The Second 1949 Shelsley-Walsh

The second Shelsley Walsh Speed Hill-Climb of the season on September 24th, saw Brown’s 998-c.c. “Black Lightning” solo motor-cycle break Fry’s course-record by 0.22 sec. The new figure is 37.13 sec., which broke the old motor-cycle record by 1.74 sec. The cars could do nothing about this and even Fry, who made f.t.d. in the famous Freikaiserwagen., took 37.4 sec. in doing so. Poore gave a splendid driving exhibition in the “3.8” Alfa-Romeo, clocking 37.47 sec., Raymond Mays got his 2-litre E.R.A. up in 37.56 sec., and Walker’s E.R.A. clocked 37.89 sec. Moss gave one of his once-seen-never-forgotten runs in the Cooper 1,000, in 38.19 sec., a fine show, especially as Hill-Climb Champion Sydney Allard took 39.20 sec. It is significant that of the ten fastest ascents, the motor-cycles were first, fifth, eighth and tenth. The only accident befell Merrick, who overturned his Cooper. The class placings were:

Up to 750 c.c.:
1st: G. H. Symonds (747-c.c. Austin) … 42.96 sec.
2nd: Jeremy Fry (497-c.c. Parsenn) … 43.54 sec.
3rd: P. J. Collins (700-c.c. Cooper) … 44.06 sec.

751 to 1,500 c.c.:
1st: Joe Fry (1,096-c.c. Freikaiserwagen, S.) … 37.40 sec.
2nd: Stirling Moss (996-c.c. Cooper) … 38.19 sec.
3rd: M. A. H. Christie (1,000-c.c. Cooper) … 39.76 sec.

1,501 to 2,000 c.c.:
1st: R. Mays (1,980-c.c. E.R.A.) … 37.56 sec.
2nd: P. D. C. Walker (1,979-c.c. E.R.A.) … 37.89 sec.
3rd: J. B. Norris (1,970-c.c. Alta, S.) … 43.12 sec.

Over 2,000 c.c.:
1st: R. D. Poore (3,800-c.c. Alfa Romeo, S.) … 37.47 sec.
2nd: S. H. Allard (3,700-c.c. Allard) … 39.20 sec.
3rd: K. McAlpine (3,015-c.c. Maserati, S.) … 39.38 sec.

Team Prize – M.A.C.(Fry, Mays and Poore), aggregate time 112.43 sec., beat B.M.C.R.C (Graham, Frith and Brown), 113.74 sec.