!
[MB] Wow!
[MH] Right out of the gate.
[MB] Let's go.
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam!
- [MB] Yes!
- [MH] That was beautiful.
[Rut] I love seeing
this '68 Charger sideways.
That just does something
for your soul, doesn't it?
[MH] Heading into Supernova.
Remember, Alexandre's never seen
this obstacle before.
[Rut] A big test coming up here.
Can Alexandre control this car
and execute these Rockford turns?
[Michael Bisping] Oh...
- [bang]
- [MH] Boom.
[bang]
[in French] Just one tube.
[MB] Come on.
[MH] Takes a two-second penalty there
on his first pass.
[in French] Just breathe,
everything is perfect.
[MH] Can he clean it up on the second?
[in French] Try to be faster.
[MB] Left.
[hosts] Whoa!
[in French] Oh [bleep] babe.
This is a catastrophe.
[in French] It's all good.
[MH] Making some mistakes. Three down,
that'll be four penalties right there.
Two seconds a piece.
[MB] This is the biggest, heaviest car
in the competition.
[Rut] It's a land-yacht,
it's all in how you use it.
[MH] Well, we know he's got the skill
to drift it.
Coming up here on Pipe City.
Can he right the ship?
[bang]
[MH] Oh yeah!
[Rut] Beautiful linking.
[in French] It's good!
[MB] In the barrel. Out the way.
Coming through.
[Rut] Look at this tunnel.
How hard could you push it
in something this big going through there?
[in French] Awesome!
[MH] 1:27 into his run now.
Go!
[Rut] He's trying to be smart.
You go fast
but don't wreck this car on the way.
[MH] And this is where he can make up
that time, right here.
[MB] Wow!
It sounds so angry.
[MH] Headed to the Leveler now.
[thud]
[in French] Oh dear.
[MH] Ooh.
[MB] Oh no.
[MH] Is he stalled?
[MB] Oh, no way. Look at this.
[crowd groans]
[Rut] Something's going on with the car.
[MH] Wasting valuable time.
[MB] Oh, man. What is going on?
[groans]
What the hell is going on, Rut?
- [Julie in French] What happened?
- [Alexandre] The car is broken.
The car is broken?
No!
The car is broken.
[bleep]
No! Anything but that!
[MB] Engine's down, he's out the car.
[MH] Let's go down to Lindsay.
[MB] Oh man, what is going on?
Julie's here saying he's finished,
he lost power.
What did he say,
and what do you know of this?
I don't know yet.
He pulled the helmet off
so I have no sound,
I have nothing.
[Lindsay] She has no sound, guys.
So they've lost communication,
and all she can do right now
is watch his agony.
[MB] Oh God.
[MH] Oh my gosh, that is...
- Oh.
- [MB] Oh.
That doesn't look good.
- [MH] You see his girl is...
- [MB] Running over to him.
[MH] Oh gosh.
[Julie speaks in French]
[Julie speaks in French]
[Rut] He is crushed, man.
[MB] Man.
[MH] Total disappointment.
[Rut] You see that whole suspension there
is broken off,
that wheel is tucked underneath.
The suspension piece, that shock,
the coil-over sitting right there.
There's literally nothing you can do,
and it essentially acts
like an anchor, too.
[MB] Poor guy.
Come all this way from France,
doing so well, made it this far,
and then the car just gives up on him.
[Alexandre, in French]
I didn't come here just as a racer.
I came here as a racer with a dream.
A dream that turned into a nightmare.
[male announcer] Track is cold.
Car is broken down at Leveler.
Claudin's car not being able to finish
the course just made me really down.
I was like, "Wait, what just happened?"
Because they fought so hard to get here.
It just broke my heart seeing it.
[female announcer]
Driver seven, report to the start line.
[Brittany] More nervous on this one.
[spotter] You got it.
This course was made for you.
[MH] In the wake of Alexandre's DNF,
the night's remaining drivers
had no choice
but to focus on the task at hand:
surviving this relentless
Knockout One course.
[spotter] Okay, Sara.
Light her up, let's go.
[engine roars]
[MH] Sara Haro, Jordan Martin
and Brittany Williams approached the line
as three of the biggest surprises
from the qualifiers.
[female spotter] Go!
[MH] And the trio was determined to prove
their place in the knockout rounds
was no fluke.
- [MB] Come on, baby!
- [bang]
There's a penalty.
[Rut] Oh, and she missed it!
- [bang]
- [MH] Hit it with the front though.
