CLUB NEWS, August 1937

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MIDLAND A.C.

The 3..ladrestield Speed Trials had to be cancelled due to lack of entries— another reflection on the unfixedness of the fixtures. But that will not happen in the case of the next Shelsley-Walsh Hill-climb on September 11th.

J.C.C.

In connection with the Brooklands Members’ Day of July 3rd, F. N. Crane (M.G.) gains a standard award, and Miss P. McOstrich (Frazer-Nash) a special award. 70 members are going on the Budapest Rally from September 3rd-19th. The next event is the 200-Mile Race at Donington. on August 28th.

B.A.R.C.

After August 2nd membership at halfprice, to the end of this season, came into force. Particulars from the Secretary, B.A.R.C., Brooklands Motor Course, Weybridge, Surrey.

YORKSH/RE S.C.C.

Speed trials were again staged at the pleasant half-mile course at Wetherby last month. H. J. Williams, driving a blown M.G. Magnette, established a new course record in 80.13 secs., beating S. E. Cummings’s old record with the Vauxhall Villiers by .07 of a second. His subsequent runs were slower, but he gains the Gunter Trophy for fastest run of the year. H. B. Prestwich (M.G.) loaned Williams his large tyres for his record run. Mrs. Darbishire, handling a G.P. Bugatti, took the Ladies’ Record, beating the former record held by Mrs. G. Stone (Rallton.) by 2.34 secs., her time being 33.1 secs. The event lasted five hours, with an entry of 57. The course has two corners and demands skilful driving and Williams crossed the line at a speed estimated at over 90 m.p.h.

G. A. Mangoletsi’s blown Lea-Francis used parts of the countryside bordering the course on occasion, while LemonBurton had a very lucky escape when the off-side front wheel left his Bugatti as he braked for the second bend, the car going into a hedge and turning over on its side. The Wetherby speed trials should receive the continued attention of sprint exponents next,, year.

year. RESULTS

Sports Caro, 1,000 c.c. nnblown : 1, E. N. R. Hewitt (M.G.), 40.678.; 2, It. M. Harkness (M.G.), 45.198. 1,000 c.c. blown and 1,500 c.c. nnblown : 1, C. L. Clark (Bugatti), 36.72s.; 2, Miss K. Taylor (M.G. S.), 36.958.; 3, W. Bailey (Riley), 37.77s, 1,500 c.c. blown and 3,000 c.c. =blown : 1,

G. A. Mangoletsi (Lea-Francis S.), 34.67s. ; 2.

H. Bolton (SS 100), 36.28s.; 3, W. L. Woodcock (Frazer-Nash-B.M.W.), 37.788.

3,000 c.c. blown and 5,000 c.c. unblown : 1, F. H. Rambling (Bugatti S.), 37.928. Racing Cars, 850 c.c. blown and 1,500 c.c. an

blown : 1, J. N. C. Watson (M.(.; . ), 3I.30. ; 2, E. J. Moor (Wasp). 33.32s.; 3, R. S. Steavenson (Steavenson Special), 36.508.

1,500 c.c. blown and 3,000 c.c. unblown : 1, H. J. Williams (M.G. Niagnetto s.), 30.13s.; 2, R. B. Prestwich (M.G. Magnette S.). 30.25s.

Up to 5,000 c.c. blown and unblown : 1, J. L. Hanson (Bugatti-Vauxhall S.), 32.36s.; 2, J. Kingston-Whittaker (Rail m), 32.86s.

BUGATTI OWNERS’ CLUB

As reported elsewhere, a very successful Donington meeting was held last month in conjunction with the Vintage S.C.C. The next event is speed trials at Lewes on September 4th, and a social run will be held on September 11th. The July issue of ” Bugantics ” contains an article on ” Bugatti Types I Have Owned” by Arthur Baron and technical notes on the supercharged 4.9-litre Type 50 Bugatti. The latter develops 200 b.h.p. at 4,000 r.p.m. and the car does 85.5 m.p.h. on 2nd and 119.5 m.p.h. on top at a rev. limit of 4,500. Besides Col. Giles’s car, K. W. Bear and J. G. Crowther now own Type 50s, purchased from J. LemonBurton. Bear’s car has a Bugatti drophead coupe body and Crowther’s is one of the works team that ran at Le Mans in 1931. New members include R. D. Ropn.er and H. L. Berm. Hon. Sec., E. L. Giles, 2, Queen Street, Mayfair, W.1.

