Driving Standards.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Simon Hadfield

Iain gets it. Televised or not a concept has been established and passed by those far higher up the food chain than us. As I pointed out earlier we all race to the same rule book.

That rule book has this validated now.

I don't think that many of us are disputing that fact, that it is now allowed by those in charge. However, that doesn't mean that we have to approve of the laxity in the rules.

From my perspective, I learnt my race craft in the 1960s, and we had to keep to the track limits because there was no alternative - you would either hit a solid object such as a bank or even wooden sleepers or you would find yourself on really rough and bumpy grass with no grip - and there were rules about how you conducted yourself in overtaking manoeuvrers. This was repeated drummed into drivers at the briefings, and if you transgressed, you would be black flagged immediately.

And as far as overtaking was concerned, both drivers were expected to follow the guidelines. And it probably worked so well because, back then most of us drivers would also be responsible for any damage to our cars. We didn't have sponsors with deep pockets, and we certainly didn't arrive at a race meeting with a 40 foot artic stuffed to the roof with spare body panels and replacement engines, and so on.

The result was that there was usually some great racing but without the paint swapping. And the proof of that was that the number of spectators at an average clubbie would have been almost as large as seen at some of the most prestigious meetings held in the UK nowadays, such as a BTCC weekend.