After all three drivers showed
frayed nerves at the first target,
Brittany and Sara recovered nicely
though Supernova...
- [crowd cheers]
- [MB] Nailed it!
[Rut] Oh yes!
[MH] Great job through Supernova.
...while Jordan's Lambo continued
to struggle with the Rockford turn.
- [bangs]
- [hosts] Oh!
Brakes didn't work.
[Rut] Jordan will to have to keep fighting
his Lambo in order to get it to rotate.
[MH] The Midwest MacGyver
dropped the ball again at Pipe City...
[Rut] He cannot get the car to rotate
the way some of the other drivers can.
[MH] ...and the failures
became contagious.
[Rut] Oh, missed the second one.
[MB] Come on, go back.
Better clean it up,
or you'll be fighting for your life
in the head-to-head.
[bang]
[MB] Brittany looked to stabilize her run
at the Leveler.
Forward a tiny bit... right there. Stop!
- [MH] Seven, eight...
- Go.
- [MH] nine, ten!
- [spotter] Stay right there.
- [MB] Go, baby!
- [MH] Perfectly executed.
[MH] While Sara and Jordan continue
to battle with the Knockout One course.
[Jordan] We've got to get this right.
[MH] This is intense.
We're too far off.
Back.
[crowd groans]
This thing is hard to do.
[Rut] There it is.
She's hit the max time for that.
[MB] Brush it off. Alexandre's out,
so she's still in with a chance.
Keep going... bring it home.
[MH] Crossing the line in seventh
and eighth place, respectively...
Sara and Jordan had put themselves
in jeopardy of elimination.
[Rut] As it stands right now,
Jordan Martin and Sara Haro
will be facing off
in the first ever head-to-head race.
That wasn't good.
[MB] That's so frustrating.
[MH] Next into the launch gate
was the Drift Beast from Germany.
Mother-of-two, Corinna Graff.
A seasoned driver
and the very last competitor to qualify
for the knockout round.
Here she goes!
And although she got off
to a rocky start...
That's going to cost her.
[bleep]
...she recovered to put together
a masterful performance.
[MB] Look at that.
[MH] Eight, nine, ten! She did it!
- Yeah, go!
- [crowd cheers]
[MH] And a healthy dose of gas
down the back stretch...
[Alex] Beast mode!Give it.
[MH] ...vaulting Corinna
to the top of the leaderboard...
[Rut] Go!
[MH] ...guaranteeing her spot
in the next round.
[Rut] That run by Corinna Graff
puts her into fourth place.
Such a solid performance.
A performance that says,
"I am here to stay."
[engine growls]
[MH] Here's the latest. Ten racers down,
just two to go,
and the Leveler continues to be
the story of the night.
Brittany Williams salvaged
a less-than-stellar run
with her skill in balancing the monster.
And as it stands right now,
it's Sara Haro and Jordan Martin
who will be facing off
in our head-to-head elimination race.
[announcer] Track is hot.
Driver 11, prepare for launch.
[spotter] You ready, Faruk?
Yep, we're good.
[MH] Guys, after ten drivers, we have yet
to see anyone really crack this course.
So for Faruk Kugay,
a solid run right here should secure him
a spot in the next round.
[MB] He's been on the sidelines
since his third-place finish
in the very first qualifier.
This opportunity's been a long time coming
for Faruk Kugay.
[Faruk] I was born in Poland.
We moved to the United States
when I was a year old
and we moved to San Francisco.
I've had a love for cars
since I was a kid.
When I got my first car...
You know, you start driving it faster
than you should,
I discovered drifting and I got hooked.
My parents always wanted me
to do something that I love,
and they taught me that life is more
than just making money.
It's about really enjoying life
and enjoying what you do.
So in 2013, I made the decision
that I wanted to try to be pro.
Sell everything I have, build a car
and let's give it a shot.
Let's see if I can do this.
[commentator]
Here we go, Faruk in the Escort...
[Faruk] Drifting,
you get to do things with cars
that sometimes you don't even
imagine are possible.
[commentator] Nice job on that center-rear
clipping zone.
[Faruk] To be a Formula Drift driver,
it is not cheap.
Oh, thanks.
I do everything to stay in the sport,
and at the same time,
everything to pay the bills.
I deliver pizzas.
See you.
Sometimes basic needs fall to the wayside,
because the race car needs a part,
and I'm here to change that.
Winning this would mean a lot to me.
It would prove that, through hard work,
working your butt off
at different jobs, and sweating,
you'll get where you want to be.
