ON THE FINDINGS OF THE R.A.C.

ON THE FINDINGS OF THE R.A. C.— -Continued from page 806

recommendations, be called upon to sanction routes for all clubs holding trials in their area in accordance with the official calendar.

We do, in consequence, suggest that if, as we believe has actually happened, the M.O.T. has agreed to accept the R.A.C.’s proposals for the future conduct of trials, that it ensures that the County Councils’ Association, on whose behalf the M.O.T. framed its complaint to the R.A.C., makes certain that local police and highway authorities respond promptly and effectively to correspondence from clubs approved as trials organisers by the R.A.C. The proposed ban on knobbly boots will cause widespread discussion and comment. It should please Mr. Dunlop, for the sale of competition covers has, ,we believe, never been considered as much of a commercial asset, whereas now each and every little trials competitor will be determined to keep decent treads on this rear tyres, and ordinary tyres will wear rapidly under the combined stress of fast road motoring and slime storming. Whether trouble will arise at first on account of well known hills becoming impossible, or whether other hills, now too easy for most trials, will come along to balance things up, remains to be seen. The ban, and a very sensational ban it is, may even give us back decent weight distribution and faired tails on two-seaters and, by reason of excessive wheel spin endangering engines, may usefully raise gear ratios in general. But maybe those are rather sweeping possibilities. It is very difficult to see why ” comp ” covers should shed about more mud and mess than normal tyres, wheels and wings, in view of the kind and quantity of slime that enters into the ingredient of modern trials, but then you cannot argue things like that with the

County Councils’ Association. That is the score on which the R.A.C. ban must stand or fall.

So far as competition numbers are concerned, it Seems sad that they may pass out of use. Their retention after an event for storage on the garage wall may seem childish, but it is quite as sensible as the saving of any other object ranking as valuable only on account of being an irreplaceable relic from the past. And if the R.A.C. has really set the trials-house in good and proper order, why attempt to hide the fact that trials are taking place ? Much better, of course, to shoot daily paper motoring correspondents who describe such events as races.