A CLUB CINDER TRACK

A CLUB CINDER TRACK

DESPITE all possible combinations and permutations, there are only a limited number of competitions which may be held on the public highways, and apart from this, the task of finding a piece of country unoccupied by another club is no mean one. The Harrow Car Club are fortunate in having the use of a T-shaped stretch of private road within half-a-mile of their headquarters, and which was used earlier on for speed trials. Unfortunately, owing to the presence of a gateway and two solid-looking trees near the end of the fairway, the R.A.C. have banned the track for this purpose, but it still comes in useful for the type of gymkhana event staged there at the beginning of last month.

The first event was a manceuvring test arranged at the T-junction, and involving altogether five changes of direction. Some of the reversals were decidedly spectacular, especially those of F. J. Coyne, the treasurer of the club, whose three-year old and much tuned Morris Minor gave a good account of itself here and elsewhere. The surface was loose, so the more powerful sports type cars got little advantage over their touring brethren.

Then followed various driving tests, in which cars had to be backed and parked in narrow spaces between tapes. This favoured somewhat the small open cars, and momentary confusion occurred when A. W. Rackham, quite unaware that the bumpers of his Standard saloon were caught up in the tapes and posts, proceeded to back away with a large part of the obstacles in tow. The final test consisted in threading in and out of a row of bottles, and here Coyne lost some marks, resulting in a win for Buckle (M.G. Midget) who had made a consistent showing throughout. Burnford who was third on an ancient Triumph 8, also well deserved his place. It was altogether a cheerful informal gathering, in which the older cars had a chance of taking on more modern productions, and the subsequent meeting at the” Bells,” on the Hatfield By-Pass, for tea and results, brought things suitably to a close. Here are the results

. D. K. Buckle (M.G. Midget).

2nd. F. J. Coyne (Morris Minor). 3rd. D. Burnford (Triumph “8.”)

4th. D. H. Cottingham (M.G. Midget).

5th. A. W. Rackham (Standard 9).

13th. W. Jackson (Salrnson).

7th. C. L. Catford (Standard 9).

8th. Miss E. M. Summers (M.G. Midget).

9th, P. G. Fowler (Citroen).

10th. A. Clayton (Triumph 11).

11th. H. Peck (M.G. Magna).

12th. A. L. Phillips (Singer Le Mans).