[MH] Alright, Faruk Kugay.
He is fearless.
He believes in himself,
but does he have the car to get it done?
[Rut] For sure. Talking about a dream,
from the scrapyard to the drift track,
to 2008 BMW E92 he bought
in a junkyard as a shell,
built it up to be a Formula Drift,
Pro-2 car...
That's a car that's actually competed.
It's got 700 horsepower under the hood,
coming out of that Toyota 2JZ.
He's got nitrous
to help the turbo spool up.
This car is a monster.
[engine revs]
[Faruk] Dave, can you hear me?
Yeah, buddy. I'm ready, man.
Shake 'n bake, brother.
[engine roars]
- [MB] Wow!
- [engine revs]
[MH] Listen to that.
[hosts shout] Oh!
[MB] Think he'll take it easy?
[MH] Penalty right from the start.
Hit it with the front of his car.
I broke something!
[Dave] Broke something?
Something feels really strange.
Give me a second.
[bang]
Just talk to me.
I got one wheel. I broke an axle.
[MB] He's broke an axle, he said.
[bang]
Oh, God.
[crowd groans]
[MH] When you break an axle,
how does that affect
the performance of the car?
[Rut] Your axles transfer power
from engine to ground through the wheels.
So half that power is gone.
It's like running on one leg.
- [bang]
- [bleep] damn it, man.
[Dave] Just breathe, we'll figure it out.
I got no mirrors.
[Dave] Just watch your...
No, the other way!
- [Faruk] Tell me.
- [bang]
You gotta tell me, brother.
Go straight and smooth back, alright?
[MB] This is terrible.
He came out the gate too hot,
and I think he's just jeopardized
his position in this race.
[bleep] damn it, man.
[Dave] Just take it smooth and fast.
Just go right.
I've got one axle! Do you hear me?
- The car has no power.
- Yes, I hear you. Just go smooth.
[MB] It's such a shame,
because he was so happy, so charged,
so calm, in his element.
[Dave] Just handbrake in.
Through the pass.
[bang]
[Dave] It's a penalty. It's okay.
Don't worry about it. Keep going.
[MB] One axle, man.
[Dave] Let's take our time.
Because of where Alexandre is,
All you have to do
is to make it through the Leveler,
let's get on through this course.
I know it's going to be hard,
going up the degree of the Leveler,
but let's get up there
and even if we have to take
the two-minute penalty, we'll take it.
[Faruk] Yep.
Make sure the car doesn't break
and just get through the course.
[Rut] Faruk and his spotter,
talking strategy.
They're being smart about this.
Alexandre posted a "Did Not Finish,"
so Faruk just needs to make it
past the Leveler.
But that would only get him
to the head-to-head,
and in this condition,
I don't think he wins at head-to-head.
Well no, he will have time to wrench
on the car after this run is done.
So if it's just an axle,
he's got the parts here with him,
he can fix this car
and he could take on almost anybody.
But none of that is possible
if he can't get his car up
and over the Leveler.
[MH] So Rut, let me ask you this.
What what are his chances
of making it up here?
[Rut] He's in trouble.
Six stories straight up,
a broken axle giving him one-wheel drive
that's just pushing him left.
This is beyond sketchy.
- [MH] There he goes. Oh.
- [engine revs]
[MB] Oh, he's trying to take a run up.
Smart.
Ever seen Dukes of Hazzard?
- I love Dukes of Hazzard.
- We're hoping that doesn't happen,
but he's got to get the running start
to get up this right now.
[MH] Got to get a running start.
Got to get some momentum.
[Dave] Let's try this. Ready?
[crowd cheers]
[engine roars]
[MB] Here we go!
[MH] Here he goes. Going up.
[hosts] Whoa!
- [MH] Here we go!
- [Rut] Look at this.
[MB] Yes!
[crowd cheers]
[laughs]
That's too good, dude.
[Rut] Unreal, I cannot believe
he made it up that incline.
[MH] The Leveler has been make or break
for everyone tonight,
and in his own way, for what he needs,
Faruk just beat it.
[MH] He's going to take the max time here,
but...
Faruk is now guaranteed to finish
ahead of Alexandre, so...
it's probably time for him
to start thinking about
that head-to-head race now.
Just club-foot it home, buddy.
[Faruk] The Leveler with one wheel
was tricky,
I just had to ramp up as much speed
to get above it.
The obvious answer would be,
"Hey, let's stop."
I might have been able to save the axle,
but then we wouldn't move on
to the next round.
