FORM IN THE BEER

FORM IN THE BEER

The Brighton-Beer Trial of the Brighton and Hove M.C. was a Brighton-Beer run in name only, for competitors actually started around midnight from Lobscombe Corner, and finished fairly early on the Sunday morning at Tiverton.

It must be written down as a stiff event. After a breakfast stop at Taunton, competitors (there were sixty-six car entries and seven non-starters) reached the first hill—Cloutsham—more or less to route-card time. The torrential rain through which the cars had come during the night had not had a very serious effect on the surface, but nevertheless, seventeen stopped on Cloutsham. Hayward’s sturdy old Bayliss-Thomas, now supercharged, went up at the end of the tow-rope, much to its owner’s disgust, as he was obliged to occupy the passenger’s seat for once, having suffered arm injuries some time ago which made driving impossible. The next hill was Worthy Lane, where most competitors had an easier time. Then a short run and Slade Lane presented itself, the early numbers going up around 7 a.m. Overhanging trees had kept off much of the night’s rain, and what loose slime there was soon became thrown aside„ so that stones and small boulders were a more serious obstacle. Car after car climbed easily, H. E. Richards coming up calmly in his smart, blown ” P ” M.G. Midget, a cigarette • between his lips, while G. T. I. Taylor’s passenger in a Le Mans Singer was stroking a small dog, The Singer sports drivers put their passengers in the back., where they could bounce to their hearts’ content with their arms around the spare wheels. The blown M.G. Midgets were very fast indeed, and Goodman’s Singer was revving healthily. Bochaton drove up very fast

in the ancient McEvoy, his girl-friend looking very, very grim though later she probably looked still more so, when the rear-axle failed.

Miss Taylor had a rough passage in her blown M.G. Midget, her passenger work:ing hard. Both the old-school Bentleys—Elgood and Chambers—came up fast and faultlessly, and Heal’s elderly 30/98 Vauxhall was slow but got to the summit. S. L. Chappell’s Ford V8 experienced terrific spin on the top right-hand bend but performed very nicely, his daughter in the dickey not deeming it necessary to bounce. G. H. Ramsay’s V8 was slower but no less sure. Failures : W. A. V. Davis (Singer), W. E. C. Greenleaf (Ford Ten), H. L. Haines (Ford Ten), M. Estler (2i-litre Alvis), E. P. H. Jones (Star) and K. A. Scoles (M.G.). So to Widlake, straight, narrow and usefully slime covered, marked by cheerful officials into five sections. Greenleaf and Haines on the Fords failed low down, Jones’ comic Star likewise. A rut just at the end of section 3 caught most of the good drivers, in spite of some very spirited approaches. For example, J. G. Murray (M.G.), A. G. Imhof (Singer),

K. F. Cable (Singer), W. J. B. Richardson (Singer), S. Currey (M.G.), R. E. C. Jennings (Riley Sprite), C. Anthony (Aston-Martin), J. H. Waller (M.G.) and P. B. Tanner (M.G.) had cause to regret that rut after splendid ascents of nearly three sections. Macdermid’s familiar blown M.G. Magnette managed it, and for a long time it seemed that he would be the uncrowned king of Widlake, although Fitt’s Frazer-Nash-B.M.W., Miss Taylor’s M.G., Lucy’s P.D. M.G., Collins’ M.G. Magnette and H. E. Richards (M.G.) all got into section 4. Then P. S. Flower, driving a rakish, unblown J.2 M.G. Midget scored—and the crowd roared. Two clean climbs amongst repeated failures, though drivers who stopped mostly reversed down, Chambers very rousingly, leaving the towing gang to beer and

meditation. Right at the end came H. K. Crawford’s blown ” Cream Cracker” M.G. Midget, which slowed near the rut, then engine screaming, car bouncing bodily, driver and passenger bouncing for their very lives (daily paper journalists are not to take that too literally !). The mudstained Midget got away round the final bend, and three cars had proved Widlake to be climbable somehow without caterpillar tracks or four-wheel-drive. There remained the short Hove Horrow, an acceleration and brake test presided over by A. Ashton Rigby, and finally, Hatherland Hill, where only eighteen clean ascents were recorded by the angels of. the Brighton and Hove M.C.

Whereupon competitors made for Tiverton, signed off, and went in search of the free beer, advertised on the route card, in which the MOTOR SPORT reporter, having to return to London in an old Austin 7 sans tools and spare-tyre, wisely, if regretfully, refrained from joining, though his hard-used motor subsequently behaved =reproachfully.

• PROVISIONAL RESULTS

Brighton & Hove Trophy : R. A. Maedermid (M.G. Magnette S.).

Best performance in opposite class: P. S. Flower (,J.2 M.G. Midget).

Simpson Lee Trophy: A. G. Imhof (Singer Nine S. Hewitt Trophy: J. A. BastoekAM.G. Magnette S.). Lord Thompson Team Trophy: Maedermid, Bastock, Langley. “Three Musketeers” M.G. 3Lignettes S. Great West Trophy: P. S. Flower (J.2. M.G. Midget). First-class awards: Miss K. Taylor, J. E. S. Jones (M.G. Midgets S), A. B. Langley (M.G. Magnette S.). Second class awards: J. H. Waller, A. It. B. Round, S. Currey (51.G. Midgets), H. K. Crawford (M.G. Midget S.), It. W. G. Collins (M.G. Magnette). G. H. Ramsey (Ford V8), 0.0. Fitt (Frazer-Nash B.M.W.), G. Goodman, R. M. Andrews (Singer Nines), W. j. B. Richardson (Singer Nine S.). It. E. j. Jennings (Itiley Sprite).