11 replies to this topic

[Barry Boor]

I have just passed a very enjoyable 2 hours watching some hairy kart racing around theSwimming Pool area of the Monaco waterfront.

I have also just e-mailed Eurosport to moan about the appalling standard of the commentary.

If you missed it, you missed a lot of fun; but you also missed one of THE most inept attempts at commentating you would ever have had the misfortune to witness.

I had a feeling something was wrong when the guy (name unknown) stated at the beginning that most, though not all, of the Grand Prix circuit was being used for this event. WOW! I thought.

When the first race got under way, I was somewhat mystified as to the words MOST of the Grand Prix circuit. In fact, the karts joined the Grand Prix circuit just on the swimming pool side of the Tabac, went around the pool complex, (with additional chicanes) round the Rascasse, then turned right onto what is actually the F1 pit road, going through a couple more chicanes at the St. Devote end, before running down what looked like an artificial metal? ramp then turning through a 180 degree hairpin back to where I started the description. Hardly MOST of the Grand Prix circuit.

But then, perhaps this bloke had never been there before. Maybe he wasn't there now! Perhaps he was commentating from a studio somewhere watching a black and white monitor.

At least that would partially excuse his total inability to see what was happening, or identify the drivers involved. Maybe Xavier Pompidou's helmet is not familiar to many, I wouldn't know it, but people like Herbert, Collard, Sarrazin etc etc ARE well known, and should be easy to spot.

At times I felt myself wishing for Murray Walker - THAT'S how bad it was.

Phew! I feel better now!

So did anyone else see it?

[Viktor]

missed it I know it was on at 19.00 but I rememberd it when I read your post and then it was to late. Anyone know if it there is a replay of the program?

/Viktor

[Barry Boor]

Yes, Viktor. If the t.v. listings for Eurosport are to be believed (which is not always the case) it is repeated at 8.30 a.m. (BST) on Tuesday morning, 16th October.

[Rob29]

I think Barry is a bit hard on this poor man.You try covering a race with identical red karts,with no race numbers and drivers all with white suits & blue helmets-in the dark!

[Barry Boor]

True, Rob, but my only gripe regarding the 'red' kart race was his failue to spot Agostini. (Whose helmet was, in fact, totally unlike any other in the race.)

My main moan (!) was about his inability to recognise the proper race drivers in the other 3 races.

[David M. Kane]

This sounds like very interesting stuff. Having recently seen a
video at a karting facility near Dulles Airport which we joined
of the big indoor karting race held each year in Paris I can only
imagine how exciting this was.

Unfortunately, we don't get much karting coverage in the States
even on Speedvision.

Currently, most of our real karting interest is in California in
my opinion. Bryan Herta, for example, owns a serious facility
near LA and there is a great set-up with a school at Willow Springs.

[Roger Clark]

It was said on the ITV coverage of the Japanese Grand Prix that Michael Schumacher plans to compete in a round of the world Karting Championship soon. Could be interesting....

[Bjorn]

I saw the race, mad fun

And I agree, the commentary was awful. You could spot Herbert from miles away just by looking at his helmet, and the BIG numbers on the carts help, too. But it took the guy about 4 laps to figure out that Herbert was in fourth early in the race. Only when the standings popped up on the screen he realized his mistake. It's ok to make mistakes, but 4 laps, and Herbert on the screen nearly all the time? I could easily see it on my 12" mini TV, I wonder what he was watching.

[Barry Boor]

Thank heavens I'm not the only one! Thanks, Bjorn.

[BRG]

I'm with you too Barry - an appalling display of unprofessionalism, even by Eurosport's sometimes patchy standards. How he mistook Herbert for Sarrazin for so long mystified me - the numbers anbd helmets were clear enough.

But wasn't it great seeing so many good drivers back in karts on a decent circuit (not that awful Paris-Bercy track) that allowed some clean overtaking. And I greatly enjoyed seeing Johnny really goign for it - but waht was all the business with raising his arm? A problem with the kart, or did he want to be excused?

[birdie]

I didn't see it, Monaco Cup's not usually the best the sport has to offer so I saw American Pie 2 instead. The commentator was Tony Delahunty who should really know better, his son used to be a pretty good karter. Also I heard Herbert had problems with his engine, that would be why he was putting his hand up.

Anyone else going to watch the World Champs at Kerpen? Schumacher and reportedly another F1 driver are racing and I think they will get thrashed!

[Barry Boor]

I too assumed that Johnny's raised arm was a signal that he had a problem. It obviously went away because he was competitive to the end.