RECORDS FALL AT BROOKLANDS

RECORDS FALL AT BROOKLANDS

EARL HOVVE (BUGATTI) AND R. T. HORTON (M.G. MAGNETTE) RAISE FIGURES FOR MAIN CIRCUIT, WHILE SIR M. CAMPBELL (SUNBEAM), RAYMOND MAYS (RILEY), C. S. STANILAND (BUGATTI) AND L. P. DRISCOLL (AUSTIN) ALL BEAT MOUNTAIN CIRCUIT RECORDS.

NOT since Class records for the Main and Mountain Circuits at Brooklands were instituted have so many records fallen by the board as occurred at the Meeting on Whit-Monday. Six records were broken, and two of these were bettered during the afternoon, so that eight new records in all were set up. We will deal with them individually in the course of the reports of the races. The most notable non-starter of the day was the Jameson Special, which Sir Malcolm Campbell was down to drive. This car has failed to turn up so many times now that when it finally makes its first racing appearance at Brooklands people will hardly believe their eyes. From the personal point of view the most regretted absentee was T. A. S. 0. Mathieson. As everyone knows, Mathieson has been seriously ill and has just returned from a convalescent cruise to the West Indies. Unfortunately his health is still not as good as it might be, and for this reason he has decided not to race at all this season. For a man who has just taken delivery of a “-works ” 2.3-litre Bugatti, such a decision must have been heart-breaking. Rather than waste his entries on Whit-Monday, Mathieson handed over his car to that fine driver

C. S. Staniland, who is seen much too seldom at the wheel nowadays. The first race nearly resulted in one of the easiest walk-overs ever seen at the Track. N. S. Embiricos was on the 3 seconds mark with a Type 55 Bugatti (twin camshaft 2.3-litre), starting level with D. A. Aldington’s un-supercharged Frazer Nash. On the Byfleet Banking on the first lap Embiricos caught the whole field, and came past the Members’ Bridge with a long lead from A. H. Robins (M.G. Magna), W. E. Humphreys (Alvis), F. Allen (M.G. Midget), D. A. Aldington (Frazer Nash), R. F. Oats (Amilcar),

C. G. H. Dunham (Alvis) and J. R. Hodge (Singer). Robins’s car, by the way, is now fitted with a grey streamlined body and cowled radiator. E. L. Meeson (Hillman) and C. D. Parish (Austin) had both retired on the first lap.

The race, then, looked an easy thing for Embiricos—barring trouble, and this is what actually happened. As he came off the Byfieet Banking the engine faltered, spluttered and stopped. His momentum carried him to the Home Banking, and there he stayed while the rest of the cars swept by, D. A. Aldington (Frazer •Nash) leading. In the end the Frazer Nash won at the fine speed of 93.69 m.p.h., Fred Allen bringing his Midget into second place some SO yards astern. W. E. Humphreys, driving Charles Follett’s ” Firefly” Alvis was third.

Result of Merrow Junior Short Handicap.

1. D. A. Aldington (Frazer Nash, 1,496 c.c.), 3s.

2. F. Allen (M.G., 747 c.c. S.), 14s.

3. W. E. Humphreys (Alvis, 1,496 c.c.), 25s.

Won by 50 yards at 93.69 m.p.h. 125 yards between second and third.

Considerable disappointment was felt when it was announced that Sir Malcolm Campbell _ was a non-starter on the Jameson Special. However, a goodly number of fairly fast cars assembled on the line, ranging from R. Morgan (Singer), the limit man, to C. S. Staniland (2-litre Bugatti) on scratch. At the end of the first lap the leader was C. E. C. Martin on the 6-carburetter M.G. Magna owned by Roy Eccles. He was followed by Miss Rita Don, driving C. T. Delaney’s Lea Francis, H. G. Dobbs (Riley), F. Allen (M.G. Midget), then E. K. Rayson (Riley) and Mrs. K. Petre (Bugatti) running neck and neck, Miss Ellison (Bugatti), who turned in at the Fork to retire, 1′. V. G. Elby (Bugatti), C. T. Osborne (Austin), S. Staniland (13ugatti) and F. J. Fielding (Bugatti). Fielding’s car attracted a good deal of attention in the Paddock on account of its beautiful finish, but it was not in its Shelsley-form during this race. Mrs. Petre got clear of Rayson, whose Riley was making a thunderous roar owing to one of its exhaust pipes coming adrift from the silencer. She held steadily on her path and was soon passing Allen, Martin and Rita Don, completing the job in time to win by a margin of 10 yards at

the exceihut speed of 100.04 m.p.h. Staniland just failed to catch Mrs. Petre, in spite of fiassing four cars on the short run along the Railway Straight, and his second place was thoroughly deserved. Immediately behind him came a squabbling mass of cars, from which Rayson emerged to take third place in the best finish of the day.

