On the
basis that you can't get from first to top gear without going through the rest
of the 'box, Motorsport UK's latest announcement has to be welcomed. Of course
we all want more change more quickly, but turning a juggernaut around requires
more than just a bit of elbow room.
Motor sport is more than just rallying
and racing, there are umpteen different types of discipline within that single
term. They all have their own following and participants, and therefore have to
be managed, controlled and regulated. What suits autotests may not suit
autocross, and so on.
Then there are the various levels of competition,
from single car club and inter-club events to regional, national and international
permit competitions, and then above all that there is the FIA. Whether we like
it or not, it is best to be integrated with their rules and structure. That enables
those of us who wish to compete overseas and also attract furriners to our
shores and to our events. If you have never competed abroad - put it on your bucket list now.
These changes might appear at first glance
to be very modest but making it easier and cheaper to get into the sport in the
first place has to be at the top of the agenda. Without new folks coming in,
the sport has no future. It will just be full of auld gits with grudges and memories
and rusting silent heaps in their garages.
So whilst we might have some disappointment
about the apparent slow pace of change, this announcement does at least confirm
that progress is being made and with that hopefully change for the better. And
bear in mind, this announcement does not herald the end of the process - merely
the start. This could be motor sport's last chance to have a future.
Patience dear peeps, patience.
Full text of Press Announcement here:
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