The way the format works is,
we can fix the axle now
and get back out there, hopefully.
[MH] He's just got to bring it on
back home, over the 10-minute mark.
[MB] Good job, buddy.
[crowd cheers]
[MH] So Faruk got it done,
crossed the finish line,
and that means he still has a chance
to stay alive in this competition.
[crowd cheers]
That was extremely not fun.
It's a war of attrition.
I got to race for my life now
and I'll be ready.
You did it.
We got around. Wow.
[MH] Faruk's work is cut out for him now.
Sitting in second-to-last place
with only one driver left to run,
he's guaranteed to be going
into that head-to-head elimination race,
and as it stands right now,
he'd be taking on Jordan Martin
in that Lamborghini.
His time of 10:36.8
represents the cut mark.
[announcer] Driver 12,
report to the start line.
[in Portuguese] Are you hearing me, Dad?
[Dad] Yes, son.
[MH] Got to admit, it's the moment
I've been waiting for all night,
because this guy was a freak
in his first run.
The 21-year-old Diego Higa out of Brazil.
He might have a baby face,
but he's not here to play any games.
Of course, his father Neto
acting as his spotter.
And for these two,
racing has meant everything
since Diego was just a boy.
[Diego, in Portuguese]
There's a lot of pressure on me.
My father has invested a lot in me,
because he believes in me.
Years ago he decided
not to compete anymore,
so that he could mentor me.
So I think he expects a great return
on his investment.
I sacrifice all of my free time
to turn myself into the best.
But it's what I want for my life.
Everything that we've been through,
all the arguments we've had
as a result of the pressure...
I believe it will have been worth it.
Because he made my dream come true.
I owe everything I am to my dad,
because he put me here.
I don't have the words to thank him.
All I can do to show my gratitude
is win more titles.
- [engine revs up]
- [crowd cheers]
[MH] It's Diego Higa,
coming off a dominant performance
in Qualifier Three...
looking to make a statement
here in the knockout rounds.
He'll have to beat Jordan MartIn's time
of 10:36 to advance,
otherwise he's facing off
against this guy, Faruk Kugay,
in a head-to-head,
do-or-die elimination race.
- [in Portuguese] Good luck!
- To us both.
[crowd cheers]
[Rut] The crowd is on their feet.
They know we are going to get a show
right now.
[tires squeal]
[Mike Hill] Let's go!
[MB] Wow!
[MH] Hit that corner, baby!
[Rut] Woo!
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam.
- [bang]
- He ain't taking it easy.
[MB] I was gonna say.
Definitely not taking it easy.
- [MH] No sir.
- [Rut] Nailed that first target.
He was almost up on the curb there,
on that first left turn.
[announcer] Supernova engaged.
[Rut] Let's see how he does
with the Double Supernova.
[MH] Here he goes.
[Rut] I got it!
[crowd cheers]
[MB] Look at the speed he's going there.
[Rut] Beautiful, isn't it?
[MH] Nicely done.
- Supernova, got to do it twice.
- [bang]
[engine revs]
[MH] Back it up again.
[Michael Bisping] Ah, wow!
[Neto in Portuguese]
Sensational son, let's go.
[MB] Absolute perfection.
[in Potuguese] Well done!
[Rut] We're looking at a kid
who's got a future
at being a precision driver.
[in Portuguese] Two targets coming.
Try to hit them on the first try.
[Rut] When you have moves like that
and you can hold it so perfectly,
What can't you do?
[crowd cheers]
- [bang]
- [MB] Absolutely flawless.
- [in Portuguese] Did I hit them both?
- You got them both! Let's go!
[hosts] Whoa!
[MH] Look at him,
flying through that narrow tunnel.
Diego Higa showing no fear on this course.
[Rut] He is on fire out there.
[MH] Working his way to the Leveler.
[MB] So the thing is this.
He's clearly a superior driver.
But the Leveler right now
is like nothing that people have ever seen
before in their lives.
They're just not used to doing that.
So I'm really intrigued to see
how it's going to go for him
[MH] Diego Higa,
coming up on that checkpoint,
well ahead of Atsushi's first place time.
But as we've seen already tonight,
if you cannot solve the Leveler,
it can absolutely cripple your run.
[Rut] The Leveler doesn't care
where you're from,
it doesn't care
how good you think you are,
it only cares about one thing,
that's the balance.
[in Portuguese] Let's go!
[MH] It does not discriminate.
[bang]
[MH] We'll see how he levels this out.
