FORD EIGHT AGAIN WINS LEINSTER TROPHY RACE
FORD EIGHT AGAIN WINS LEINSTER TROPHY RACE
These Irish road-races are very good indeed, and the 154-mile contest over the Tallaght circuit for the Leinster Trophy, on July 18th, was no exception. The ‘entries included some gloriously Varied cars, of the sort about which an enthusiast might dream of in a field composed -of mainly amateur racing men. For instance, R. J. Gallagher had a 1935 Bugatti powered with a V8 Ford motor which really possessed performance,. and R. B. S. Le Farm drove a 995 c.c. f.w.d. monoposto Adler. Then Yule had a blown Morris Eight, Miss Rich a Lea-Francis driven for her by W. F. Pearson, and Denis Conan-Doyle prr,-duced an S.S.K. 7-litre Meredes-Benz. The last-named led for a while but on a rain-Sodden road the big car was difficult to control on the corners and on a fast bend near Tallaght it skidded seriously, hit Another retired car, and crashed badly. N. Barrington’s Boulogne FrazerNash and Adrian Conan-Doele’;, new flugatti were close behind and got through somehow, whereupon Adrian pulled up and ran back to his brother, who for the most part was only shaken—and it takes something to shake a Conan-Doyle—and soon set off on foot to the pits. Accidents were fairly numerous, for Gallagher on the U.S.R. Fordengined Bugatti did several curious things at the Templeogue Bridge turn, -completing his exhibition by striking
the wall for a second time and seriously damaging the car, which had been lapping at nearly 65 m.p.h., and was the fourth on handicap. Le Panu got into difficulties at the same spa with the f.w.d. Adler as a result of other cars placing him Off his correct .cornering line, and a rear wheel struck the wall. Officials wirelessed the news to the pits—Irish organisation is certainly an eye-opener—and the Adler was flagged in and withdrawn when it was discovered that the axle was damaged. At the time Le Fanu had just gone into first place after starting eleventh. Rain was falling heavily and spectators, especially the female element, watched from be neath dripping umbrellas. A further incident was provided for them when
the Lea-Francis lit up, Miss Rich and Pearson getting Out without injury. Yule (Morris Eight) and Sheane (P-type M.G.) were leading on position, but on handicap D. M. Campbell’s 1935 T.T. Aston-Martin was in the followed by Barrington’s Frazer-Nash, and Peters’ sister car. Campbell then had to visit the pits twice for oil, and Peters retired with gear maladies. Toohey now began to move up, the special Ford
Eight having previously been well back after a pit-stop on the initial lap to change plugs. Barrington lost speed, and I. F. Connell, driving a 2.6-litre Monza AlfaRomeo, suffered from a tropical downpour, so that six laps from the end Malley rather surprisingly went into the lead. The Ford, which won last year, was the winner by half-a-lap, at an average just one m.p.h. higher than its speed last year over dry roads. Toohey has every reason to feel pleased, because he was rehandicapped from five to three laps. He did one lap at 63.58 m.p.h., which is only 41 m.p.h. slower than the fastest laps in the race, and the Ford has now finished in five successive races. It is a modified and ” hatted-up” eight with rather skeleton bodywork. Campbell’s Aston-Martin was second 3 min. 38 secs, later, and if it had not required the pit-stops it would have probably won by half-a-minute. Barrington was third, Yul c’s C.M. Y. Morris fourth,
McArthur’s M.G. Magnette fifth. Fastest time was made by I. F. Connell’s AlfaRomeo, at 65.86 m.p.h., which gained him sixth place and a special cup. Monaco Ltd. prepared the car. The best laps— at 68.05 m.p.h.—were made by this car and Campbell’s Aston-Martin.
RESULT
1. .1% ToOhey (Ford 933 c.o.) 2h, 19m. 38s. Speed 60.90 111.p.h.
2. D. M. Campbell (Aston-Martin) 2h. 22m. Os. 63.36 m.p.h.
3. M. Barrington (Frazer-Nash) 2h. 22tu. 50s. 62.03 m.p.h.