Result of Morrow Senior Short Handicap.

1. Mrs. K. Petre (Bugatti, 1,990 c.c.), 23s.

2. C. S. Staniland (Bugatti, 1,990 c.c. S.), scratch.

3. E. K. Rayson (Riley, 1,089 c.c. S.).

Won by 10 yards at 100.04 m.p.h., 20 yards between second and third.

Twelve cars came to the line for the first Mountain race of the Meeting. V. S. Gilbert (Austin) was the limit man, and he led the field for three laps by an exhibition of smooth, fast cornering. Behind him thundered Dr. R. A. Beaver on a 30/98 Vauxhall which he has entered for every meeting this year at Brooklands but was now driving at the Track for the first time. He handled his ” 30/98″ with exceptional skill, sliding round the Fork in a most polished fashion. Another driver who was making a good job of a car not entirely suited to the circuit was W. Esplen, with a vast 41-litre Bentley. The front tyres of this car nearly came off as it heeled over like a battleship in a gale, and they set up a howl in a lower key than has yet been heard at the Fork.

By the time the third lap had been covered A. J. Cormack had worked his way into third place from scratch with his green Alta, having passed C. T. Baker-Carr (Bentley), D. L. Briault (Alta), C. M. Lewin (Austin), H. F. Benka (Invicta), Sqd. Ldr. BowenBuscarlet (Riley), J. H. Potts (M.G. Midget) and N. A. Pinegar (M.G. Midget). The other scratch men, H. G. Dobbs (Riley) and W. Esplen (Bentley) could not hold the little Alta, which proceeded to overhaul Gilbert on the 4th lap and Beaver on the last to gain a most meritorious victory. On the last lap C. M. Lewin (Austin) nearly failed to round the Fork Corner

and Esplen gave the inside sand bank a good buffet with his Bentley. N. A. Pinegar caused a burst of laughter when his white M.G. Midget developed.a teriffic wheel judder at quite a low speed, him almost to conic to a standstill.

Result of First Marrow Mountain Handicap.

J. A. J. Cormaek (Alta, 1,074 c.c. S.), scratch.

2. Dr. R. A. Beaver (Vauxhall, 4,234 c.c.), 20s.

3. C. T. Baker-Carr (Bentley, 4,487 c.c.), 5s. Won by 150 yards at 66.02 m.p.h., 70 yards between second and third.

The second Mountain Race marked the return of Sir Malcolm Campbell to this form of racing after the Mountain Championship last year, when his 12-cylinder Sunbeam was damaged in a collision with Rose-Richard’s Bugatti. From the start the interest of the race lay in the fight between Campbell and Raymond Mays, on his ” special ” Riley, both starting from the scratch mark. For two laps Mays held a slight advantage, but then Campbell got by at the Fork.

Ahead of these two, W. E. Harker had got his Harker Special running in wonderful form, and by the third lap he had taken the lead after passing R. H.

Eccles (Frazer (M.(;. Midget), J. H. Day (M.G. (Lea Francis), P. the limit man

Midget). The duel between Campbell and Mays

continued, and both of them beat the existing lap records for their respective classes. Campbell did a lap in 55.2 seconds at 76.31 m.p.h., beating G. E. T. Eyston’s 55.4 seconds with the 4.9 Bugatti. Mays improved on his own record of 56.4 seconds, covering a lap in 56 seconds dead at 75.21 m.p.h. C. S. Staniland had started 9 seconds ahead of the scratch pair, and was picking up places on every lap. Then he too joined the ranks of the record breakers with a lap in 58 seconds, or 72,62 m.p.h., two-fifths of a second better than Mathieson’s previous record made with the same car.

On the last lap Campbell and Mays came through to take 2nd and 3rd places respectively, failing to catch Harker by 150 yards. At the Fork Corner P. A. Fairfield skidded round in a circle, but fortunately no one was very near. Pinegar repeated his curious wheeljuddering performance.

Nash), A. R. Samuel W. Esplen (Bentley), Midget), R. C. Vickers G. Fairfield (Riley) and N. A. Pinegar (M.(;.

Result of Second Marrow Mountain Handicap.

W. E. Harker (Harker Special, 1.492 c.c. S.), 31s. 2, Sir AL Campbell (Sunbeam, 3,976 c.c. S.), scratch,

3, R. Mays (Riley, 1,486 c.c. S.), scratch. AVon, by 150 yards at 67.50 m.p.h., 30 yards between second and third.

