THE INTER-UNIVERSITY HILL CLIMB. Cambridge Beat Oxford at Aston by 28 Points.

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THE INTER-UNIVERSITY HILL CLIMB.

Cambridge Beat Oxford

at Aston by 28 Points.

THERE is not, in these days, any too much motor racing that can be described as strictly • and exclusively amateur. The Inter-‘Varsity–quite apart from the fact that it is the Inter-‘Varsity—is, therefore, all the more interesting for this reason ; the competitors are all amateurs, about whose status there can be no sort of question, for they are undergraduates to a man, competing with the cars or motor cycles that they own and use for ordinary, everyday work. Frankly, it gives one very special pleasure to watch a competition of this sort, where everybody is out for the fun of the thing and the good of the side, where bonuses are unknown, and the “win, tie or wrangle” business simply isn’t done.

This year’s climb was held at Aston Clinton, which had been put into excellent condition, and the weather chose—for that one day of the last week in February—to hold up. It was, indeed, an ideal day, with plenty of sun.

An enormous crowd assembled to watch the proceedings, the largest, it was estimated, that has ever turned out for an Inter-‘Varsity. The Royal Air Force arrived en masse from Halton, near by, and very smart they looked. At various points on the hill one saw also many notabilities in the world of motoring sport.

The competition resulted in a win for Cambridge by the handsome margin of 47 points to lg. Oxford were also beaten last year, and has obviously yet to regain the form that its representatives showed during the first two or three seasons after the war. The Cambridge club is considerably the larger of the two, but, in any case, certain of the ‘Tabs are better men on the road than any that the older University can show at present.

The event passed off without a single accident of any kind, which was just as well, in view of the fact that the crowd was not under very effective control. Spectators showed a strong disinclination to go where they were told, and, if a car had left the course, the results might have proved serious. The only ” incident ” of the day was, in fact, when one of the A.C.’s burst a tyre near the top of the hill, but the driver proved fully able to cope with the situation.

Taking it all round, the standard of driving was good, without being remarkable. To make fast time at Aston requires skill, and in the majority of cases the competitors put up a very good show, taking into account the fact that they were not men with any extensive racing experience. J. A. Temple, of Cambridge, was a brilliant exception ; he averaged about 51 m.p.h. on his Norton, making fastest time of the day. L. I. Amott (Oxford) was another ; with his Brough Superior SS. no combination he achieved quite a remarkable piece of driving, and he should go very far in the competition world in the next few years. This was Temple’s last Inter-‘Varsity, which is a good thing for Oxford ! His future career ought to be worth watching.

A certain amount of interest was caused by the appearance of two H.R.D. machines, one from each University, though neither succeeded in finding a place. A distinctly sporting effort was that of an Oxonian who rode an ancient Vale, with a plain two-speed gear and no clutch.

At the conclusion of the climb the Challenge Cup, presented by the British Cycle and Motor Cycle Manufacturers’ and Traders’ Union, was handed to the Cambridge representatives by H. W. Cook, the wellknown Vauxhall driver, who is President of the O.U.M.C. The results are given below, each man’s University being indicated by an initial :

CLASS I . —350 C.C. SOLO MOTOR CYCLES.

A. R. Twentyman (C), 349 0.K.-Blackburne, 41.4 secs.

C. A. Birkin (C), 349 Cotton-Blackbume, 42.2 secs. E. C. Fernhough (C), 249 New Imperial, 43.2 secs.

CLASS 2.-500 C. C. SOLO MOTOR CYCLES. J. A. Temple (C), 490 Norton, 38.7 secs.

A. R. Twentyman (C), 349 0.K.-Blackburne, 41.4 secs.

D. McClellan (C), 499 H.R.D., 41.8 secs.

CLASS 3.—UNLIMITED SOLO MOTOR CYCLES.

J. A. Temple (C), 490 Norton, 38.7 secs.

R. C. Symondson (C), 994 Zenith, 39.8 secs.

L. I. Amott (0), 980 Brough Superior, 40.4 secs.

CLASS 4.-600 C.C. SIDECARS AND CYCLE CARS.

V. E. Buckland (0), 490 Norton, 52.4 secs. C. G. Benson (0), 490 Norton, 55.0 secs.

R. D. Birdir (C), 349 Cotton-Blackburne, 63.6 secs.

CLASS 5.—UNLIMITED SIDECARS AND CYCLE CARS.

L. I. Amott (0), 980 Brough Superior, 42.1 secs. R. R. Jackson (C), 1098 Morgan, 47.1 secs. C. A. Prowse (C), 1098 Morgan, 48.6 secs.

CLASS 6. —LIGHT CARS.

E. S. Berry (C), 1490 Alvis, 47.4 secs. R. Millais (C), 1490 A.C., 48.1 secs.

W. M. McNeile (C), r490 A.C., 50.7 secs.

CLASS 7.–UN LIMITED CARS.

G. B. Legge (0), Vauxhall, 43.5 secs.

M. M. Chalmers (C), 2000 Beardmore, 45.6 secs. J. Heaton (C), 1950 Bugatti, 45.6 secs.