I think you've been to too many American concours events. I would argue that Pebble Beach is literally filled with replicars - even if they start with the original parts. There's no need to destroy cars by polishing them to within an inch of their life.

Remember restoration is destruction. In the United States you have to destroy perfectly good cars and then put them back together so you can win trophies.

- Richard

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Article: Wet and Wild Race - British Grand Prix

To read last week's discussion click [here]

I strongly disagree with T. Gomulka's criticism of Erik Nielsen's writing style. I, like you, believe that the reporting of the facts is the primary obligation of the writer. If those facts are presented along with the writer's personal observations of the event my reading experience is actually enhanced. I enjoy hearing the opinion of others. It gives me a much better appreciation of the personality behind the writing. Though I may not always agree with the writer, I always enjoy the color those opinions give to a black and white presentation of the facts. I was especially pleased to read Nielsen's comments on Jacque Villeneuve skills. Actually, I've been waiting many years for an opportunity to share the following story: My company used to race in the IMSA Kelly American Series. Many years ago, our series was invited to race in Montreal as part of the F1 festivities. As an added crowd pleaser, we were to allow the "big name" drivers there to race our cars in some exhibition laps the day before our scheduled event. Through the luck of the draw, Jacque drove our Camaro. Here we were in Montreal with the home town boy at the wheel. How much better could it get? Our pleasure quickly turned to pain. After the first lap, he drove past the pits with the fiberglass that used to be the left front fender flapping in the breeze. The second lap brought the car by with most of the hood nowhere in sight. By the third lap, the front end of our car was devoid of any bodywork. All we could hope was that he'd bring it in so that we could try to rebuild it before it was too damaged to race the next day. He must have heard our pleas, because on lap 4, he flew into the pits, jammed on what was left of the brakes and jumped out screaming about "thees pees of sheeet" he was piloting. He then stormed away, with his racing image somewhat tarnished (though not as badly as our car). Everyone else on the track seemed to avoid whatever was hitting Jacque's bumper car. We rebuilt the car overnight and managed to place 3rd the next day. By the way, our "pees of sheeet" finished second in points for that year.

Thanks for a great Italian Auto magazine.

- Robert Russo

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I read Ed McDonough's letter with interest. Everyone to his own view, but I disagree with a large chunk of what Ed writes. First of all, a point of fact. The taxpayer funded part of the improvements - the dualling of the A43 past Silverstone - which had nothing whatsoever to do with the race track. The A43 is a key cross country road between the M40 and M1 motorays linking Southampton, the south coast and Oxford to the East Midlands. The single carriageway section between Brackley and Towcester has long been a bottleneck even when nothing is happening at the race track. This is an investment by us, the British taxpayers (not local Silvestone taxpayers), to a better road infrastructure. The new road from the A43 to the track and the car parks was paid for jointly by the BRDC (who own the Silverstone track) Octagon (who lease the track and have the rights to the GP) and Bernie Ecclestone. No taxpayers money there - yet! (though Jackie Stewart is working hard at it).

I personally don't care anything about how the "working" motoring press are treated. I am however most interested in how the likes of I, who pay a lot of my money each year to spend a weekend at the GP, are treated. I have to say that by and large I, and most of my regular friends who attend meetings at Silverstone regularly, have always been pretty happy at the way we are treated - and with the improvements this year it was even better.

And as for lack of racing - Ed must have been at a different race. Sure it was rain assisted - but I never saw so much overtaking in almost any type of racing. The sensation of three F1 cars going abreast through Woodcote at 150 -160mph in the wet will live with me forever.

I also disagree with Ed about Goodwood - which I also go to every year. This is a celebration of motor cars - not just "historic" motor cars, and always has been (if you can count 10 years as "always"). Interestingly this year I took my 12 yr old Swiss nephew, his first ever motoring "event". Naturally he was thrilled with the F1 cars. But he was even more thrilled with a lot of older cars, Nick Mason's 512S in particular and above all, a more modern car, the Pikes Peak Toyota Celica. I myself was really interested in the 12yr old girl driving a "junior" drag racer. The wonder of Goodwood is the diversity. Exactly where does ED want to draw the line in his "fossilisation" of historic cars?

Sure - things in F1 ain't what they used to be, but that's the same throughout life.

- Francis Newman