Racing and soccer may seem like opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to sports but they do have a few things in common including speed, reaction time and Continental Tire. So what happens when six Major League Soccer (MLS) player’s trade their boots for tires and get behind the wheel of a 2014 Lamborghini? With a little instruction from TUDOR United SportsCar Championship driver, Townsend Bell, their competitive edge comes out in the new short format feature, “What’Cha Got”, presented by Continental Tire.
Continental Tire, the official tire for both MLS and IMSA, bring these two sports together in the seven-part series that started to air Oct. 19, as part of ESPN FC across the ESPN family of networks. The weekly series features six top MLS players swapping their daily driver for a turn behind the wheel of a Lamborghini. Each player puts his best foot forward to make it through a coned, autocross course in the parking lot of a MLS stadium as fast as possible. Three players from the Eastern conference, and three from the Western conference, squared off in a battle similar to the shootout at the O.K. Corral. In the end, two were left standing to contend for the chance to win a year-long lease of the Lamborghini.
“We are happy to launch our first season with Major League Soccer and Continental Tire,” said host, Townsend Bell. “It was a great experience to share my racing passion with these athletes. I'm excited for soccer fans as they watch some of the best athletes in the sport take on the challenge of driving at the limit. With a supercar on the line for the fastest driver, they really go for it."
The six inaugural participants include Giles Barnes (Houston Dynamo), Graham Zusi (Sporting KC), and Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire) from the Eastern Conference, and Chandler Hoffman (Los Angeles Galaxy), Stephen Keel (FC Dallas), and Dan Kennedy (Chivas USA), from the Western Conference.
Beginning Oct. 19, every Sunday episode will feature a different player with the finale airing, Dec. 7. Each episode will give fans a peek inside the player’s personal garage. And of course provide highlights from each player’s time at the track. The final episode will feature the fastest player from the East and the West squaring off for the grand prize.
Jump in the conversation @continentaltire using #SoccerLove.
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