BROOKLANDS SUMMER MEETING.
BROOKLANDS SUMMER MEETING.
THE first Saturday of July was remarkable for the outdoor festivals which attracted sport and pleasure-loving Londoners. Racing at Henley, Lawn Tennis at Wimbledon, horse racing at Alexandra Park, a selection of first class cricket engagements, and— above all, of course—Brooklands, were among the items on a mixed menu of sport. Thus, we suppose that we should really not be surprised because the attendance at Weybridge was probably the smallest seen this year. But there was nothing wrong with the racing far from it J. G. P. Thomas, whose Leyland-Thomas without any effort, can be seen to be getting faster and faster, put up a lap record for the course at 125.14 miles an hour and sauntered home in the Lightning Long Handicap at a mere 1171 miles an hour. There was a high wind blowing, and it is stated that Thomas declared his cognisance of this fact, though one would hardly have thought that wind velocity would have entered into things on such a bullet as the Leyland-Thomas. The latest contribution to the speed of what must now be regarded as the fastest car in the world, is a forced induction device, simple of construction and effective as to result. Air is forced through a pipe opening in front of the radiator cowl on to the carburettors. (A wag in the Paddock asked us whether this was forced draught, supercharging, or merely ” extra air.”) There were only three cars on the line for the Lightning Long Handicap, but they provided the spectators with more thrills than any of the bigger fields. Thomas was asked to owe five seconds, while Gallop on the Ballot, received nineteen, and Count Zborowski on a Mercedes was limit man, with 22 seconds. Zborowski was fast enough just to keep ahead of Gallop, and for the greater part of the race it looked as though it would
be a big fight between these two, with Thomas nowhere. We could see the backmarker coming round the banking at terrific pace and we saw, too, that he was gradually cutting down the distance between himself and the leaders. When they went away on the last lap it looked like a certainty for Zborowski, but on the Byfleet banking there seemed to be just a chance that Thomas would get up. Excitement was intense when, as Zborowski and Gallop swept off the banking on to the straight, Thomas swooped by, to win the fastest race ever run on the track, by a couple of yards. That was the big race of the afternoon and, to our mind, by far the best yet seen this season. There were nine races altogether, and they resulted as follows
FORTIETH loo M.P.H. SHORT HANDICAP (5f MILES).
r. Dr. J. D. Benjafield (Bentley) 20
Secs.
Major C. G. Coe (Vauxhall) … 22
secs. George Duller (Bugatti) 14
sees.
There were nine starters in this event, and of these, Dr. Benjafield, getting away to a fine start, won his way into the lead and retained it throughout. Gallop showed up well, but was eventually passed by Coe and Duller, though neither of these could get on terms with the fast Bentley, which won easily at (pi miles an hour.
TWENTY-NINTH 75 M.P.H. SHORT HANDICAP (5/ re/LILES).
I. A. Whale (Calthorpe)
48 sees. Lieut. P. du Cane (Bugatti)
o sees. Capt. F. H. B. Samuelson (Austin)
37 sees. Whale got away from sixteen starters in fine style, and at the end of the first lap was a quarter of a mile ahead of Miller (Bianchi). His Calthorpe drew farther away from the field in the second lap and he won hands
down at 73 miles an. hour, with du Cane and Samuelson providing a good spectacle in their duel for second place.
TWENTY-PIPTFI LIGHTNING SHORT HANDICAP (51 MILES).
I. J. G. P. Thomas (Leyland-Thomas) 5 secs.
2. Count Zborowski (Mercedes) … 17 secs.
3. Capt. R. C. Gallop (Ballot) … 15 secs. Zborowski led from Gallop till Thomas passed him a mile from home, to win comfortably at 109i miles an hour. It was a race about which there was practically no betting, the winner being so warm a favourite that the odds quoted ofi him left no opportunity for t,
punting.”
PIITTEENTH 90 M.P.H. SHORT HANDICAP (51 MILES).
Leon Cushman (Crossley) …
42 secs. H. P. Purdy (Horstmann)
42 sees. George Duller (Bugatti)
Scratch.
In receipt of a start which appeared to be generous, Gordon England (Austin) led the field for just over a lap. Cushman got ahead early in the second lap, and with Purdy “on his heels” won a close race by three lengths at 79f miles an hour, with George Duller bringing his scratch car into third place.
THIRTY-NINTH ZOO M.P.H. LONG HANDICAP (8f mr.ixs). Capt Malcolm Campbell (Ballot)
39 secs. Capt. R. Gallop (Aston-Martin)
58 secs. A. Ellison (Lorraine-Dietrich)
42 secs. Thomas on the Leyland-Thomas had to go back to “owe 7 “-thanks to his success in the Lightning Short Handicap-and this prevented him from getting into the places, though he was less than a bonnet behind Ellison at the finish. Gallop was the leader until the last lap, when Campbell got in front to win easily at 99f miles an hour. Thomas would have been ” up ” if the race had been a little longer, for he was moving very quickly
TWENTY-NINTH 75 M.P.H. LONG HANDICAP (8i Mir.,P,$).
1. Capt. M. Campbell (Itala) m. 41 S.
2. Capt. F. H. B. Samuelgon (Austin) I m. 41 S.
3. A. Whale (Calthorpe) in. 53 S.
The backmarkers were not given a chance in this race, and Samuelson, though not in the lead, was almost a lap up when Thomas started on the Lanchester. Then Campbell passed the Austin and ran away to win with plenty to spare at 74i miles an hour.
TWENTY-PIFTH LIGHTNING LONG HANDICAP (8f MILES).
1. J. G. P. Thomas (Leyland-Thomas) owes 5 secs.
2. Count Zborowski (Mercedes) … 22 secs.
3. Capt. Gallop (Ballot) … 19 secs.
This was the big race already referred to, and provided the spectators with an exceptionally excellent race. The winner’s speed was 117i m.p.h.
FIFTEENTH 90 M.P.H. LONG HANDICAP (8i MiLus). I. Major Coe (Vauxhall) 2. A. Ellison (Lorraine-Dietrich) 3. R. C. Morgan (Aston-Martin)
Coe did not look like getting through the field until well on in the second lap, when he got into third place. Ellison was haring after Coe, but was not much faster, and the two went to the front to yin by a quarter of a mile at 94. miles an hour.
Beautiful weather favoured the meeting, our inconsistent climate for once living up to the title of the day’s proceedings. We were pleased to observe a varied concourse of spectators, although, as we have said, the attendance would probably have been much larger but for the veritable galaxy of sport offered in and around the metropolis on this particular day.
7 secs. Scratch. 57 secs.