Some October Sprints

Weston-Super-Mare Speed Trials (October 10th)

Uunfortunately the last day of a remarkably dry summer ended the day before the Burnham-on-Sea M.C.’s speed trials along the Marine Parade. This enjoyable event, cars running in pairs along a rather bumpy curving half-mile in sight of the sands, was last held ten years ago; we hope they will be held every year in future during Weston’s holiday season. Cars were beam-timed and drivers started in their own time. Fortunately the rain held off for the first runs. Richardson and Taylor shared Norton’s ex-Mays 2-litre E.R.A. The latter was unfamiliar with the car and Richardson’s starts were not perfect, but he made f.t.d. in 19.9 sec., whereas faultless starts by Boshier-Jones won him the 1,500-c.c. racing-car class in his Cooper 1,100, but saw him beaten by the F.2 Coopers of Owen and Keylock, who also lost no time getting off the line.

Alluto’s Cadillac-Allard set fastest sports car time, beating a Mercedes-Benz 300SL and Farquharson’s Allard with Alvis Speed 25 gearbox. The Caesar wasn’t on form, Chapman seemed uncertain as to which gear he was in and his E.R.A. misfired, Bishop overcooked his blown PB M.G., and Rowlands (Cooper 500) got away badly, Clark (Cooper F.2) getting away well but suffering a slight misfire. James’ 998 c.c. Cooper was also afflicted with irregular ignition. Unusual cars included a Gordano with Ferrari badge and, it was said, an M.G. engine, Pearce Pope’s Balilla Fiat saloon which disguises B.M.C. components. Barnett’s ugly Ford 10-engined Beauten and Bisset’s scruffy pre-war B.M.W. Sgonina, whose brother used to race a G.N. and the T.T. Humber, drove what looked like the ex-Emeryson Aston Martin DB coupe. Amongst the small saloons a Triumph Herald beat a new o.h.v. Ford Anglia and Pascoe’s Porsche Super ran off with the next class. Daniel Richmond’s Lotus-B.M.C. was just beaten by Farr’s Lotus in the 1½-litre sports/racing class and Parkins’ Elite beat Addicott’s Lotus-Ford in the 1,300-c.c. sports-car class.

Matters were complicated because special prize winners do not count as class winners and because in the event of ties aggregate times counted, but were not available to us. As the rain set in the results extracted from the officials were:–

Results:

F.T.D.: G. Richardson (E.R.A.) 19.9 sec.

Sports Car F.T.D.: R. Alluto (Allard) 23.2 sec.

Saloons up to 1,200 c.c.: D. L. Lewis (Triumph) 33.3 sec.

Saloons up to 2,000 c.c.: T. Pascoe (Porsche) 29.4 sec.

Saloons over 2,000 c.c.: J. Browning (Jaguar) 26.7 sec.

Sports Cars up to 1,300 c.c.: H. Parkin (Lotus Elite) 27.9 sec.

Sports Cars up to 2,000 c.c.: J. Bunscombe (A.C. Ace) 27.0 sec.

Sports Cars over 2,000 c.c.: F. D. Parry (Mercedes-Benz 300SL) 24.6 sec.

Sports/Racing Cars up to 1,500 c.c.: K. G. Farr (Lotus) 25.8 sec.

Sports/Racing Cars over 1,500 c.c.: K. W. Jeans (Jaguar-C) 23.2 sec.

Racing Cars up to 1,500 c.c.: D. Boshier-Jones (Cooper 1,100) 21.7 sec.

Racing Cars over 1,500 c.c.: A. Owen (F.2 Cooper) 20.4 sec.

Llandow Airfield Sprint (October 11th)

This was a straight ¼-mile sprint organised by the Swansea M.C.and E. S. Wales Centre A.C.U., on the airfield near Cowbridge, where they hope to have circuit racing next year, using this wide, straight and some very interesting bends. Some “hot” motorcycles ran, three together at times, and although the course was wet, they were reaching speeds of well over 100 m.p.h. at the finish. Many quite standard little saloons ran, a Volvo just beating a Sunbeam Rapier, Sgonina’s Aston Martin was beaten by Williams’ Chrysler Allard with Speed 25 Alvis gearbox. Maurice Charles’ Jaguar was fastest car, but the 8-litre four-wheel-drive Allard non-started, as at Weston.

Results:

Class Winners:

Class 1: G. Pashley (Cooper-Norton) 16.80 sec.

Classes 2 & 3: M. Charles (Cooper-Climax) 14.88 sec.

