Slip!

I regret that a slip of the pen, when writing the piece headed “Photo Finish” which appeared last month, caused me to say that in the first Brooklands dead-heat Jarrott was castigated for the alleged use of oxygen. It was, in fact, the other way around, Newton’s Napier being thus accused, as it put on its ultimate spurt and closed on the de Dietrich; this is correctly stated in my “History of Brooklands”. This incident led to the series of challenges put out by S. F. Edge on behalf of Napier and presumably to the clause in the BARC racing regulation relating to fuel which read “. . and the oxygen required for combustion must be obtained directly from the atmosphere. Any infraction of this regulation shall be deemed a corrupt practice, and dealt with accordingly.” — W. B.