THE VICTORY CUP TRIAL

THE VICTORY CUP TRIAL Organised by The Birmingham Motor Club.

Ilimn truthfully be said that this year’s ” Victory” has been a great success. The second of the ‘ ‘ chosen ten,” it would be difficult to find a better organised .event.

With a very representative entry numbering some 170 riders, very little delay was experienced except at Bellmnns Cross—a new hill first used in the ` British Experts’ Trial,’ the surface of which was a sea of thick mud in very deep ruts. The organisers used nice judgment in choosing the route and it was not too difficult to keep up the 20 m.p.h. average—although many severe hills and colonial sections were included. Owing to a considerable amount of recent rain, such old favourites as “Cut Throat,” ” Baxter’s Monument,” ” Kyber Pass,” and “High Oak,” were in really sticky condition, which state, combined with the tremendously deep ruts and boulders, caused the failure of many solos and sidecars alike.

The first observed and time section, Sling Fordrough, was not easy and in fact, spills and failures through water reaching plugs, caused quite a number to lose marks. The acceleration test was carried out on a level stretch of good surfaced road-150 yards with 5 yards rolling start. Some remarkably good times were put up. The

fastest sidecar being 7.4/5 secs., whilst the best solo time reached as low as 7.1/5 secs.

A fine variety of hill surfaces had to be overcome and Dropping Wells, a very steep aclivit-y with an apparently bottomless depth of red sand, was the undoing of many riders. Speed and “horses ” were absolutely necessary. Several very good climbs were made, the fastest by Mr. H. S. Perrey on his 500 c.c. Ariel sidecar outfit, who actually registered 50 m.p.h. during his climb. There was yet a formidable and almost unknown hill to be encountered, namely “Dingle Farm,” which proved to be a very tricky business, with a rough and steep beginning. There appeared half way up, a deep hole which presented tremendous difficulty to a clean sidecar climb. When past this, the surface changed to deep and glutinous mud—much the same as Bellman’s Cross.

At the finish the general atmosphere was of cheerfulness and even the unlucky ones felt that in spite of one or two “foots,” and even failures, the trial was a good one and deserved hearty support in the future.

Mr. Perrey was declared the winner of the “Victory Cup,” for the best performance of the day. A very popular victory and well earned.