A Question of Sport

I don't watch A Question of Sport.  It's awful since they parachuted in Paddy McGuinness.

I did however watch a sportsman on Question Time.

I refer to Sebastian Vettel.

I haven't watched Question Time in ages - I tended not to like it because of the Gammons in the audience.  I wasn't going to watch this one despite Seb being on it but then I spotted that comedian Geoff Norcott was also on it so I gave it a go.  Geoff Norcott's hand was the last one I shook before Covid meant that we couldn't do that any more.

It has improved.  There was only one right-wing pillock in the audience and he suitably demonstrated his pillockness.

Seb didn't actually say too much apart from pointing out that Brexit is a mess and admitting to being a bit of a hypocrite about thinking green while travelling the World racing cars.  But he did give a very good account of himself in a debating programme using a second language and he really impressed Planet f1's Finley Crebolder.  I suspect Lewis Hamilton wouldn't have been as eloquent.

Today's sport on TV is the Women's FA Cup Final - I'm not watching it.  I suspect a lot of people aren't watching it which might be why ITV Sport have decided to showcase the middle BTCC Race today on ITV1 (also known as "ITV") rather than the usual ITV4.  This features Lewis Hamilton's brother and Rick Parfitt's son but they are always at the back of the field so don't tend to get much of a mention.

I found it a bit irritating because the presenters and commentators were trying to explain everything to the new viewers but they did get a very interesting race with plenty of action.

ITV4 meanwhile showed Twins.

So the question of sport for ITV is: How many people will watch the third race today?

The History of Gears

Fifth Gear is now on ITV4.

It came as a bit of a shock to me when I spotted it in The Radio Times a few weeks ago.  Especially as I had just been catching up on the repeats of the Discovery Channel episodes which were being shown on Quest - as I predicted when I found out they were going to Discovery back in September 2012.

I'm not sure why they moved from Discovery but I suspect the answer could lie in a quote from this article in BroadcastNow.co.uk from September 2014 which quotes the chief exec of North One TV (who make the show) that "establishing free-to-air distribution for the show was also vital because the additional viewing figures helped secure the backing of car manufacturers for the series."  As it is, The History Channel get the first airing of the shows but then ITV4 get them half-a-year or more later..

Maybe that is why the Twitter account of Tiff Needell (or Tiffany Dell) uses a historical picture when he tells us the news:

Or is that Barry Sheene?

Maybe they were struggling a bit with lower viewing figures resulting from going over to the dark side.

I could have told them that - I mean, don't get me started on F1!

Why not?

I SAID DON'T GET ME STARTED ON F1!!

Apologies if you've just spent ages reading that rant.  Back to the story or history of Gears.  I've just started to get back in to Fifth Gear after a three year absence.  Vicki seems to be pregnant again and Jason Plato has disappeared again although they are borrowing Karun Chandok who seems to be doing a good job in his place.

At this point I started explaining to one of my sons where Fifth Gear actually came from.  About how BBC2 decided they had had enough of Top Gear (one of their highest rating shows - albeit more about cars and motoring than entertainment) so decommissioned it.  And how the Top Gear team went over to Channel 5 but The Beeb wouldn't let them take the name with them so they called it Fifth Gear.  Then The Beeb realised the error of their ways and got former host Jeremy Clarkson in to front a new version which is what we are more familiar with now.

This prompted me to get onto YouTube and find some old 1980s and 1990s Top Gear episodes which is something I do from time to time at the slightest excuse.  It is difficult to comprehend just how posh Jeremy was in those days - entertaining on a different level.  And nice to see William Woollard again.

Anyway, here is a timeline as I see it right now - with Fifth Gear strewn over five channels.

Somehow, even though it will be on Pay TV, I don't think Clarkson, May & Hammond (or whatever it will be called) will have problems with "securing the backing of car manufacturers for the series."

Not that I'll be watching it until it turns up on YouTube or Dave or wherever it is free.

Meanwhile, I will be definitely be watching with interest Chris Evans presenting an all-newer Top Gear.

That will be the future of Gears.

Some Say... ...He Assaulted Goodwood’s Hill with a Mustang Shelby GT350R

I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for Ben Collins now.

He can't do anything without being referred to as "the former Stig from Top Gear."

This story from Car+Driver has him driving a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350R up the Goodwood Hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed which is on this weekend.  I look forward to the highlights show on ITV4.

Maybe one year I'll make the effort to get down there.  This year I made the effort to check out their Website.  I then got distracted by this story on it.  I love old Volvos - especially the ones I saw at Oulton Park competing in the British Touring Car Championships in the '90s.  So much so that I have a signed print (signed by driver Tim Harvey and also by the artist) of a drawing of them in action at Brands Hatch in my hall.

The picture is in my hall, Brands Hatch isn't.

Anyway, this is why I was drawn to that story:

It's a Volvo 240T Touring Car!  That I'd never heard of. But that is because it competed in the European Touring Car Championships in the '80s.

At this point I got distracted by the thought that I wish they were still competing - after all, back in 2012, I found this story about a new Volvo Touring Car.

So, a quick bit of  Internet research led me to the Scandinavian Touring Car Championships where Volvos have been very successful of late and they seem to have more manufacturers taking part too - including the likes of Dacia.

Now, the first Formula e race of the weekend has just started so I'll go and watch that.

Some say I get easily distracted...  ... ooh look, a duck.

Race Relations

Pistonheads today have a story headlined "Kia Want to Race" about how Kia want to get a bit of racing pedigree added to their image.  This is in the wake of their sister-brand, Hyundai announcing entry to the WRC.

Hence, "Race Relations" - geddit?

Anyhoo, Kia are looking into Touring Cars in Europe but haven't said exactly where.

The Pistonheads story quotes the MD of Kia UK as saying, "Motorsport is an interesting proposition for us and Touring Cars is an interesting area that we are looking at.  It will help set the two brands apart and would help increase awareness of Kia. I would like to see something a little more sporty about the brand."

Now, since the MD of Kia UK is talking about this, then surely the way forward is the BTCC.

The BTCC started for 2013 at Brands Hatch on March 31st.  And very enjoyable it was too.

ITV4, as usual, covered the full day.  For some unknown reason, they've swapped their co-commentator though.  Now, instead of Toby Moody joining Tim Harvey in the commentary box, we have Tim with David Addison.

 No, not THAT David Addison, THIS David Addison...



I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with this particular David Addison - but his background experience seems fine and he did a good job at Brands.  His preview of the Season can be found here on the ITV Website.

Would have still liked Murray Walker there though.

During a break in the BTCC coverage, ITV took the opportunity to promote some more of the Motorsport they will be covering this year - and that now includes the WRC.  Only highlights of some races but it is a start - might help to reverse the need for "Rallying Support" - note my last paragraph in that article - someone is listening after all!

And, apparently, Kia's sister-brand Hyundai is joining the WRC - I remember reading that recently.