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I understand all of that, Viv, and you are quite right in what you say. However, the attitudes that prevailed back in the day was different. I don't know what is said nowadays, but back then at the drivers' briefing the CoC was quite explicit about what he expected of the drivers' behaviour on the circuit. And if anyone transgressed, the pit marshals would immediately put out a black flag.
It happened at one race I was in, and a driver of a Mini had forced me of the circuit at the hairpin at the end of the Norwich straight at Snetterton. A lap later, the black flag was put out for the Mini, unfortunately too late as he had ploughed into the back of a gaggle of other Minis, ending up in the wheat field just after the pits. It turned out that it was his first ever race, in a car borrowed from a friend that was written off and certainly not pleasing his friend. And to top it off, the idiot's licence was then suspended, quite rightly so.
One thing that I do remember from those drivers' briefings that we were always told to respect our fellow competitors. As you say, most of us paid for our cars, and we would have had to dig into our pockets if we sustained any damage.
And yes, safety equipment was far more elementary back then, although I did try to get the best that I could afford. I had one of Aley's Roll-over bar which is nowhere as sophisticated, or as safe, as today's, but I did wear one of Les Leston's Nomex fire retardment race suit plus the full Nomex underwear twin suit. Gloves where what was considered to be motoring gloves, leather on the palm and a knitted back, whilst the shoes, I remember, were a pair of brown slip-ons. All that plus a Bell peaked helmet and a Nomex mask not a balaclava as worn now. Strangely, the seat that I managed to get hold of was very nearly, I would say, to current ones, although it didn't have the upper top sides to stop your head floating about, but it did have twin slots at the top for the full harness that I had but without the crotch strap.
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