Last stop for the bus. We wish you a happy, happy retirement.
After half-a-dozen years of faithful service we’re retiring the commentary bus. When we first welcomed it the commentary had become a fixed part of the event but suffered by having to come from the grandstand and the difficulties of providing the commentator with necessary information. The information was available, it just wasn’t easy to provide in the open-plan that is the grandstand.
The bus was a good solution. The view of the racing was exceptional and the semi-enclosed, exclusive space enabled some communication reliability to be enjoyed.But the dear old bus (and it is an old bus, being the pride and joy of a member of a vintage bus society) has, in its turn, had its day, It can only be parked front-on and the available space is taken up by seats. The advent of more technology allows us to record audio and video for broadcast on the web and, in 2009, we had the services of a full-time journalist who suffered from having to be nomadic.
The replacement is a two-tier container set. The top unit has been designed as a commentary box with windows down one long side and the two short ends with an ability for the long side to overlook the race course. This will allow viewing for all the commentators with space for desks and computer equipment. The lower container will act as a press and interview room equipped with broadband and power.
The present plans include an electronic board on the road-facing side of the units fed by the race control computer so that spectators can follow teams and know what’s happening.