Dear Mrs Ann Oyd

I took the time to read your letter, published on the 'Wimbledon Guardian' website, and I feel compelled to respond to your assault on my sport.

My name is Alex Meadows, and I compete in the Superstox class of oval racing. Your letter has caused me great offence, as such I will respond to each paragraph in turn.

"I don’t even live next to the site, but yet my Sunday evenings – the only time I get to read and think during the week – are stained by the incessant hum of car engines.

All it takes is a decent gust of wind to carry this noise from Plough Lane to make my neighbourhood sound like it’s about to be landed on by a giant wasp."

The first meeting was held there on the 29th September 1962, in point of fact, being the first Superstox World Championship. If I may liken this to the debate over noise complaints from Heathrow, I suspect stock car racing has taken place at Plough Lane stadium for longer than you have lived in the area, and I must question your logic in purchasing a house close to the raceway, when surely you were aware of potential noise pollution.

"It wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the fact that only middle aged Jeremy Clarkson wannabe nerds take an interest in this dangerous, macho and pointless excuse for a sport."

This I consider to be a personal insult. I am 21 years of age, and am neither middle aged, a 'Jeremy Clarkson wannabe', or a 'nerd'. You are sadly misinformed on all counts.

My sport is closely regulated and safe, each car is scrutineered thoroughly prior to being declared safe to compete. We wear full safety harnesses and fireproof overalls.

There are also several female drivers that compete in the sport of oval racing, I suspect they may be similarly offended to be described as 'macho'. Certainly, they give no quarter to their male counterparts when racing.

I find your suggestion that my sport is 'pointless' absolutely abhorrent. It belittles the significant amount of time and financial investment put in by each and every driver to make it to the meetings.

Oval racing is the only motorsport where a working man (or indeed woman), with a family life and regular job, can become a World Champion. Pointless ? I think not.

"If people want to drive around smashed up cars they should get with the times and invest in a games console like all good 21st century geeks and purchase the latest Grand Theft Auto game."

Oval racing is contested by a cross section of society. The National Hot Rods, arguably the pinnacle of oval racing, are a non contact class.

The cars can set an owner back in excess of £30,000 before they turn a wheel in anger. Drivers from the Superstox class have gone on to achieve success in Formula One, I suggest you look up 'Derek Warwick'. Oval racing in the UK is contested by bank managers, businessmen and tradesmen alike. We meet each other, make lifelong friendships and camaraderie.

We travel the country together, competing for major championships nationally and internationally. For some, the sport goes back generations in family life, with grandfathers and fathers racing before them, and the next line of budding 'superstars' coming through in the junior formulae. Some build their businesses custom fabricating the cars that carry their drivers to glory.

It is a lifestyle choice, not a child's video game.

"I look forward to a day when I’ll instead hear cheers from Plough Lane on Saturday afternoons by AFC Wimbledon supporters!"

If I were bigoted and narrow-minded, I would suggest that instead of the intoxicating noise of race built engines and tyre squeals, fireworks and celebration, you will have drunken yobs in football shirts vandalising your property as they return from an AFC game, to look forward to.

But, I am not. Instead, I would like to invite you to a future stock car racing event at Wimbledon, if only so that the next time you criticize something that represents such an enormous part of our lives, such heritage, you are better informed.

I invite your response.

Alexander Meadows Spedeworth Superstox #176

Send your letter to: letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk.

 

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