Mays' Sprint Car

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Mays’ Sprint Car

Recent correspondence on Raymond Mays’ sprint car in MOTOR SPORT has interested me considerably as I have spent some time searching for this car over the years, but to no avail. My researches have led me to three conclusions, which may or not be verifiable from the correspondence auctioned by Christie’s recently. The car used a 2-litre Zoller blown ERA engine driving through a normal ERA Armstrong Siddeley pre-selector gearbox with, 1 suspect, reverse, third and top gears removed. The propshaft then drove to a transfer box, behind the rear axle line, which in turn fed power forwards to each rear wheel via duplex chains mounted in massive electron cast cases to each rear wheel. How the mar end was suspended, I am not sure. Front suspension was almost certainly straight from a V-I BRM and instruments were E-type ERA. The chassis was almost certainly boxed twin channels, with the body mounted on hoops. After making enquiries all over the place, it seems almost certain that there was a pretty good row between the BRM Trust and Raymond Mays about the amount of time, parts and money being spent on this car, when, in fact, it should have been spent on the V-16 BRMs and 1 am almost certain that the Trust demanded certain of their parts back, leading to the dismantling of the car before it ever competed in an event. The engine and gearbox, no doubt, were returned to R4D, Mays’ own car which he still owned at this time. The only actual parts of this car that I h,e ever seen are a set of un-machined rear chain cases which Tom Wheatcroft purchased about a year ago from somewhere in Lincolnshire, and which he now basin his workshop in Leicester. Perhaps these might be a good start for someone to build a replica as there seem to be an awful lot of 2-litre ERA engines around these days finding their way into cars which should be 1./2-litres. Leafield, Oxon. BILL MORRIS