REASONS FOR RETIREMENTS

REASONS FOR RETIREMENTS Sir,.

There are two small items of information I can give you, that may be of some interest to you in compiling those extremely good and accurate race reports that are such a feature of your magazine.

Firstly, in the race at Snetterton on March 27th for single-seater racing cars, our car, driven by Klaas (Jimmy) Twisk, was lying second behind the Cooper-based Maserati-powered car of Keith Greene and well ahead of John Campbell-Jones in third place when. two laps from the end, the inlet manifold split, causing an acute power loss; we were then ousted to sixth spot.

Secondly, in the Gold Cup race at Oulton last Saturday, you may have remarked how rapidly Jimmy Twisk was going through the field; he Was in the fourth row on the grid, but nevertheless had worked his way up to seventh spot behind Schell and, indeed, was catching that worthy at the rate of one second per lap, in the course of which he equalled the last year’s lap record; unhappily, as you will be aware, he overturned at Druid’s on the ninth lap. I would like to make it clear that this was due to the failure of a rear hub bearing, which collapsed, and is no reflection at all on Mr. Twisk. I would be grateful, therefore. if you would make this clear in your race report. I am happy to be able to state that Mr. Twisk’s injuries were mainly superficial, and that he is making a rapid recovery. The car was badly damaged, but we hope to have both driver and car ready for the Grand Prix de Pan on Easter Monday.

Incidentally, you may have wondered why the car was entered as the Cooper Special, when it was patently obvious that it was completely Cooper. The answer to this lies in the fact that this car is about to have its rear suspension altered to torsion bar in place of the orthodox transverse leaf-spring. However, the experiments in this direction have not yet been entirely completed, and obviously we were not going to risk an untested modification. I am, Yours, etc., M. G. WILsnIN, Kew. Racing Manager, Tulip Stable. (This letter, dated April 6th, was received after our report on the Oulton Park Meeting—page .356—had been printed.—ED.) • • •