Mgr. Disregard

Mgr. Disregard

Sir,

While putting Dino Ferraris into ntass production is obviously not a good thing, I find myself very much in agreement with Also Cathairt & the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club in their views on Historic eligibility.

In 1973 I was watching the Itala Trophy from the inside of Woodcote, the occasion on which the Bentley-Napier first went really well. As the great car thundered towards Copse, many of the older generation near me looked at cach other witii shining eyes. For a magical moment the fg Straight became the Railway Straight, wtth another Napier-engined car thundering towards the Byfieet banking. Here was a real Vintage ca, in the Brooklands tradition. But of course It wasn’t. There never was a Bentley-NaPier and nobody pretends that it is an authentic Vintage car. Who would deny, however, that it has added enormously to the thrill of Vintage racing over the years. The ‘fake’ Ferrari is much nearer the real thing than is the Bentley-Napier, the former he”; a very beautiful replica, the latter not a replica of anything and the Dino would certainly add extra spice to Historic racing. For this reason the rules should be framed to allow it. The point is that they are not and for’ this reason the car should never have been permitted to run in the Lloyds &

Scottish. If rules are made and then simply waived to allow a famous driver to compete a makes nonsen. of the whole thing. As well allow Fangio, just because he is Fangio, to been an ERA in the Williams Monaco Trophy.

In imputing lack of sportsmanship and a desire to win at all costs to the four who withdrew, Maj. Pender is wronging them greatly. It seems that Comer and Norman wanted to win so much that they offered their cars to Moss to drive! Lindsay, barring trouble, must have won his Class wah ease (a different Class born the one Moss was m) and it would actually have been to his personal advantage for Moss and Green to have to fight for the Class win. De Cadenet clearly had no objection to the Dinos of Green and Corner. Their protest was not because they feared to be beaten but that the rules were being quite flagrantly disregarded. Englefield Green TERENCE BRETTELL