A NASTY TASTE

We Britishers take all forma of sport very seriously, and regard accurate determination of the results of any contest as of the greatest importance.

Consequently, when a quibble occurs between a competitor and the organisers of a contest over the official results, a very unpleasant flavour is imparted unless the matter can be finally cleared up to everyone’s satisfaction.

This is particularly the case in respect of motoring sport, wherein it is quite impossible to rule out the trade element and where published results, by granting valuable publicity to particular makes of cars have a definite and often far-reaching bearing of incalculable magnitude on commercial enterprises. Consequently, we maintain that every possible care should be taken to obviate any possibility of incorrect results being arrived at. Mistakes can occur only too because voluntary officials are not on top of their jobs, because regulations are carelessly worded or wrongly interpreted, because faulty timing or measur

ing apparatus is used, or for a set-ire of other reasons.

Certainly, where a competitor feels he has been treated unfairly he can proteat to the R.A.C., who will, if necessary, bring the matter before the A.I.A.C.R. But we suggest that in certain cases trouble of an. unpleasant sort might be obviated by imposing Stricter and completely impartial supervision by responsible officials of the R.A.C. We feel that it is unfair to allow R.A.C. stewards to act On behalf of the R.A.C. and an organising club at one and the same time. And we consider it unjust to permit an organising club working under permit rules to include the clause ” the judge’s decision is final” in its regulations, save where a competition is of such a nature that only individual or group accessing of merit is possible (as in a Coachwork competition) —and in any case this should never imply that, once the judge has decided, an appeal to the committee of the organising club or to the R.A.C. will be disallowed. just as we close for Press we have heard of an unpleasant difference of opinion over the result of a recent competition, in which the judge representing one of our more important clubs, a scrutineer representing the same club, and a competitor having trade connections and driving for an interested party, held

different viewpoints. The taste that arises is nastier than ever by reason of the fact that not only individuals, but the prestige of important marques, may suffer incalculable harm if the results have, in fact, been incorrectly arrived at. It is too early yet to make the matter public, but we believe that an appeal will be made by this competitor to the R. A.C. In the meantime, let every organising body take especial pains to ensure that the results of its events are strictly accur

ate and fair. The R.A.C. might well stipulate that, if it is not found possible to take these pains, that the competition should either be disallowed, or that the makes of car used by the adjudged winners lxs concealed as much as is practicable, or, at least, that the results of the competition should not be published in the motoring Press.