TWO MEETINGS AT LEWES

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TWO MEETINGS AT LEWES

A SUCCESSFUL BUGATTI CLUB MEETING ON THE RACE HILL.

was year the Fixture List of that energetic body, the Bugatti Owners’ Club, in the form of Speed Trials on the Race Hill at Lewes.

Consequently, what seemed like all the Bugattis in England—to say nothing of a goodly array of other rapid vehicles— took the Eastbourne road on Saturday, June 11th, and proceeded to motor more or less quickly to the scheduled scene of activity. Luckily, the weather relented of its bad behaviour at the Club’s meeting at Chalfont St. Peter a few weeks ago, and was fine for the whole afternoon. Promptly at 2.30—for the Bugatti club’s meetings are always run to a rigid time-table—the cars in the first class, Touring 1,500 c.c., made their first run, the winner being Cox’s Alfa-Romeo, which comfortably beat BacheBees frontdrive Alvis by 2 3/5 seconds. Then followed the Unlimited Touring Class, which proved to be a Bugatti-Invitta battle, the first three places going to the latter make represented by Esson-Scott and the brothers Steele on 4i-litre saloons. Faulkner’s 5-litre Bugatti saloon, which was also entered and driven by Mrs. Faulkner, swished quietly up the course like a digni.

fied town car, in marked contrast to the raucous progress of the sporting and racing cars of the marque.

On the first run the 1,500 c.c. Sports Class went to Cox’s Alfa, but on the second attempt he was beaten by K. D. F,vans’s MontIhery Midget, in the capable hands of E. Wilkinson. The latter’s time of 26.9 seconds was exceedingly good, and he handled the car beautifully.

Then came the Unlimited Sports Class, and the eagerly-awaited appearance of Colonel Sorel’s new double-camshaft “2.3 “driven by the redoubtable Mischall. On its first run, however, it was beaten by L. G. Bachelier’s single-camshaft model, not being quite as quick as many of us had expected. Faulkner equalled Mischall’s time. “The Terror” was not in form. After an excellent getaway the car slowed, time 27.3 seconds, so Wilkinson took first place in the 1,500 c.c. Racing Class. His time, 26.9 seconds, was exactly the same as in the Sports Class—a tribute to consistent driving. The Unlimited Racing Class produced an interesting entry in Gardiner’s 5-litre Delage; which possessed colossal acceleration and won the class in 23.3 seconds on his first run, which he

later reduced to 22.7 seconds, fastest time of the day.

Nothing outstanding took place on the second runs, only three cars improving on their previous times, Wilkinson’s Midget, Gardiner’s Delage and Mischa,11’s Bugatti, which reversed the previous positions and beat Bachelier’s car by 1/10th of a second.

The whole event was run to time, and was a great credit to those energetic officials, the Giles brothers, and their efficient staff of helpers.

RESULTS.

11-LiTRE TOURING: 1, G. B. H. Cox (Alfa-Romeo, S), 31.2 sees.; 2, L. G. Bachelier (Alvis, S), 33.5 sees.; 3, D. C. Cook (Aston-Martin), 35.5 sec. OVER 21-LITRE TOURING: 1, A. 1.,■s’ son-Scott (Invicta), 28.1 sees.; 2, T. S. Steele (Invicta), 30.3 sees.; 3, J. S. Steele (Invicta), 31.3 secs.

11-LITRE SPORTS: 1, K. D. Evans (M.G. Midget, 5), 26.9 secs. ; 2, G. B. H. Cox (Alfa-Romeo, 5), 31.1 secs. ; 3, D. C. Cook (Aston-Martin), 34 secs; 21-LITRE SPORTS: E. Mischall (Bugatti, 5), 24.2 sees.; 2, L. G. Bachelier (Bugatti, 5), 24.3 sees., 3, L. E. Bachelier (Bugatti, 8), 25.2 SECS.

UNDER 11-LiTRE RACING: 1, K. D. Evans (M.G. Midget, S), 26.9 sees.; 2, R. G. J. Nash (FrazerNash “Terror “), 27.3 secs. ; 3, R. J. W. Appleton (Bugatti), 28.9 secs. OVER 11-LITRE RACING: N. W. Gardiner (Delage), 22.7 sees.; 2, L. G. Bachelier (2.5-litre Bugatti, S), 23.6 sees.; 3, L. E. Bachelier (2-1itre Bugatti, 5), 25.1 secs.