NEW SINGERS SCORE AN EASY WIN IN THE L.C.C. RELAY RACE

NEW SINGERS SCORE AN EASY WIN IN THE L.C.C. RELAY RACE

THE RACE WON AT AN AVERAGE SPEED OF 85.13 M.P.H. POWELL’S TEAM ON THE LIMIT MARK SECURE SECOND PLACE AT 77.9. “RELAY RACE” WEATHER AS USUAL CAUSES ANXIETY fAN the morning of the Relay Race thene were few places more “morne,” not to say “triste,” than the paddock at Brooklands, for apparently none of the regular spectators at the track had heard of the Light Car Club’s excellent fixture. Heavy clouds and occasional showers probably accounted for those who thought they would come but weren’t sure. Fortunately

this blight did not extend to the area round the Fork, where nineteen teams, each of three cars, were preparing to take their turns in charging round the track. The race was over 90 laps of the outer

circuit, or roughly 250 miles. Each car had normally to do 30 laps, but in the event of, say, car “A” blowing up, car “B” then tooks its place and endeavoured to make up the deficit as well as its own thirty laps. Car “A ” was the fastest in order to remove any temptation to retire it in favour of a second and more speedy machine, and the “A” cars were started in accordance with the time handicap of the team. The first of each team started from the Fork, the other cars being lined up beyond the pits, and at the latter point the transfer of the scarf to the second or the third driver of the team had to be made. The event is confined to three or fourwheeled cars of a capacity not exceeding if litres. The race started at two o’clock, and the first man to be sent off was N. G. Watson on a Frazer-Nash, who had no less than 51 minutes from D. G. Evans’s team of which started from scratch. Next to start was Shorrock on a supercharged M.G., and then Miss Richmond, first driver of Ridley’s team of Triumphs. The first team entered by Conway, the secretary of the C.U.A.C., started badly, for the supercharged Austin belonging to H. M. Williams had suffered a damaged oil pump before the race, and was just wheeled to the pits where the sash was handed over to Connell, the second man, who was thereupon expected to cover 60 laps on his Singer. Then a succession of starters from one-make teams followed, Spikins with a neat looking Singer. Tenbosch on the first of a team of Ballila Fiats, and three

minutes afterwards, the first of the pale green Le Mans Singers, an attractive-looking car which soon started to Show its form by lapping at 91 m.p.h. With a start of 40 minutes these cars were naturally well favoured.

Apart from some difficulty in starting Mitchell-Thetnpson’s single-seater FrazerNash, the starts were uneventful, but just as Driscoll on the factory single-seater Austin left t he line rain began to fall. However, this did not upset Pat, who opened upwith a standing lap of 99 m.p.h. At last at 2.51 Kenneth Evans set out on his R-type Midget, and the field was complete. The Austin did not keep going for long and Driscoll came in with his car misfiring after six laps. After changing plugs he went on again, but stopped a hundred yards beyond the pits, and ran back to hand over to Parish. Car A’s trouble was sticking valves.

Meanwhile Watson had covered over twenty laps on his Frazer-Nash, and was still leading the field comfortably at a speed of 85.64 m.p.h., second being Spikins on his grey-painted Singer at 82.32 m.p.h., and third Ridley’s team of Triumphs at 76.97 m.p.h., in spite of losing Miss Richmond’s car with a defective petrol pump, a trouble which also beset Shorrock on his M.G. soon after the start.

With a third of the distance covered Powell’s team had still five laps in hand, and Watson handed over to Barker, who continued to make good progress on a Ladonda Ranier. Spikins’ team of Singers still retained second place, but G. H. R. Chaplin’s M.G., Singer and Austin combination had made big strides and moved into third positiOn. Fiats had gained a place and the works Singers were starting to make an impression.

Order at 30 Laps. It was still too early to expect the people at the top of the list to figure on the leader board, but K. D. Evans had corn

1.

D Powell’s team. 86.17 m.p.h..

2.

F R. G Spiking’ team, 83.99 m.p.h.

H R Chaplin’s first team, 88.22 m.p.h. 4,

V H Tnson’s team. 81.24 m.p.h.

F S Barnes’s team. 86.25 m.p.h.

pleteci his 30 laps at. a speed of tot m.p.h. Brother D. G. then set out on the Q Midget, but this died with some obscure trouble at the far side of the track, and by the time the wretched driver had regained the pits and handed over the scarf to his sister, all hope of success in that camp had disappeared.

The Morgans were lapping at high speed near the top of the banking, the passenger’s life apparently far from a happy one. Laird’s car retired at the t6th lap with front-axle trouble, but Rhodes carried on at speed. The Air Force team in No. 4 pit were rather damped at the fact that the supercharged Aston-Martin of Greaves was a non-starter, but the team leader, Sed.-Ldr. Bowen Buscarlet, who was at that time performing valiently on an exFreddy Dixon Riley, had fortunately provided his men with a 21 gallon bottle of beer, so life was not so bad.

Forty laps saw the official Singer team in third place, and ten laps later they were second. The second of the Spikins team was not as fast as the leader, and at so laps they had dropped back to fifth, while the Barnes contingent gained another place. Chaplin’s mixed team had by then regained third place, and Davis on his if litre Singer was holding the speed at over 8s m.p.h.

Barker’s Lagonda was still leading the field when he drew into the pits to hand over his scarf, but the Singer team were only one lap behind. The third car of the Powell’s team was an 847 C.C. M.G. driven by the entrant himself and a couple of laps later he was overtaken by Bicknell on the third of the Le Mans Singers. Chaplin’s team had been very little. slower up to this point, but the Singers had a start of half a minute.

Order at 80 Laps. With the official Singer in the lead and running well below its maximum, the position of the leaders seemed fairly well

1.

D Powell’s team. 79.75 m.p.h.

F S Barnes’s team, 85.8 m.p.h.

3.

121 R rbwnlin’s first team, 85.5 m.p.h.

F R G Spikins’ team, 79.4 m.p.h.

5.

V H Tuson’s team, 78.86 m.p.h.