January
DHI Cup in Denmark. This is a big (and I do mean big) indoor carpet electric touring car race. The racing started Friday evening and continued from 8am to 11pm on Saturday and again on Sunday finishing about 5pm. It was webcast live on the Internet with the help of Team Orion and at the track there were 50+ Results PCs and PDAs connected.

February
We released bbkRC 2005-1 to the 100+ clubs.

March
Off to York for the BRCA Electric Off Road Indoor Meeting. In 2004 the BRCA Electric Off Road Section switched to bbkRC and this year Personal Transponders are allowed. We also went to the first of the BRCA Rallycross Nationals meeting at Sandy. bbkRC is being used for the BRCA Rallycross section this year. We plan to attend the first few Rallycross meetings to ensure they get off to a good start. The Rallycross section will be using the PDA Live Race Data feature to keep the race officials up to date. This is particularly useful to the referees and is much easier that asking race control for race order over radio.

April
We timed the EMORC 12 hour charity team race with bbkRC ECO, our free version of bbkRC. This was the final test before bbkRC ECO was released. To date it has been registered for use in 26 countries worldwide. We were at the second Rallycross National at Eldridge.

May
Off to Sweden to time some RC power boat racing. In the UK we have been to V class races but this meeting featured Hydro and Off Shore. IN 2006 we are timing the RC Boat World Championships in Norway.  WE also attended the Rallycross Nationals at Yarmouth and the two day at Holbeach.

June
Back to Denmark of the Nordic and Reedy Race, this time outdoors at the Glostrup track, just outside Copenhagen. We also went to the Formula Schools meeting at Silverstone and helped out the Swindon Club with a round of the RRCi/HPI series.

July
Denmark again for the Electric Circuit Euros, but not for me. I'm on "Father of the Bride" dutuy that weekend. The live webcast shows me everything is working well.

August
Busy month with two World Championships in Europe, both giving us British World Champions, well done Neil and Ian. I'm in Halifax timing the EFRA 200mm, 235mm and over 40's 1/8th Circuit racing, webcast again but this time via a mobile phone.

September
Two meetings to time this month, the Thunder Tiger Challenge at 3a and the HPI Challenge Grand European Final at the Velp track in the Netherlands.

October
This month I tried my hand at RC, not cars or even boats but Bikes. Lots of "Tank Slapping" but good fun. There is an International Bike Race planned for 2006 in the UK. We'll be there timing it and maybe even getting a few minutes track time when no ones looking! We also did some tests timing 1:1 vehicles. 

November
Off to Belgium for the Neo Invitational race. An indoor Rallycross meeting with a very impressive entry list, including 6 World Champions, three of them for electric Touring Cars! Off Road 1/8th is going from strength to strength. 

December
In Switzerland for the Carpet World Cup. We have always supported new ideas in race formats, some work well, some don't but the format for this event has got to be one of the best. There were about 130 entrants and we ran three rounds of heats (after 12 rounds of controlled practice). using FTQ (Fastest single time) we took the top 32 and put them into 24 "head to head" races, Reedy Style. the remaining drivers continued with two more rounds then 3 leg finals for the A final and two legs for all other finals. The "Head to Head" races were scored with points for position, taking best 4 results from 6 with count back on number of wins then qualifying times to break ties. The result was spectacular. We have a Reedy style race with the top 32 drivers on the day. Every one of the 24 Head to Head races was hot! The meeting is alive all the way through, first comes the race to make the "cut" in qualifying. What will the target time be? Then its 6 hard races for the top drivers. Those that don't make the cut carry on trying for the A Final with the entertainment of 24 world class races.

So that was 2005. Lots of live webcasts. What will we be doing in 2006? We have some dates already in the book and there is talk of more with the possibility of some big advances in webcast technology. Keep checking the website for news.

Of course there will be updates to bbkRC early in the new year with the features we have been working on and that our Beta testers have been suggesting and helping to develop.

We are always happy to offer timing services as well as supply race software and timing hardware.
  
December 2005

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