There were no non-starters nor rehandicaps in the Fifth Race, which was run according to programme. Major A. T. G. Gardiner was limit man, at the wheel of a racing car for the first time since his bad accident in the T.T. of 1932. His beautifully finished green Magnette had a start of 23 seconds, but on the first lap he was passed by C. R. A. Grant on the 4-seater Alfa Romeo once owned by Sir Malcolm Campbell and R. T. Horton, whose streamlined Magnette was travelling at a colossal speed. Horton continued his meteoric progress, and on the second lap returned a speed of 120.59 m.p.h., a new 1,100 c.c. class record. His red Magnette was remarkably silent, and held the track better than most cars of twice its size. A. H. L. Eccles was going very fast from the scratch mark, and was lying fourth on the second lap behind Grant, Horton and Gardner. For once Freddie Dixon was out of the picture, but he moved up among the leaders on the last lap and got ahead of Grant, only to be passed again on the run-in from the Members’

Banking. Horton was an easy winner, taking his foot off as he entered the Railway Straight to win by 300 yards from Eccles, Grant being third.

Result of Merrow Lightning Short Handicap. 1. Horton

1. R. T. Horton (M.G., 1,087 c.c. S.), 10s.

2. A. H. L. Eccles (Bugatti, 2,263 c.c. S.), Scratch.

3. C. R. A. Grant (Alfa Romeo, 2,336 c.c. S.), 19s.

Won by 300 yards at 110.33 m.p.h., 125 yards between second and third.

Now came the Great Event of the Day, the Gold Star Handicap of 20 Miles. For this there were two non-starters, H. G. Dobbs (Riley) and H. T. H. Clayton (Amilcar), but a field of 15 cars came to the starting line. On the first lap E. K. Rayson (Riley) led, followed by C. R. A. Grant (Alfa Romeo), F. Hallam (Alvis), T. V. G. Selby (Bugatti), A. C. Dobson (on the Bugatti once owned by Charles Brackenbury), G. Shapley (Bugatti), R. R. K. Marker (Bentley), F. W. Dixon (Riley), Earl Howe (Bugatti), R. T. Horton (M.G.), C. S. Staniland (Bugatti), A. H. L. Eccles (Bugatti), and the two scratch men, Kaye Don (Bugatti) and 0. J. H. Bertram (Delage).

Earl Howe was a strong favourite for the race, people who “study form” saying that he only needed to lap at 121 m.p.h. in order to win. As it turned out, however, Earl Howe put in some extremely fast laps during this race, On one ,occasion raising his own Class Record from 125.45 m.p.h. to 129.80 m.p.h.

Earl Howe steered a most interesting course on the Members’ Banking. We first noticed it on lap 3, when he pulled down the Banking at the beginning of the wooden ” retaining-wall ” and passed Marker’s Bentley and another car on the inside. But this course was also taken when the Track was clear, the Bugatti appearing under the Members’ Bridge right at the top of the banking and then diving down to a position which avoided the famous ” bump ” altogether.

Horton was tremendously fast with his Magnette, and accomplished the finest performance of the day by covering a lap at 123.58 m.p.h. This speed represents a wonderful testimony both to the car and its driver, and we offer our heartiest congratulations to both of them. On the fifth lap Earl Howe took the lead, and from then on he was not challenged. At this stage the order was Earl Howe, Rayson, Selby, Hallam, Dixon, Marker, Bertram, Eccles and Grant. Two terrific scraps had already resulted in one or other of the opponents

retiring. Staniland and Eccles, starting level, had covered four laps with only a few lengths between them, the combined whine of these two Bugattis being most pleasing to the car. Staniland had the best of it until his car gave out, leaving Eccles to continue alone with slight misfiring developing in his black ” Bug.” Bertram and Don were the other pair, Don looking as though he would like to pass Bertram on the ByfIeet Banking but being unable to overhaul the Delage on the Railway Straight until Bertram pulled down the Members’ Banking on the third lap to let him pass. Don did not stay ahead for long, for a tyre tread flew off and struck his bare forearm so that he had a few unpleasant moments before finally bringing his Bugatti to a standstill.

And so Earl Howe came in the winner, 600 yards ahead of Grant’s Alfa Romeo, with Bertram doing well to take third place some distance away. Before the race was over Rayson, Shapley, Horton and Hallam had joined the ranks of the retirements.

Result of the ‘Gold Star ” Handicap.

I. Earl Howe (Bugatti, 2,263 c.c. S.) 32s.

2. C. R. A. Grant (Alfa Romeo, 2,336 c.c. S.), lm. 42s.

3. 0. Bertram (Delage, 10,688 c.c.), scratch. Won by 600 yards at 125.71 m.p.h., 1,300 yards between second and third. The next race was bound to suffer a good deal by comparison with its

predecessor, for the speeds were naturally nowhere near so fast. It turned out to be a runaway victory for J. W. Lucas (Riley), one of the limit men, who finished 500 yards ahead of W. L. Thompson, Jun. (Austin). Miss Naismith (Salmson) was in second place for most of the race, and caused a little amusement owing, to the fact that her passenger prevented himself from falling out of the car by clasping the driver round the neck.

