The Way of Things

Thank You !

JUDGING by the large number of letteis we have received from all parts of the world, the revival of MOTOR SPORT in its new form has been a very popular event. The number printed anpl circulated of our November issue was three times as peat as ever before, but in spite of this we have heard of cases where readers had difficulty in obtaining their copies and we have had to print a greater number for this month. We hope the faie provided will c( me up to the required standard of interest and we invite ciiticism and suggestions on any point which may occur to you.

The Show.

.The motorcycle has been, and in our opinion always Will be, essentially a sporting vehicle. Motorcycle racing and competitions provide sport second to none to those who go in for them seriously ; and to those who crave more variety and new fields for exploration, they provide a stepping stone to the car or light plane. A very large proportion of the greatest names in motor racing to-day, started theii career and learnt the -hicks of the tiade on two wheels, and it is safe to say that in many cases, had it not been for the motorcycle which first showed them the infinite scope of mechanical sport, many of those names would not now be known to us.

For those who regard motorcycling sport as the greatest of all sports, and they are legion, there is now a hner choice of machines for the purpose than there has ever been in the past. It is now possible for the private owner to purchase a machine which has, built into every component, the valuable experience gained by competing in the great races and reliability trials, and at a price lower than ever before. We therefore tender our heartiest congratulations to the motor cycling industry Oil, its position of being the one industry in which Great Britain has established beyond question of doubt her superiority over every other nation, and trust that through the sporting side of the movement, it may maintain its place against anything that our foreign rivals can produce.

The R.A.C.T.T.

There has been a great deal of talk lately about the most suitable venue for this event in the future, and many courses have been suggested. It seems only natural that in these discussions the claims of the Isle of Man have been so strong as to warrant earnestconsideration, and we are surprised that having once considered this as a suitable place there should be any doubt as to the course. The issue appears to be confused by the supposed necessity for keeping the lap extremely short, for the benefit of the spectators and for greater ease of handicapping. •

Handicapping if necessary should be on a time basis and as for the spectators, it is only natural that a large crowd will collect to watch such an interesting event, but we venture to suggest that this is incidental. The event is a race first and a spectacle second, and as soon as we lose sight of this fact so soon will motor racing degenerate to the level of the gladiatorial combats of the Romans, and its greatest value, that of improving the breed, will be lost. A road race must reproduce road conditions, and there can be no course which does this better than that now used for the A.C.U. Tourist Trophy’ It has been said that this would require widening in places to make it suitable, but as this has also been said of all the suggested courses in the island, it appears no disadvantage, and work on it is now being carried out. In the past, cars much larger and less controllable than those of the present did battle over it, through the blinding dust of the old narrow roads, and the spirit of the pioneers of motor-racing haunts every inch of the wonderful mountain course.

However we live in a practical world where sentiment is not taken as a valid argument, and in this case there is no need that it should be. The fact remains that this thirty-eight mile lap on the island in the Irish Sea, with its wonderful surface, its suitability for high speeds, its infinite variety of twists and turns, its gruelling climbs and swooping descents, is still the finest road circuit in the world.