An overdue concession

Public enthusiasm is such that many thousands of pounds in “gate” and parking fees are taken at each of our more important sprint meetings. In many cases this money is needed to replace that spent in preparing the course or making good wartime damage, while prizes have to be found and other incidental expenses met. Nevertheless, without entries such meetings would not be possible. As each month goes by the cost of running elderly racing cars increases, with spares largely unobtainable and supplies hard to come by. It has been suggested to us that organisers might return competitors’ entry fees whenever a car starts or completes the course, in the bigger events. We must say we cannot see anything against this small concession to the men who make meetings possible. In a recent sprint event, in which 69 cars started, the sum involved would have amounted to £207, which would not make much of a hole in a four-figure “gate.”