TWO CONTINENTAL WINS FOR WAKEFIELD

TWO CONTINENTAL WINS FOR WARFILD

AFTER the last Crystal Palace meeting, Johnny Wakefield declared his intention of going out to Italy and investigating the possibilities of the fourcylinder sixteen valve Maserati. The next thing that was heard of him was that he had beaten up the leading Italian drivers— including the Maserati team—in the Princess of Piedmont Cup Race at Naples, and he followed this up with an easy victory in the Picardie Grand Prix a week later. The Naples race was in the nature of a try-out, and seldom has a trial run had a more satisfactory conclusion. It started with Rocco, on one of the works Maseratis, going into the lead for about a dozen laps. Wakefield was feeling his way, not far behind, but both he and Rocco dropped a plate when Villoresi, 011 the second works car, swept past into the lead on

the twentieth circuit. Wakefield went after him, passed Rocco, and was only 4 secs. behind Villoresi, when the latter stopped for fuel.

There followed a muddled period when all the drivers came into refuel one after another, but when it was all over Wakefield and Villoresi resumed their titanic battle for the lead. After three-quarters of the race, the Englishman had an advantage of a second, and he was breaking the lap record time and time again. The Italian made a tremendous effort towards the end but met with misfor

tune. First of all he lost a gear, then his carburation went all haywire, and finally he spun round on a coiner, leaving Wakefield to win quite comfortably from Taruffi and Cortese. RESULTS Princess cd Piedmont Cup

1, 3′. P. Wakefield (Maserati), 150 miles in 21i. 94m. 50.8s., 63.62 m.p.h.; 2, P. Tana (Maserati), 9h. 25m. 459. ; 3, F. Cortese (Maserati), 2h. 27m. 968. ; 4, L. Villoresi .(Maserati), 211. 28m. 39s.; 5, Bianco (Maserati) 1 lap behind ; 6, Barbieri (Maserati); 7, Belineci (Maserati); 8, Romano (Maserati); 9, Plate (Maserati); 10, Rocco (Maserati); II, Corsi (Maserati).

Fastest Lap : Wakefield, 2m. 15.88., 65.49 m.p.h. The Picardie Grand Prix meeting was rather a farce. There was only one car in it, and Wakefield’s consequent superiority robbed the race of any interest. Raymond Sommer had tried hard to get an AlfaRomeo for the race, but in the end he had to be content with an aged and by

no means. fit Maserati. Judging by the lack of entries, it seemed that the absence of British cars (last year Mays and” Bira ” were both there) had made other competitors think that the race was not worth while bothering about.

The Picardie Grand Prix is normally run in two heats and a final. This year, however, partly due to the small field of ten starters, and. partly because of the rain, one of the heats was cut out. Instead, there was a most amusing race for ladies driving 8 h.p. Renault saloons. Wakefield soon built up a long lead in the first heat, gaining half a dozen seconds a lap on Armand Hug, the Swiss

driver of a Maserati. Behind came Horvilleur on another Maserati and the rest of the field nowhere. Sommer’s car was more often at the pits than not, having a mysterious carburation malady. Nothing much happened before the end except that Horvilleur oiled a plug and dropped back ; Jean DelOrme dived backwards off the road on lap 1 with his pretty Bugatti, and Wakefield went on his majestic way to win at 81.2 m.p.h. with Hug second, Tremouet (Amilcar) third, Grignard (Amilcar) fourth, Herkuleyns (M .0.) fifth and Horvilleur (Maserati) sixth.

In the final of the Grand Prix Sommer’s car was going a good deal better until the third lap, when the carburetter again decided to sulk. Meanwhile Wakefield’s only other serious competitor, Hug, had stopped for plugs, and although he got going again he finally went out with a broken piston. With Horvilleur’s Maserati going badly too, Wake [lel( I sailed away to win by the ridiculous margin of 12 miles, two laps ahead of Sommer. who had struggled on to the finish. RESULTS Picardie Grand Prix

1, 3′. P. Wakefield (Maserat1), 94i miles in lb. Orn. 338., 82.034 M.p.h.; 2, R. Sommer (Maserati), 2 laps behind ; 8, Horvilleur (Maserati), 2 laps behind; 4, lumani (Bugatti), 2 laps behind ; 5, Treraoulet (Amilear) 2 laps behind ; 6, Rerkuleyns (M.G.) 3 laps behind.