A Scratch Race.

Sir,–Now that you have broken the ice with an urgent plea for a Brooklands scratch race, may I ask you for a little space to put forward the following idea ?

Make the next B.R.D.C. 500 miles race a scratch One!

Now, having recovered.. from the first shock, and looking at it from the basis of previous results, it must come to something like this soon.

Last year the difference in handicap speed between Cobb’s Napier-Railton and the M.G. Midgets was only 101 m.p.h., or, for that matter, between any car over 3 litres, and the 750 -.c.c. class.

The margin was at one time over 34 m.p.h.

It is also quite usual for no car to finish in about three classes ; while a tabulated list of the first three throughout the series of 500 miles races is very interesting, bearing in mind their respective sizes.

From the above table it will be seen that for the last three years only one car over 2 litres has been placed ; with speeds of 1,100 c.c. cars risen to within I m.p.h. of the 1929 winner.

When Bentley was doing well, in ’29, ’30 and ’31, there were Bentley teams, while now anything over 2 litres is almost always a lone effort, With no team tactics possible. Lastly, if a small English car could win an open 500 miles race think of the huge incentive to our manufacturers to set about preparation for the 1937 formula. I am, yours, etc.,

JotiN V. liEwEs.

Member B.A.R.C. ” Greengates,”

Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead, Surrey.