THE M.C.C.'S TRACK MEETING

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THE M.C.C.’s TRACK MEETING

THOSE of us who are interested, in the performance of normal sports cars

in, their owner’s hands could not do better than, go to one of the club meetings at the track such as the M.C.C. affair held on the 26th of September.

The programme included one-hour trials and 2 lap scratch races, so that disputes between rival makes could be settled over short or long distances.

The proceedings opened with a 1 hour high speed trial in which minimum speeds had to be maintained for gold. medals, but which in the usual manner of such events turned into a race immediately.

A 3-litre Bentley, Patrick’s Alfa-Romeo and Marriott’s ” b_own ” Frazer-Nash soon got ahead and started a dog-fight among themselves. The aspect of the event being a trial was soon forgotten, and the racing atmosphere was shortly enhanced when Hutchings’ 3-litre Sunbeam shed a tyre on the 13yfieet banking, fortunately without serious results.

Ihe highest speed of this event was recorded by Patrick’s Alfa (a 2-litre supercharged) which averaged 81.11 m.p.h. for the hour, being chased home by T. Harris’ Bentley at 78.31. Two FrazerN ashes driven by Marriott and Scott recorded 76.51 m.p.h.

Particularly good performances among the ” not-so-sports” type of vehicle were Bolton’s Morris-Minor’s speed of 63.48 m.p.h. and 62.75 by a “Little Nine” Standard.

The 2-lap scratch races were run off next to find the cars which were to make up the 2-lap handicap to be run at the end. The first three cars in each race were taken for the final, and one or two drivers bore this in mind and did not hurry to win, but trickled gently in, in the first three, thereby hoping that their handicap would be the easier in the final. This did not work in all cases, however, as although H. J. Aldington only came in second in his heat on the unsupercharged Ulster Frazer-Nash, he was duly put on scratch in the final along with Patrick’s ” blown ” Alfa.

The first race saw the winner of the final, Seyd’s supercharged Austin, beaten by Chetwynd’s M.G. Midget, so perhaps in this case it did work I The Midget’s speed for the standing two laps was 64.36.

A Veteran’s Victory.

Watt’s Fiat won the next race at 65.35, very good for such an old car, while Marriott’s recorded 76.97 in the next heat, beating Aldington by a few yards. The next heat also for ears up to 1,600 c.c. went to J. I). Windle’s Frazer-Nash at 66.58 with Fancy’s 12-60 Alvis and Ponting’s Frazer-Nash close behind.

Major Gardner won the first unlimited race at 74.44 in his Rover” Speed Tourer” from Cookson’s Lagonda, and Patrick’s Alfa won the next heat at 78.92 with Raymond Way’s Rover and, R. J. Mun.day’s Rover both averaging over 78 m.p.h. behind, him. ONE-HOUR HIGHSPEED TRIAL AND SCRATCH RACES IN WELL-PLANNED PROGRAMME : :

The second, hour event provided a most inspiring sight when about 50 cars roared away together in the best 200-miles race tradition. The first car round was May’s Vauxhall, but he was not allowed to stay first for long as a terrific tussle started between Munday’s Rover, Aldington.’s FrazerNash, and Gilbert’s “90 ” Talbot. These speedilydrew ahead but kept changing order among themselves. Couper’s 12-60 Alvis was late at the start and, arrived, from the finishing straight after the rest had started. He soon started to overhaul the field, however, and travelled really well,

A Good Scrap.

The Aldington-Gilbert scrap finally terminated, with the Frazer-Nash receiving a lump of concrete on, the windscreen, which was smashed, the said lump rebounding into Aldington’s right eye, starring his goggles and cutting his face. By the time he had, collected fresh goggles and seen that he had no glass in his eye, he was too far behind, to worry about racing and finished quietly to win, his ” gold.”

Gemmell’s Lagonda was suffering from some carburation trouble which slowed him d,own, and his splutterin,gs were echoed by Robinson’s M.G. and Mitchell’s Vauxhall. The Rovers ran beautifully and put up a fine show without noise or fuss.

Giles’ Bugatti was actually the fastest at 84.41 m.p.h. with Munday’s the fastest Rover at 84.27 m.p.h.