VINTAGE S.C.C.

A Rally for Edwardian cars will probably be held shortly, in conjunction with the Veteran Car Club. The very excellent Bulletin, now in print and picture, continues to appear at intervals. The recent Donington meeting in conjunction with the Bugatti Owners’ Club was very successful and further speed-trials at Littlestone will be held in September. Cecil Clutton has a new and improved formula for the pre-1915 class. Prominent members of the club performed actively at Le Mans in the H.R.G. and Aston-Martin pits. Another trophy has been presented, to go annually to the runner-up of the animal aggregate award. Jointly, these awards are known as the Lycett Trophies. The following, from the last Bulletin, might well become the Club’s signature song :

Changed at twenty, down to first ; Wondered why the motor burst ? Gave him quite a nasty turn ; Buzz-Box owners live and learn. Hon. Sec. : Tim Carson, ” The Phcenix,”

Hartley Whitney, Hants. ‘Phone : Hartley Wintney 84.

KENTISH BORDER C.C.

This club is still going strongly. On July 17th it held a series of driving tests and a gymkhana with the usual balloonbursting, bun-eating and towing races

at a field in Surrey. The event was attended by Ford V8, M.G. Midget, M.G. Magnette, 12/50 Alvis, A.C., FrazerNash, Wolseley, Singer and a blue-label 3-litre Bentley with cut-down chassis and twin downdraught Stromberg carburetters, amongst others. A summer trial, with comp. tyres barred, was scheduled for July 26th, and further hill-climbs will iu future be held at Knatt’s Valley.

FORD ENTHUSIASTS’ CLUB

This club has been formed to cater for family Ford owners by way of social and sporting gatherings and competition enthusiasts by way of trials and other competitive events. It is open to nonFord owners who are genuine enthusiasts for the ” marque” and has no association with the Ford Motor Co., Ltd. The committee consists of S. H. Allard and K. N. Hutchison, well-known Ford drivers, L. M. Ballamy, R. J. Canham, H. G. Symmons and W. Roddy.

The twelvemonth subscription is D., or 10s. for social membership, with an entrance fee of 2s. 0d. Membership of the Millbrooke Dining Club and bar is inclusive. These premises, at Putney, London, S.W., will be available for meetings and film shows and may be used at all times by members and friends. The club badge is based on the V8 engine seen in cross-section, finished in Coronation colours. The club expects to be represented in all the important open events by an Allard-HutchisonSymmons team of Allard-Special-Fords of the kind described in MOTOR SPORT last month. Full particulars are available from either of the joint secretaries : S. H. Allard, 15, Millbrooke Court, Putney, S.W.15, or K. N. Hutchison, 23, Albemarle, Parkside, Wimbledon. Common, S.W.20. ‘Phone : Mitcham 4023.

R.R.C.

The Road Racing Club will stage a combined meeting for cycles, motorcycles, sidecar machines and cars, at the Crystal Palace circuit on August 14th. The car race is a 30-mile handicap starting at 4.50 p.m., and if another ” Bira “-A. C. Dobson duel materialises it will be a classic. The club uses a Leroy-Brille L350 timing apparatus, capable of recording lap-timings of seven cars in one second, accurate to i of a second, recording on printed tapes. Operation is by a Morse key, only one operator being required. The apparatus is portable and can be erected in ten minutes. It may be hired with its official timekeeper by any clubs interested. The Road Racing Club, 12,. Queen’s Gate Terrace S.W.7.

