HUNDREDS of motor sport events could be stopped in their tracks if a campaign to overturn a new government ruling fails. Britain’s Motor Sports Association is tackling head-on a decision to stop payments to farmers that allow events — such as rallying, 4 x 4 competitions, autocross trials and motorcycling — to take place on agricultural land, as they have for decades.

The ruling came out of the blue after the European Union replaced the Common Agricultural Policy with something called the Single Payment Scheme. While the rest of Europe was worrying about who pays for unwanted wheat and apples, dozens of motor clubs suddenly discovered that land they had used for years was being withdrawn. It seems that the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) acted unilaterally in stopping any payments to British landowners if agricultural land is used for motor sport.

Colin Hilton, the Motor Sports Association chief executive, has vowed to be on the doorstep of Defra officials the moment the dust settles on the election. “The current guidance from Defra to landowners is incorrect, is inconsistent with EU policy and fundamentally threatens the future of motor sport in this country,” he said. “We hope to have a successful conclusion to our urgent dialogue with Defra, but we are prepared to pursue this issue further. ”

It is amazing that a nation that so often claims to be the home of motor sport in all its many forms and boasts so many champions spends so much time shooting itself in the foot and this is one more clodhopping piece of action by civil servants, without consultation, that could be avoided. But until they withdraw their instructions, hundreds of competition cars and bikes will be mothballed until clubs can find somewhere to compete again.

COMPETITION WINNERS

Ten drivers will have the cleanest cars in their street after winning our Flash Carwash kits. They are:

J. Sankey of Manchester; M. Clarke of Plymouth; Ted Atkinson of Redcar, Cleveland; Susan Smith of Ashburnham, East Sussex; Andrew Rodwell of Kilburn, London; Steve Milner of Whitley Bay; Keith Wright of Egham, Surrey; John Williams of Torquay; B. Chadwick of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, and M. Pearson of Scarborough. Congratulations to all and happy cleaning.