Although not in the picture for two laps, the scratch man T. V. G. Selby (Bugatti) came up fast just before the finish but failed to catch the leaders.

Result of Marrow Junior Long Handicap.

I. J. W. Lucas (Riley, 1,089 c.c.), lm. Is.

2. W. L. Thompson, Jun. (Austin, 747 c.c. S.), 19s.

3. W. E. Humphreys (Alvis, 1,496 c.c.), 49s.

Won by 500 yards at 88.81 m.p.h., 200 yards between second and third.

The second Long Handicap was a much better affair and provided high speeds and a close finish. Clayton was again a non-starter, together with Metcalfe’s Abbott-Nash and J. C. Davis, who was down to drive the 8-cylinder 1,500 c.c. Delage, but had damaged his knee-cap.

W. E. Humphreys led the field for two laps on the ” Firefly” Alvis, hut the back markers were rapidly closing in. Eccles (Bugatti), R. C. Murton-Neale (Bentley), and Bertram (Delage) were all going great guns, but none of them were quite so well placed as A. P. Hamilton on the 2.3-litre Alfa Romeo raced by Kaye Don in the International Trophy. Hamilton started level with Eccles and Murton-Neale but was leading them both. He came through the whole field to take first place on the last lap, only to have his engine give out with victory almost in his grasp. He came under the Members’ Bridge coasting, looking back anxiously for the cars behind him. They came in sight only too soon, and in the bunch which swept by Eccles ran out a winner from Murton-Neale and Bertram in one of the closest finishes of the day.

Result of Marrow Senior Long Handicap.

1. A. H. L. Eccles (Bugatti, 2,263 c.c. S.), 245.

2. R. C. Murton-Neale (Bentley, 4,398 c.c. S.), 24s.

3. 0. Bertram (Deleage, 10,688 c.c.), scratch.

Won by 25 yards at 112.2s m.p.h., 10 yards between second and third. The next race was another ” walkover.” N.S. Embiricos was the limit man with his Type 55 Bugatti and merely had to tour round the course in order to win the race. Of the scratch Tiwn both Sir Malcolm Campbell and 1;1 vinond Mays were rehandicapped, but

this time Mays had a 2 seconds start.

The most interesting feature of this race was the first public appearance of a new Austin single-seater, specially constructed for hill-climbs and similar events. It is a most attractive little machine, and in the hand of F. P. Driscoll took the coveted 750 c.c. lap record held by H. C. Hamilton’s M.G. Midget. Driscoll’s time was 1 min. 0.4 secs„ as against the previous figure of 1 min. 0.8 secs.

R. H. Eccles held second place for four laps on his Frazer Nash, but was displaced by Staniland and Driscoll on the run-in from the Fork. Mays made great efforts to get up with the leaders, but in spite of again breaking the 1,500 c.c. lap record with a circuit in 55.4 seconds he could not get within striking distance.

Result of Third Morrow Mountain Handicap.

I. N. S. Embiricos (Bugatti, 2,263 c.c. S.), 40s.

2. C. S. Staniland(Bugatti, 2,263 c.c. S.), 45.

3. L. P. Driscoll (Austin, 747 c.c. S.), 28s. Won at 66.44 in.p.h. by 75 yards : 12.8 secs, between second and third. From the point of view of close bunching the last race of the day was quite the best. There were 13 starters, and the whole field clung together in -a roaring, jostling Mass. On the first lap S. F. Wilson

(M.G.) found himself being left behind, and in putting on speed slid right round at the Fork. Luckily he was one but last, and -so did not cause any anxiety. D. M. Dent (Frazer Nash) led for the first lap, only to be passed by Dr. Beaver (Vauxhall), who was driving with great spirit. Meanwhile W. G. Everitt was doing wonders with his extremely fast J. 2. Midget, and had actually passed six cars in two laps. On the next

circuit he went into the lead, and from then on was a comfortable winner. D. L. Briault (Alta) retired after a few laps during which his car boiled furiously.

T. P. Cholmondeley-Tapper (Bugatti) worked himself into second place, but some rather violent work on the top corner earned for him a severe reprimand from the Stewards and a fine.

During the Meeting it was announced that the prize for the best turned out ensemble of driver and car had been awarded to Earl Howe and his Bugatti.

Result of Fourth Marrow Mountain Handicap.

1. W. 0. Everitt (M.G., 747 c.c. S.), 9s.

2. T. P. C. Tapper (Bugatti, 1,496 c.c.), 13s.

3. T. C. Baker-Carr (Bentley, 4,487 c.c..), 9s.

Won by 250 yards at 65.00 m.p.h., 75 yards between second and third.