SALTBURN SAND-RACES

With natural grandstands formed by the sandhills, the racing at Saltburnwhere speed events were held in the ” good old days –was run off under very good conditions. W. I. Miller, home from Egypt and full of Bugatti fever, was outstanding with a li-litre G.P. Bugatti. In the Twenty-Mile Handicap Race Hodgson (Riley) took the lead when Miller’s Bugatti retired, but he mistook the last-lap flag for the finishing signal and stopped, letting J. W. Burnand’s Riley-engined J.W.B. Special in to win. But note their average speeds ! A good crowd attended and. the weather was

complimentary. RESULTS One-mile to 850 e.c. blown and 1,500

One-mile Events.—Up to 850 e.c. blown and 1,500 co. unblown : 1, J. W. Burnand (1,123 c.c. J.W.13.), 56.55 m.p.h. ; 2, W. I. Miller (1,496 c.c. Bugatti), (i4.88 m.p.h. ; 3, H. Hodgson (1,087 c.c. Riley), 54.71 m.p.h. Up to 1,500 ex. blown, and 2,500 0.0. unblown : 1, R. U. H. Robinson (1,096 c.c. Riley), 54.54 m.p.h.; 2, W. I. Miller (1,496 c.c. Bugatti), 52.47 m.p.h. ;

3, R. M. Harkness (874 c.c. M.G.), 52.17 m.p.h.

Up to 5,000 c.c. blown or uublown : 1, C. W. Cook (2,120 c.c. Cook Special), 52.63 m.p.h.; 2, W. I. Miller (1,496 c.c. Bugatti), 61.43 m.p.h.; 3, It. M. Harkness (847 c.c. M.G.), 50,99 m.p.h.

Twenty-mile Handicap : 1, J. W. Burnand (1,12:3 c.c. J.W.B. Special), 56.33 m.p.h.; 2, H. Hodgson (1,087 e.e, Riley), 63.77 m.p.h. ; 3, R. .M. Harkness (847 e.e. M.G.), 50.96 m.p.h.

SPEED TRIALS AT SOUTHALL

Some clubs seek to attract good entries for a speed event by choosing a venue actually in London, at the A.E.C. works at Southall. Actually the grounds here only provide a limited course, with rather ” circus ” tendencies in consequence, and perhaps the big grounds of a certain motor-driving tuition school at Croydon, where we believe the Alvis C.C. recently held speed trials, may prove a better venue in time to come. At Southall, on the occasion of the W. Middlesex Amateur M.C.C. speed event, E. Winterbottom made best time in 45 secs., driving the Emeryson, which has a Gwynne foundation and somehow contrives to run as a sports-car, perhaps because it is licensed for road use.

use. RESULTS

850 c.c. Sports : G. Pentony (M.G.), 47.68. 1,100 c.o. Sports : E. Whiterbottom (Emeryson)

46.2s.

Racing ; W. J. Green (M.G., ti.), 46.6s.

1,500 c.c. Sports : E. Winterbottom, 45s.

Racing : W. ,T. Green, 46.4s.

Unlimited Sports : E. Winterbottom, 47.4s.

Racing : E. Winterbottom, 45.8s. W.M.A.M.C,C. Cup : D. S. Dow-‘Wood.

B. and D. M.C.C. Cup : E. Winterbottom.

GENERAL NOTES

Let us try to refrain for a while from idle reminiscence and at least partially restore these columns to something bearing on club activities.

A pretty problem faces those secretaries who are brave enough to put over summer trials. Hills are much easier as a rule during fine weather and they are accordingly tempted to ban competition tyres— this is quite apart from making distinctions between the wheel-wear permissible for different classes of car, which is a separate problem of more winter-time moment. This banning of comps. in summer seems quite all right until you realise that entries, never very easy to get anyway, at this time of year, are being jeopardised because people wish to use up semi-worn comps. now, before buying new, really knobbly ones for winter use, and that they very decidedly do not like the idea of cutting up ordinary tyres while old comps., almost useless for winter trials, hang rotting in the garage. I think you had better allow any sort of tyres in your summer trials and make up for the easier conditions by including plenty of special tests with a minimum time, or standard time, penalty imposed for each.

Concours have relatively little interest, except that some years ago the true Continental ones attracted very beautiful cars, frequently attended by very beautiful ladies—and that invariably these cars were sports marques such as Delage, Hispano, Isotta, Bugatti, Panhard, Voisin and so on. In this country we have allowed Concours d’Elegance to become less and less contests of elegance and more and ever more competitions, widely classified, of convenience and freakishness, standard cars, or standard cars with antimacassars and polished engines, nevertheless scoring heavily. Now Capt. E. L. Short, at a dinner at the conclusion of the recent Eastbourne Concours, has made a strong appeal for a return to the car-beauty contests pure and simple. We feel there is a lot to be said for this suggestion and even an English seaside resort, given waving palm-trees,