Motor racing for the north-east

Sir,

I was interested to read your “Matters of Moment” on the Croft Aerodrome episode. Not only is this a “distressed area” as regards unemployment, but also as regards the lack of motor-racing facilities. Apart from a few rather mediocre race meetings, small club rallies, and speed hill-climbs, the northern enthusiast has nothing. (Except motorcycle scrambling and speedway, perish the thought.)

Each time someone makes an effort to alleviate this situation, a lot of rather selfish people raise a lot of rather selfish objections, mainly on the grounds that there will be a lot of noise if a motor racing circuit is opened near their homes.

Considering all the noises mentioned in your editorial, together with the “ton up” boys, and rush-hour traffic from Darlington, one would imagine that the distant exhaust music, occuring only on certain weekends and public holidays, would mean little, if any, extra difference. In fact, many people who are complaining about the noise, and who are objecting to the Croft scheme, would probably never hear the distant snarls and roars, because on bank-holidays and the like, they would be on their way to the coast in their Ford Populars, old vans, and pre-war Austins, with red-devils and nylon tigers dangling in the rear windows.

I am beginning to think that we will never see any decent motor-racing in the north-east, but I intend to see the British Grand Prix on July 20th, even if I have to walk all the way to Silverstone!

Incidentally, Mr. B. S. Kern may be interested to know that a friend’s 1959 Sunbeam Rapier was found to have only one aluminium rivet left in its nearside headlamp, after the recent “salty” spell.

C.J. Headlam.
Middlesborough.