Local man to appear on ‘Crash Course’

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September 1, 2009

By CHRIS HARRIS, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Tue Sep 01, 2009, 08:55 PM EDT

Somerset — Crashing your car is never a fun occasion ... unless you’re on reality TV.

Scott Presley, a Somerset a native, will be appearing tonight on the ABC series “Crash Course.” Anyone with a need for speed will want to tune in to this one as Scott and his partner on the show take on an obstacle course for automobiles.

Hosted by Dan Cortese, former MTV and “Melrose Place” star, and Orlando Jones of “MADTv” and “Office Space,” the new show “Crash Course” will put brave pairs behind the wheel of a souped-up car and make them face road hazards you don’t often see — such as falling objects or ramps that are on fire. They might have to parallel park a monster-sized vehicle, or go drag racing — backwards, according to ABC.

What do they get for their troubles? Ideally, prize money in the amount of $50,000. Whether or not Presley will fare that well remains to be seen — reality show contestants aren’t able to talk about what actually happened on the show until after it’s aired — but it was only by chance that he got a shot at the big money in the first place.

“My friend (Vivicca Whitsett) was going to do the show with another friend,” said Presley. However, the original partner canceled, so Presley came and auditioned with Whitsett instead.

Those used to demolition derby events may find something to smile about in “Crash Course,” but despite being from Pulaski County, that wasn’t Presley’s area of expertise. His biggest qualification? “I’ve been driving since I was 16,” he quipped.

So how did he like the experience? “It was definitely fun,” said Presley. “It’s one thing to be a good driver, but it’s a little bit freeing to be reckless in a car on a closed course.”

Sounds dangerous, right? “I lived,” said Presley, laughing.

Presley also had words of praise for the show’s hosts and crew, who have to know a little more about cars — one of Pulaski County’s favorite topics — than on most other television sets. “They’re the nicest bunch of people you’d ever want to work with,” said Presley. “Everyone made it a lot of fun.”

Presley now lives in Los Angeles, Calif., where he works as an actor — he’s appeared in the TV series “Sordid Lives,” a drama on the Logo Network in 2008 — and at a restaurant called Hamburger Mary’s. However, “Crash Course” was filmed not on some Hollywood studio lot, but rather in Detroit — an appropriate setting as the “Motor City,” but Presley says there’s an even better reason to shoot there: The city offers incentives to encourage television shows and media to come to town, where it may be cheaper to film than on the West Coast.

Presley, the son of Kenneth and Phyllis Presley, graduated from Somerset High School in 1983. He then went to the New Actors Workshop, an acting school in New York City, then moved to Los Angeles.

“Crash Course” airs tonight at 9 p.m. on ABC, Channel 36 in Lexington. Presley says to expect a rip-roaring good time.

“I watched the first episode (last week); it was a lot of fun,” said Presley. “If people like ‘Wipeout’, they’ll like this.”

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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