[Neto in Portuguese] Go back.
Go back. Go!
Stop!
Stop, stay there.
[MH] You can see that communication
between father and son there.
Go back.
You need to go back further, son!
Calm down! The reverse wasn't engaged.
[MH] Diego clearly frustrated now,
[MB] He's falling apart here.
[MH] He's having some issues.
[Rut] He's trying to use his speed
- to speed this process up.
- [MB] To level it up, I get it.
[Rut]
Except it doesn't really help everybody.
[MB] Here's the thing, 21 years old,
still a little...
I don't wanna say immature,
but not as mature as the other drivers,
and you can't rev your way out
of this one.
Patience is key.
[in Portuguese] Just a little bit,
you're going too far!
You need to listen, dude!
Go back, son!
There! It went!
[MH] They might get it.
Oh! Don't go back!
- [MB] That's it. Stay!
- [MH] Nine, ten!
- [hosts] Whoa!
- [in Portuguese] Well done!
[MB] Okay, Diego's the man.
[MH] Yes he is, cracking the Leveler
on his first attempt.
Great communication between him
and his father Neto there.
[in Portuguese] Let's go to the water.
[MH] Diego solves the Leveler,
but not nearly as quickly as Atsushi did.
If he wants first place, he's going to
have to execute perfectly here.
[Rut] This will be his first time
coming into Walk on Water.
We've seen this obstacle
cripple drivers once before.
[MB] Whoa.
[in Portuguese]
Foot off in the water.
[MH] He's got to link these four targets
with slick tires.
Remember, Atsushi aced this.
[bang]
[hosts] Whoa.
[MH] Missed that spot.
- [bang]
- [MB] There we go.
- [bang]
- [MH] He got it.
Here we go.
[MB] Keep it going.
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam. There it is. Okay.
[in Portuguese] Nice!
[MH] He's at 5:45. He's looking good.
6:07 the time to beat.
The kid from Brazil,
he's going to be the number one spot!
Diego Higa, the young gun!
[in Portuguese] Well done.
You can celebrate now.
[Rut] Sideways across the finish line.
[MH] 5:54.2, no penalties.
We've seen this young man
take this track twice
and finish atop the leaderboard
both times.
[MB] Wow, by a long way.
Unbelievable.
- So satisfying to watch. I'm like, "Yay!"
- Yeah, he's a good driver.
He's a really good driver.
[Diego in Portuguese]
The race is done.
I'm very happy,
because the result was marvelous.
I'm speechless. First place again.
[laughs]
I came here to win,
so I'm super happy.
[MH] So once again,
Diego Higa's taken the top spot.
He and drivers two through nine will be
moving onto the next knockout round.
Unfortunately for Alexandre Claudin,
his competition is done.
Right now it's all eyes
on Jordan Martin and Faruk Kugay.
And for Kugay, the question is,
can his car hold up?
As he goes head-to-head in a race
to keep his Hyperdrive dream alive.
[engine roars]
[MH] Alright, get your popcorn ready
for the first ever Hyperdrive
head-to-head elimination race.
Rut, tell us about the track.
[Rut] Jordan and Faruk will launch
side by side
and negotiate identical obstacles
plotted along the course.
In the first turn,
they'll have to hit a target
with the backside of their car.
After that, it's a trip
through a narrow shipping container,
followed by a second target,
then a tight barrel turn,
and finally a mad scramble
to the finish line.
This is going to be insane.
[MH] Fellas, this is it.
The first ever head-to-head
in Hyperdrive history.
The winner will move on,
the loser, well...
he ain't gotta go home,
but he ain't in this competition anymore.
So who's it gonna be?
Is it gonna be Faruk Kugay,
the pizza delivery guy
out of San Francisco, in his BMW?
Or will be Jordan Martin,
the inventor out of Illinois,
in that beautiful Lamborghini?
[Rut] Well, guys, no one's taken
this course before
and we don't know who it's going to favor.
But on one side,
you've got the fastest car
in the competition
with Jordan's Lambo...
[MH] Whoa, you can feel that thunder!
...on the other side, you've got
an elite drift car in Faruk's BMW.
- [MH] Whoa!
- [MB] Spin it, baby.
[Rut] The course features both speed
and precision elements.
This is anybody's race.
- [spotter] Good luck, Jordan.
- Thanks, Martin.
[Jordan] Going into this challenge,
the car's been performing well.
It's ready, I think I am.
We're gonna see what happens.
We're not leaving anything on the table.
