Why the BTCC no longer has pit-stops

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/59274

The above farce is a prime example as to why mandatory pit-stops are a Bad Thing™. A general rule of thumb: don't bother having them unless a) the tyre-wear/fuel consumption is such that the race actually needs pit-stops to continue (e.g. Sportscar/GT racing) or b) pit-stops are the only way cars can realistically change position during the race (e.g. F1).

YouTubey goodness #03

Action from the latest BTCC round - 6 wide into Thruxton's chicane!

Burt at Thruxton

Thankfully Kelvin Burt is OK after this nasty-looking crash at Thruxton yesterday. A lot has been said about how his car vaulted the catch-fencing, but it looks like a freak incident as his car dug into the armco at exactly the right angle to carry it over the fence. Short of encasing the entire circuit in 20m high walls there's not much more that can be done - I'm still trying to recall the last time I saw a racing car end up the wrong side of the barriers after a crash. Remember: Motorsport is Dangerous!

Live BTCC streaming ahoy?

Blimey - ITV in "do-something-good" shocker?

Turns out ITV.com is relaunching "within weeks" and will give visitors live streaming of ITV channels and a 30-day catchup. According to Media Guardian:

ITV programmes that are viewed as live simulcasts online will run with the same ads that are shown during broadcasts on its TV channels.

Programming that is viewed on demand through ITV.com's 30-day catch-up service will offer a wide range of advertising options and opportunities that will be fine-tuned based on customer preference.

Furthermore:

ITV is using what is known as Geo-IP blocking technology to make sure that international visitors to ITV.com do not access programming that has location-based rights restrictions for viewing.

Soooo... UK users should be able to watch ITV's BTCC coverage live on the interweb and "watch again" within 30 days, albeit with plenty of adverts abounding. No word on whether BTCC coverage falls under the umbrella of needing "location-based rights restrictions"; but a "friend" of this blogger claims such restrictions are not hard to "circumvent". Apparently.