An Introduction to Scottish Motorsports.

Your esteemed President has asked me to write a history section for our web site, and I have agreed to do so. I do not think of this as any particular compliment to my intellectual expertise, but an acknowledgment of the fact that I was around when most of this was happening. What I was not around for, I have first hand knowledge of, through my Great Great Uncle "Hamish McDoo of the clan McDont", who will help guide us through the foggier parts. Hamish, I should note, was a friend of Wallace, and Bruce, Knight Errant to Mary Queen of Scots, companion of thieves, sheep rustlers, and a very gallant warrior of the paddock. Although getting on in years, he can still manage to get to a few races each year, and told me that he was able to crash one of Bernie Ecclestone's parties at Silverstone last year.

So pay attention all you "Thistlebutts", you may just learn some very interesting facts, lore, and outright lies about the history of Scottish Motorsports.

First thing that you all must remember, is that there are only two kinds of people in this world, that is "Scotsmen, and those that want to be Scotsmen". Having established this most important fact of life, will help you all to understand what being a member of SAC is about, and taking pride in your Scottish Motoring roots is a fundamental necessity for all SAC members.

Motorsport in Scotland is a long standing tradition, which got it's start in life shortly after a bunch of Italians landed on the Channel coast of England around 55 B.C. You see these Italians, Romans, as they liked to call themselves, came to Merry Olde England with a variety of one, two, and four horse powered vehicles. Being silly Mediterranean types, and not having the sense to call them race cars, they called them chariots. By the time these Roman fellows built some roads, so as they could ride about in their chariots, it took them a while to find out about the "Blue Painted" warriors living to the North.

Now these "Blue Painted" fellows were the founding fathers of a very famous Scottish Racing team called "Ecurie Ecosse". The were wont to fly down the highland slopes on their "Monowheel" racers, an early model of our modern "Monoposto" type race car. When the Romans came in contact with these fast wheeling Scotsmen, they were so embarrassed by the speed and daring of these fellows, they immediately built a great big wall from one side of Scotland to the other, just to keep the Scots from giving them a showing up in the European Grand Prix of Charioteers, held yearly in Gaul, (France as it is known today,) at a small village called Le Mans.

Motorsport in Scotland continued after the departure of the Romans, but without International competition, progress was slow, and it took a few centuries, plus many innovative technical discoveries, and creations by other wily Scots, before Motorsports became what we know it today.

Some of the Scottish people that helped develop the sport, in no particular order, are Mr. Dunlop, who first mucked around with rubber, and when he could not get it to taste good enough for chewing gum, invented tyres. Jimmy Watt, who blew up his mothers kitchen with a welded shut kettle of water, that he left on the stove, was instrumental in the design of the "Schank tricycle", Americas first motor vehicle. Then there was a fellow called McAdam, who was trying to make bubble gum from tar, but had the same problem as friend Dunlop, and eventually gave up. The debris that he had collected, was strewn about his driveway, and gave vent to what is now known in Scotland as Tar McAdam, but in the rest of the world, as Tarmac, or Asphalt.

Now lads and lassies, I think that is enough for your first "History of Scottish Motorsport" lesson, but keep tuned, as there is "Aye Much More To Come" Jimmy, and faithful guide Hamish McDoo.

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