[Martin] Faruk, you've got this, buddy.
I'm pulling for you.
[Faruk] Thanks, bud.
I'm confident that our repairs
that we've been doing non-stop on this car
will hold
through the head-to-head competition,
because we've been double-checking,
triple-checking...
so we're not really worried
about any mechanical failures.
We think we've got it all solved.
[engine revs]
[MH] Oh, boy.
Jordan Martin
with that Lamborghini Huracan.
Faruk Kugay in his custom-built BMW.
[tires squeal]
[engines roar]
[MB] Let's go! Wow!
[Rut] Jordan in the Lambo
with the early lead,
as we come up on that first target!
- [bang]
- [MH] Bam! Bam!
- Look at that!
- [MB] Go, baby!
[Rut] Faruk makes up some time.
- [MH] This is unbelievable.
- [spotter] Go through there!
[MB] Flying through that container!
[spotter] Hammer on, dude.
[MH] Jordan taking it slow,
falling behind,
but remember,
he's got that inside edge on the turn.
Faruk's at the second target.
[MB] Here we go.
[bang]
[Rut] Threw his whole car into that.
[MH] Jordan's going to have to be perfect
from here on out to have a shot.
- [MB] Come on.
- [bang]
[MH] Yeah!
[spotter] Looking good, man.
[MH] Faruk with a solid lead.
Can he execute this barrel turn
and bring it on home?
- [Rut] Here comes Jordan.
- [MH] Making that turn right there.
We knew Jordan would have trouble
making that turn.
[MB] Got to be so close.
- [bang]
- [hosts] Oh.
[spotter] Hammer on. Full force.
- [MH] Jordan's still behind.
- [Rut] But he got the car to hang out!
[MH] Down the stretch, here he comes!
[spotter] Go!
[MH] What a finish!
[MB] He has done it!
[crowd cheers]
[MH] Faruk Kugay crosses the line
one second ahead of Jordan Martin.
[MH] But wait, we are getting word
that Faruk's hit on that target
at the second turn
is currently under review,
so hold on a sec.
Good job. Good damn job.
[MH] Right now, Faruk looking confident
that he's won this bad boy,
but once again, we'll just have to see
how this shakes out.
[onlooker] If Faruk has...
hit a target with his front fender
and Jordan didn't, that...
That can be a game changer.
[MH] Let's take a look
at the replay right here.
Remember, he's got to hit this
with the back end of his car
Not the front. And... ooh.
[MH] Super close.
I don't now about that, guys.
What do you think?
[Rut] It does look like the front
of the car,
and that is such a heartbreaker for Faruk.
He's a drifter,
he knows how to get the car sideways.
It wasn't caught in the run,
but that but looks pretty definitive.
[MH] It all happened fast out there
and we can't be a 100% sure
until we get the official results.
So for that, let's go down
to Lindsay Czarniak, down in the pits,
ready to deliver that final decision.
[Lindsay] Are you guys ready
to hear the official result?
So, as you know...
Faruk crossed the line first.
You crossed the line
by a little more than a second.
However...
there was a mishit that you had
in turn two...
We'd like to see that.
...with a target, and therefore,
it is actually Jordan
who has won this head-to-head,
because that cost you five seconds.
[spotter] Good job.
Awesome, that was awesome.
[MH] And there we have it.
Jordan Martin moves on.
It is the end of the road for Faruk Kugay.
Congratulations.
[applause]
- [Lindsay] Jordan, that was crazy...
- Yeah.
...that obviously you guys came into this
thinking that you lost that head-to-head.
A little bit shocked in all honesty.
Faruk's a good driver,
and I didn't see that coming,
he usually doesn't make mistakes.
[Faruk] I didn't realize
that we had gotten a penalty,
and it's honestly a bit devastating.
Losing in the first knockout round
to Jordan
mimics a lot of my personal racing career
where there is a lot of peril,
and there's a lot of hurdles to get over,
and I and my team will not give up.
[MH] What an incredible round,
the knockout round,
the head-to-head was unbelievable.
Jordan Martin moves on,
but you gotta feel terribly
for a guy like Faruk Kugay.
[MB] Poor guy, he went out there
for that lap,
blew off the axle
but showed a lot of fighting spirit,
made it to the head-to-head,
looked like he'd won, but of course,
got a penalty, he has to go home.
You thought it was good on this course?
Wait until you see the next course.
We're talking about something
called the Gauntlet.
You have got to see it to believe it,
and it's coming up on Hyperdrive
right now.