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Sir,
I am sure a large number of enthusiasts, perhaps the great silent majority, are in complete agreement with our hero D.S.J.

This particular enthusiast would like to endorse the increasing dissatisfaction with Grand Prix racing and Sports-Car racing which D.S.J. is illustrating with such clarity. For heaven’s sake why cannot we get back to Grand Prix racing for the specialist throughbred, and retain the Sports-Car formula for sports cars. Don’t tell me the Le Mans 24-hour race would be a monotonous procession with 60 road-going Aston Martins, Jaguars, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the like at each other’s throats. And don’t let us fool about with the regulations—these must be for cars built for the public, racing on tyres that you and I can buy, and no engine modifications being permitted except for free flow exhaust systems. Then it could really be seen that racing improves the breed, for we should know exactly which car to buy for performance and reliability.

To encourage development the class for prototype models would be retained. Regulations should be such that the car could be driven on the road, i.e., the bodywork to enclose a space for luggage and to carry a proper spare wheel and tyre, but allowing free modifications to the engine which should be based on a production motor, and free choice of tyres, suspension, etc. These cars, similar to Can-Am models, would obviously out-perform production models so they would not be in the same races.

Perhaps we could have races up to six hours for the prototypes and between six and 24 hours duration for production cars.

Yes we are back to the good old days, but after all what is a 24-hour race like Le Mans supposed to prove? And would the manufacturers be interested? I don’t believe they could afford to stay away.

D.A. Hibbert.
Bath.

[Yes, we’d like to see it. Meanwhile, read the reports of Le Mans, 1923 to 1925 and the TT races of 1928 and 1929 and dream!—Ed.]