If Mark James is lurking

[Neil J]

Most of it`s been said, Mark James, excellent.

I thoroughy missed him and now look at the twonk we have to put up with. I cringe with the commentry we get now, I can even remember his name.


Bring back Mark James

[markrally]

Blimey! I thought I'd been forgotten and look what happens!

Thanks everyone for your kind words. Sorry it's taken me a few days to reply, but there was a small problem registering with the forum and I've been working (for the BBC, ironically) for the last couple of days. I have to say that some of the things people have said have made me blush, not to mention the clips that were posted on YouTube. I still remember the watersplash incident on Rally Australia like it was yesterday, so you can imagine how I felt to discover it was actually 11 years ago!

Dan has already covered most of what I've been up to since I stopped covering the WRC at the end of 2002. Up until then, I'd had 8 fantastic years, covering a sport I love at the highest level, for an organisation I regard at being among the best in the world at what it does. No wonder I frequently used to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't making it all up......

As I've said on other forums over the years, I won't go into the reasons why my involvement with the WRC ended, although I'm more than happy to say that it had nothing to do with the quality of my work. I've had a huge amount of fun since 2002, covering a couple of rounds of the APRC (which, incidentally, was a cracking championship - check out footage of the Mineshaft on Rally Canberra), and then working on the World Touring Car Championship for three years. I'm now managing director of my own company, which produces videos for a whole load of people, and I get the same kind of buzz out of the material we produce for ukcarnews that I used to get on the rallies.

As Dan said, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have although I don't really want to get drawn into the "what's the WRC coverage like nowadays?" situation, as the championship is very different now to what it was 5 or 10 years ago.

By the way, Daniel - are you the gentleman I bumped into at the service area in Bannister on Rally Oz back in about 2001? I remember encountering a fellow Welshman a long way from home and your profile means you fit the bill!

Thanks again to everyone who's said such nice things. Considering I haven't been involved with the WRC for nearly 5 years, it's actually pretty humbling to read the comments on this thread and it's nice to know that the work that I and the various production teams I worked with from 1995 - 2002 produced is still appreciated.

Mark James

[Daniel]

Well I'm not actually a Welshman I'm originally Australian I've only lived in North Wales for a year.

It is truly a privilege to have yourself here. I honestly feel you are one of the reasons (other than the superb rallying of course) that the WRC experiences a bit of a boom from the mid nineties until a few years ago. As someone else said you complimented the footage rather than talking over it but of course you don't want to have that discussion

I do think you underestimate yourself though. A good commentator has the ability to make a less exciting race/rally more interesting. Yes the championship is different but it never hurts to have an excellent commentator like yourself Just look what Murray Walker did for F1 in those years when it wasn't always all that exciting

[markrally]

Hi Daniel. Clearly it wasn't you, then!

I'd disagree - I reckon a good commentator merely reflects what's going on and doesn't try to add to the spectacle or over-hype the drama. I was of the "less is more" school of commentary (at least, I like to think I was) and my aim was to let the pictures tell the story with a little help from me to explain what was going on. For that reason, I rarely talked over in-car clips, unless it was to point out that something was happening that viewers might otherwise miss. If things got exciting, I reflected that.

Of course, it helped that I had an exciting series to talk about. I was lucky in that I covered both the championship-winning seasons of Colin McRae and Richard Burns and I had lots of characters to talk about - from Kankkunen to Makinen and from Sainz to Possum Bourne. Lots of manufacturers, too, before anyone points that out.......

[A.F.F.]

I'd disagree - I reckon a good commentator merely reflects what's going on and doesn't try to add to the spectacle or over-hype the drama. I was of the "less is more" school of commentary (at least, I like to think I was) and my aim was to let the pictures tell the story with a little help from me to explain what was going on. For that reason, I rarely talked over in-car clips, unless it was to point out that something was happening that viewers might otherwise miss. If things got exciting, I reflected that.

I agree and sadly that's the exact thing what's happening on WRR.

[Daniel]

I'd disagree - I reckon a good commentator merely reflects what's going on and doesn't try to add to the spectacle or over-hype the drama. I was of the "less is more" school of commentary (at least, I like to think I was) and my aim was to let the pictures tell the story with a little help from me to explain what was going on. For that reason, I rarely talked over in-car clips, unless it was to point out that something was happening that viewers might otherwise miss. If things got exciting, I reflected that.

That's kind of what I meant I think my words didn't quite explain it well.

My main problem with the current coverage is the commentators try to commentate as if it was live When you've seen on the internet or on the news hours earlier (or weeks earlier when the coverage is delayed like it is/was in Australia) then it's slightly patronising and detracts from the real action. I also think that the photography was better on the old coverage too.

But perhaps the old saying "It's hard to polish a turd" springs to mind when you compare the series today to what it was in the 90's glory days

[LotusElise]

Mark, do you still compete at all?
I remember seeing you co-drive a Darrian on the Promenade Stages in 2001 or 2002. I was in the service area and it was the first time I'd seen a Darrian up close. I didn't realise they were that small!

[markrally]

No, sadly - my co-driving days are over (although I've said that a few times now....)

I think it must have been 2002 that I did the Promenade stages. I actually competed on four events that year, with the same driver but in three different cars! Damian Cole foolishly asked me to deputise for his regular co-driver who couldn't do a couple of events. We did two rallies at the Builth Wells showground (we came within a few seconds of winning the first and retired from the second, which was in Damian's awesome Darrian T90). We then did a single-venue event at Talbenny in west Wales in an Evo and the Promenade in the white Darrian. If you thought it looked small from the outside, I can confirm it was a lot smaller on the inside - particularly since I'm not as, ahem, "slightly-built" as I once was!

I also did some events alongside an old friend in a couple of different Skodas in 2004, I think it was. He's now the European PR director for Cadillac and Hummer!

There was also the one-off Swansea Bay ride with one of the BBC's WRC cameramen, Martin Mansell, in a bright green Mk 2 Escort. That was huge fun and I wrote it up an an article for "Rallysport" magazine (another memory from the "good old days" of the WRC!)

[LotusElise]

I think I have a photo of that Darrian on the Promenade somewhere, plus one of Ronnie Moon's T90 which crashed as I was taking the picture.

[RallyCat909]

Mark, I once got a message from you on the Speed Channel forums, it only came second to getting an actual email from the late (and great) Richard Burns. I was proud as a peacock I can tell you that!

Since Im from America, I think its bit of a responsibility to ask a question or two in every US rally fans heart.

Have you taken notice lately of events in the US and do you feel that the sport here is finally taking steps to gain a bit of credibility (outside the Xgames, thats something of another thread.) on the world stage with up and coming driver talents like Travis Pastrana, Tanner Foust competing on select WRC events?

There is a new racing channel to begin programming in 2008 and many fans want to see WRC again here in the US. Do you think a US rally event is possible in the future?

Thank you very much for your time. You have a diehard fan base in Memphis by the way!