Letters to the Editor—(Where’s My Hard Hat?)

Dear Dawn

This is in answer to Colin Shipway’s article in the August Acorn.  As the Press and PR man Colin, you certainly did not do your homework. Ron Harris, who is a member of Sevenoaks Motorclub, owns the Mk 1 Escort that you mentioned in your article. This car has run regularly at North Weald; raced at Crystal Palace; has done the last six years at Brighton Speed Trials and won this event in 1998; sprinted at Goodwood; is a competition car with an RAC logbook; won the Four Pot Challenge at Santa Pod, running a 12.4 quarter mile.  The “…immaculate MK 1 Escort…winner” of a couple of years ago at Bromley, was on road tyres that day having been driven to the Pageant. The Escort is also fitted with Quaife 4 speed gearbox, roll cage, 220bhp engine, limited slip diff…! Perhaps as it didn’t have the logos or stickers on the car, it probably didn’t look – in you eyes- like a competition car. As for the Judges not knowing how to judge a competition car, they judged and awarded first prize to Stuart Giles in his SRG, didn’t they (that was a bit odd you might say).

Yours sincerely
Mrs P B Harris (wife)

P.S. Congratulations to Stuart Giles on winning first place at Bromley Pageant.

OOPS Hell hath no fury etc!…….. Ed)

Dear Dawn

I was disappointed to read the comments made regarding racing car classes in the article headed ‘Roadgoing to Ruin’, in the August Acorn, and I quote, “to allow all those wretched racing car classes with noisy motorbike engines that sound as painful as the accents of their drivers”.
I do understand that we all have the freedom of speech but I think the comments went beyond that and I for one am quite surprised that a member of this club has made them. Indeed, if the person really intended to use “wretched” to describe the classes and people involved, then it is even more offensive.
Because of the rules that exist in the SE region, I have to run my car in the up to 1300cc racing car class and having a Mallock, it is generally competing against single seaters such as: OMS, JEDI, etc. These cars have a weight advantage of some 70kgs, better weight distribution and are more modern in design.
I don’t complain, I enjoy competing and fell privileged to be able to, as many cannot.
I also don’t see what the problem is with using a ‘bike engine’, particularly with regard to noise. We all have to meet noise regulations, if the engine is too noisy, then we suffer by being excluded from the event.
I have lived in the South for some 28 years, and I can’t say I have found any English accents painful, so why should you find mine so. As a Scot living in England I have my leg pulled many times, especially in the pub when my arms seem to get shorter, the result of which is I cannot reach my pocket, but I have not developed the ‘foot in mouth’ disease which seems to have afflicted the person responsible for the article.
If this was intended as a joke, great, ha ha, but if it is to be taken seriously, then friend you really should see someone as you need help.

Rob Hume
12,000rpm Macrevoir racer with some accent!

The Acorn : September Edition