Matt James
‘What is it that you have missed most about on-track activity?’
I’ve never really been much of one for a beach, apart from maybe Daytona. I once accidentally agreed to a week-long beach holiday with an ex-girlfriend: no wonder she is an ex. My theory is that minigolf, ice cream and fish and chips are available inland too. So I, like most sensible people, was hugely alarmed when I saw news pictures last week of overcrowded seafronts with not a hint of social distancing. That was concerning but life is returning to normal, and pubs will be open this weekend after 102 days with the doors shut (yes, I have been counting).
While these are encouraging signs, things will actually be far from normal in everyday life and they will be very different in the national racing and rallying landscape too. Events will be behind closed doors and life for competitors and volunteers who run the meetings will be a learning process to begin with. The measures put in place by the governing body, Motorsport UK, are thorough and are designed to protect all those taking part. And they need to, because any outbreak could set back any resumption of racing or rallying.
It has been an extraordinary period. Just as competitors, clubs and volunteers were gearing up for the start of the season (or, indeed, had already begun in the case of national rallying), the rug was pulled from under the feet. It is always a huge anti-climax when a race start is aborted when the cars are revving up on the grid. This was the same feeling, multiplied by one thousand.
It is interesting to reflect over the last three months and realise just what it is that people are missing most about motorsport. That is across going racing or rallying, working in motorsport, watching or volunteering to help run it.
Two weeks ago, Motorsport News ran its top 25 best-sounding competition cars of all time as voted for by a panel of experts – topped by the sweet-sounding Mazda 787B. While that was a lot of fun, it highlights that the sounds of an engine in competition is something to cherish, as are the sights and the smells.
Fans come to motorsport for a number of different reasons. For some, it is about the machines. The technical genius of motorsporting brains never fails to astound, and the warfare that takes place on the circuits mean that the advancement of engineering never stands still – and that is as prevalent on these shores as it is on the international scene.
Then there is the competition itself. There really is nowhere to hide in motorsport. The stopwatch does not lie and once the results have been confirmed, they are there in the history books for all time. Watching individuals battle to put their stamp on any category, ride the highs and lows that a season will inevitably throw at any competitor over the course of a campaign, can be enthralling. Mental strength is something that is underplayed in motorsport, but it is just as important as a heavy right foot or big bravery.
So there are the sights and the sounds to behold. But, for me, it isn’t any of those things. What I have missed most is the people and that, unfortunately, will not change anytime soon. Meetings will be behind closed doors and bosses in the British Touring Car Championship, for example, are currently working on a ‘four people per car’ ratio. When you consider that some teams would take up to 50 people, that is going to be a huge alteration to the way things are operated.
The BTCC has been my hunting ground for more than 15 seasons now, and it is natural that friendships will form and bonds are made. Usually, normal life takes precedence from November through to March when we are all parked at home (or in the pub), and that lasts until you can meet up with your other ‘family’ again for round one of the new campaign. The lockdown people makes it feel like we’ve all been excommunicated.
Restrictions mean catching up with people might just take a little bit longer than normal, but that will make it all the more worthwhile, and something to cherish, when we can do it again.
“Fans enjoy motorsport for so many different reasons”