VIDEO: HoundsTV What’s the fastest you’ve been driving? “About 280.”

(HoundsTV – Toronto) The annual Gumball 3000 Rally hit the streets of Toronto as the cars (and their eccentric drivers) rolled onto Yorkville ave. to a large gathering of auto enthusiasts and fans.

The Rally has become very popular with the rich and celebrity crowd. Participants in this years race include David Hasselhoff, actors Michael Madsen and Idris Elba. Rappers Xzibit and Eve. Besides having to have a top notch car, the entry fee for the Gumball 3000 is $30,000 per two-man team.

The Gumball is also starting to get a bit of a reputation from authorities. Highway police don’t really like unauthorized car races speeding through their towns. One Gumball 3000 racer was pulled off Highway 401 travelling east to Toronto from Quebec City. The driver immediately lost their license and was charged with excessive speeding, stunt driving and the Gumball car impounded.

The cars leave Toronto and make their way to the end of their 7 day destination, New York this weekend.

(HoundsTV – Toronto) Guitar god Eric Clapton arrived in Toronto on Saturday – the day before an Air Canada Centre show with fellow music legend Jeff Beck. Just after arriving in Toronto, Clapton took a stroll along a popular Toronto street visiting a few high-end retail shops.

UPDATE: On a very beautiful Sunday in Toronto, Eric Clapton took a Sunday stroll along Toronto’s popular Yorkville Ave. a few hours before his Air Canada Centre date with Jeff Beck.

There were a few autograph collectors awaiting Mr. Claptons return to his hotel. He just silently brushed off their signature requests.

UPDATE 2: Seems like Slowhand’s pissy Toronto mood might have continued on the stage? Toronto Star’s Ben Rayner has some choice words about the Clapton/Beck set at ACC.

But what has a few people wondering this week is what happened to the announcement of Atom Egoyan’s Chloe? As far back as its Toronto based shooting in early 2009, industry watchers figured it was a lock to kick-off TIFF 2009.

The Toronto festival had a long history of giving opening night to a Canadian film and director/writer Egoyan certainly has history with TIFF premieres (even though, technically, Chloe is a British-French co-production – it’s director is Canadian and it was entirely shot in Canada.)

We heard there was to be a private screening of Chloe early in the week for festival co-directors Cameron Bailey and Piers Handling.

Perhaps Egoyan’s cut was not ready?

Should be interesting to see if Chloe makes it into the next batch of films announced for TIFF’09 in the coming weeks.

photo: Atom Egoyan directs Amanda Seyfried on the streets of Toronto in early 2009 shooting “Chloe” – Is a planned 2009 Toronto Film Festival premiere in doubt?