LETTERS FROM_READERS

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THE LIGHT CAR CLUB OF AUSTRALIA

Sir,

I have been interested to read in the December and January issues of your paper the story of the Bugatti Owners’ Club hill climb venture at Prescott, particularly in view of the fact that that Club apparently has permanent possession of the site, and this has made me think that you or your readers may perhaps be interested to know that this Club is also the owner of its own hi/1 climb site at Rob Roy in the Christmas Hills about twenty-five miles from the heart of the city of Melbourne. The climbs which we conduct there, are known as Rob Roy Hill Climbs. The present track which we use is a shade over half a mile in length, and at a later date we expect to be using additional track up to a total of just on a mile. At the moment of writing the surface is nothing out of the way consisting as it does of treated earth, rock and gravel, but within the next two or three weeks the Club proposes to construct a proper non-skid bitumen road over the whole of the present track which will be varying between 12 ft. and 18 ft. in width

over the entire length. The track is situated in a paddock of approximately 100 acres of land with a natural fall to a valley with a creek in it, thus affording excellent views of the whole climb, all of which is visible from the bottom—although in some spots the view is momentarily obscured by trees.

Other facilities on the property include, apart from the usual timing boxes, broadcasting stands, notice boards, such buildings as lunch rooms, bar, public conveniences and the like. A start will be made shortly with a covered competitors paddock.

The present record for this hill is held by Mr. J. A. Day with a time of 35.46 seconds for the half-mile made in his Day-Special consisting of a G.P. Bugatti chassis powered with a Ford V8 motor, the whole being somewhat modified as may be imagined. The gradient of the climb varies considerably. The sharpest pitch is approximately one in three to one in four while, for a very short way, It is actually downhill. On a normal day’s climb we get entries from anything between forty and fifty different cars, most of which make more than one climb in the various classes. The Light Car Club of Australia has taken the step of obtaining a very long lease of the property as it is hoped to build this very promising site into the premier hill climb in this country. The Club’s president, Mr. G. C. Martin, was recently in England and has from time to time seen Shelsley Walsh with which he considers our site compares more than favourably, having certain natural advan tages not available to what is recognised as England’s premier climb

In this country it is extremely difficult to obtain permission to hold such events on the public roads, and it is for this reason too that the Club has acquired the present property.

I enclose herewith a very rough sketch of the lay-out in an endeavour to indicate something of the shape of the climb. The next contest will be held on the 13th of June, which day is kept in Australia as King’s Birthday, and I hope after that to send you some photographs of the climb and the competitors in case they should be of interest. I am, Yours etc.,

GEOFFREY Comm. Australia. [Unfortunately, we are unable to publish the sketch mentioned above.—Ed.]