Max, I never realised how lax the rules have become, full top.
I quite happily acknowledge that I am a boring old f*rt, at times I even revel in being one, but things do seem to have slipped dreadfully since my "day". I accept that that they nowadays have ARDS and stuff, but we didn't and I don't think that it did much harm either.
I turned up at my very first ever race at Brands, with a big black kiss on the boot, having just taken part in a few open days previously to sort the car out. After signing in, the CoC (I assume) spoke to all the newbies and told us how he expected us to behave, and what the consequences were if we didn't. He told us that there was every likely-hood that we would be lapped at some point in the race, and that we should therefore watch carefully for any blue flags being waved at us, and that we should do nothing to impede the lapping car; however, if we were shown a stationery blue flag, we should be aware that the car behind us may be attempting to overtake, and under those circumstances, we must not attempt to block it.
Then he went on to corners, and this I have mentioned before. The corner always belonged to the car in front up to and until the overtaking - and this assumes you are not being lapped - car has it's front wheels level or further forward than you rear wheels. At that point in time, it is your responsibility to concede the corner to the overtaker.
The CoC and others reminded us constantly that circuit racing was a non-contact sport, and that it was to remain so, otherwise the wrath of whomever was in charge would descend swiftly upon us.
And there was none of this namby-pamby wishy-washy stuff about 'Oh you mustn't do this or that again, otherwise we
might have to send you to the naughty step. No, there was no black and white flag, motor-racing's equivalent of a wagging finger; it was a black flag and your number immediately, and you were excluded. It was made clear to us that we were to look out for any black flags from the pit wall, and that we would be required to return to the pits next time around; none of this 3 laps for your team to argue the toss with them in charge.
After completing 10 races without any incident or reports of poor driving, they allowed us to remove the X from the back of the car, and we could then upgrade to a national licence. I know that over the following years, my licence was further upgraded, but I've pee'd under too many bridges since then and I can no longer remember those details.
However, one thing that remains vivid in my mind and that that is that virtually all drivers, certainly in saloons, observed the driving etiquette as above. In my time, I raced against some of the hardest chargers and I am proud to say that they all followed those principles. There were some who would attempt to, let's say, "bully" you, but they would all still respect your ownership of the corner if they weren't already up alongside you as you went to turn in. There was no diving down the inside in the hope that the other car would move out of the way, unless, of course, you had actually left the door wide open inviting a hostile approach.
Sometimes, I really do miss the old days