The chief interest in the final of the 2lap events lay in the scratch cars, as Seyd’s Austin, by putting up a speed 6 m.p.h. faster than the heat in which he finished second scored, an uninteresting runaway win. Baker’s Minerva went well at 74.89 to take third place behind Cookson’s Lagonda. Aldington and Patrick came round wheel to wheel but in the second lap the Frazer-Nash drew ahead and shot into 4th place. Altogether an interesting afternoon. Results of the 1-hour trials :

FIRST ONE-HOUR TRIAL. F. E. lagood (Bentley), 64.59 (S) ; T. Harris (Bentley), 78.31 (0) ; M. Harris (Stutz), 75.11 (G) ; J. A. M. Patrick (Alfa-Romeo), 81.11 (G) ; H. P. Burt Nash), 66.94 (0) ; K. N. Hutchison () ; B. A. Siday (Frazer (Rover), 62.213 (Frazer-Nash), 69.85 (0) ; G. K. Marriott (Frazer-Nash), 76.51 (0) ; R. L. Bellamy (Frazer-Nash), 64.5 (0) ; D. R. Scott (Frazer-Nash), 76.51 (G) ; W. A. Pouting (Frazer-Nash), 66.94 (G) ; J. D. Windle (Prazer-Nash), 64.26 (0) ; B. Farley (Alvis), 64.39 (G) ; H. Westbrook (Alvis), 64.95 (G) ; G. E. Took (Lea-Francis), 56.15 (B) ; H. II. S. Keogh (Riley), 63.96 (B) ; M. G. Randle (Riley), 59.5 (0) ; V. H. Tuson (Fiat), 62.4 (G) ;

G. W. Olive (Standard Avon), 62.75 (G) ; J. A. Driskell (B.N.C.), 61.57 (0) ; R. C. Mount (Austin), 54.38 (8) ; D. Clare (Austin), 49.82 (S) ; W. J. Watson (Austin), 62.96 (S) ; G. H. R. Chaplin (Austin), 59.49 (0) ; D. A. Finch (Austin.), 47.07 (B) ; G. A. Thomas (Midget Mark H), 67.44 (G) ; P. R. M. Waterfield (M.G. Midget), 57.64 (G) ; W. W. Whitnall (M.G. Midget), 59.43 (G) ; J. M. Toulmin (M.G. Midget), 57.38 (G) ; H. J. Ebbutt (Triumph), 46 08 (B) ; F W. J. Bolton (Morris Minor), 63.48 (G).

G = Gold. S =Silver. B =Bronze.

SECOND ONE-HOUR TRIAL. A. Powys-Lybbe (Allis), 70.95 (0) ; W. M. Couper (Allis), 72.81 (0) ; A. May (Vauxhall), 81.77 (G) ; R. A. Cookson (Lagonda), 79.30 (0) ; R. Lester-Williams (Lagonda), 62.09 (S) ; C. H. Fish (Lagonda), 58.25 (B) ; R. J. Munday (Rover), 84.51 (G) ; Raymond Way (Rover) 75.86 (G) ; A. T. G. Gardner (Rover), 83.56 (0) ; G. M. Giles (Bugatti), 84.41 (G) ; W. K. Faulkner (Bugatti), 76.45 (0) ; A. B. Gilbert (Talbot), 82.45 (G) ; G. L. Baker (Minerva), 81.37 (0) ; C. G. Pitt (Sunbeam), 72.81 (0) ; W. G. Wolff (Lea-Francis), 75.46 (0) ; W. R. Nimmo (Frazer-Nash), 72.60 (G) ; H. W. Blaw (Frazer-Nash), 65.18 (0) ; H. J. Aldington. (Frazer-Nash), 71.05 (G) ; M. H. Morris-Goodall (Aston,-Martin), 78-55 (0) ; C. L. Gayer (Salmson), 68.41 (0) ; C. A. Biddle (Salmson.), 67.48 (0) ; N. H. Weddle (Salmson), 56.56 (S) ; W. E. C. Greenleaf (Riley), 65.26 (G) ; H. W. Stonard (Riley), 75.74 (G) ; J. R. Lines (Riley), 59.65 (0) ; E. V. Frye (Riley), 58.40 (B) ; C. W. D. Chinery (Riley), 70.14 (0) ; V. L. Seyd (Austin), 68.53 (G) ; T. M. Forrest (Austin), 59.39 (G) ; J. O’Donnell (Austin), 48.33 (B) ; L. F. Robson (M.G. Midget), 68.74 (G) ;

H. J. Rance (M.G. Midget), 59.36 (0) ; C. I. Robinson (M.G. Midget), 44.47 (B) ; C. F. Armstrong (M.G. Midget), 56.66 (0) ; G. B. Taylor (M.G. Midget), 59.57 (G) ; B. A. Denton (M.G. Midget), 56.15 (G) ; Leslie Gardner (M.G. Midget), 59.64 (G) ; Hon. A. D. Chetwyn(1 (M.G. Midget), 71.76 (G) ; G. H. Symonds (Morris Minor), 55.89 (G).

G = Gold. S=Silver. B =Bronze.