Classes 4 & 5: M. Charles (Jaguar) 14.37 sec.

Class 6: D. G. Bennett (Austin-Healey Sprite) 18.16 sec.

Class 7: T. Pascoe (Porsche) 18.67 sec.

Class 8: R. H. Rumble (Triumph TR3A) 17.18 sec.

Class 9: T. J. Williams (Allard) 16.16 sec.

Class 10: D. J. Farley (Austin A35) 20.07 sec.

Class 11: J. F. Ferris (Volvo) 20.40 sec.

Class 12: J. Hill (Ford) 19.63 sec.

Class 13: J. Browning (Jaguar) 17.72 sec.

F.T.D. (Cars): M. Charles (Jaguar) 14.37 sec.

Bodium Speed Hill-Climb (October 10th)

Continual rain throughout prevented any records being broken at this annual event run by the Hastings, St. Leonards and East Sussex C.C., but nevertheless, everything went through with a commendable smoothness and competitors enjoyed this sporting little 670-yard hill on the Guiness Hop Farm. Thanks to the Regent Petroleum Company the timekeepers had a splendid water-proof caravan from which to operate and by having an entry of sports cars and saloons, all of which could use the main road down through Bodium village for the return to the paddock, the small and enthuiastic band of organisers coped extremely well and everyone had two runs long before the light failed.

In the saloon classes Milton won the small group with a new B.M.C. baby, in 41.8 sec., and la Trobe did a splendid run with a Volvo to win his class with 36.6 sec. against a hot Anglia, Rileys and a Hillman. The unlimited saloons saw Haynes driving his tuned Ford Zephyr with great verve and skill to record 34.8 sec., to make fastest saloon car time and win the S.S.A.F.A. Cup. Worrell was way ahead of all the other 750 Formula entries with 36.6 sec. and Tiedeman with his rear-engined 1,172 Ford Special won his class with 35.4 sec., but Price was not far behind in his Lotus. Among the small sports cars C. N. Ramus put it over Sprites, Berkeley and Turner, with his Rytune-prepared Sprite in 36.2 sec., this being all the more creditable as it was his first competition event. F.T.D. naturally came from the sports/racing class and went to Bowman with the Beart-Rodger, he being way ahead of everyone else with 33.6 sec., while among the larger standard sports cars a Porsche 1600S beat Morgan, M.G.-A, TR Triumphs and 1172 Lotus.

The meeting was very nicely concluded by having an informal prize-giving in the local tavern, so that everyone went away with the feeling that the event had been properly rounded off, and hoping for better weather next year. — D.S.J.

Results:

1st: B. Bowman (Beart-Rodger 1,098 c.c.) 33.6 sec.

2nd: D. B. Haynes (Ford Zephyr 2,552 c.c.) and F. J. Tiedman (Mille-Cent 1,172 c.c.) 34.8 sec.

4th: D. Jenkinson (Porsche 1,600 c.c.) 35.0 sec.

5th: J. B. Banbury (Morgan 1,991 c.c.) and D. L. Buss (Triumph 1,991 c.c.) 35.2 sec.

6th: P. W. Muskett (Cooper-Bristol 1,984 c.c.) 35.4 sec.

7th: D. S. Price (Lotus 1,172 c.c.) 35.8 sec.

8th: P. J. C. Chapman (Lotus 1,172 c.c.) and J. R. Heseltine (Speedex 1,172 c.c.) and A. W. Oxborrow (Triumph 1,991 c.c.) 36.0 sec.

F.T.D. and Elva Trophy (with £12): B. Bowman (Beart-Rodger).

John Hayles Tropy – Fastest Sports Car: D. Jenkinson (Porsche).

S.S.A.F.A. Cup – Fastest saloon: D. B. Haynes (Ford Zephyr).

Stapleford National Speed Hill-Climb (October 11th)

The fast and interesting course up the side of Stapleford Aerodrome, with its tricky corners, was very slippery on this occasion and resulted in numerous hectic moments, but nevertheless a large entry had two climbs each, without serious incident. This event was the last round in the R.A.C. Hill-Climb Championship and Boshier-Jones was already the outright winner but he journeyed up from Wales to give a demonstration climb, receive his Championship award and let someone else make f.t.d. for a change. All the regular fast hill-climbers were present and it was most pleasant to see that excellent driver David Good making f.t.d. All told there were 15 classes, ranging from saloons to racing cars, and competition throughout was keen, such as the Sports Cars up to 1,300 c.c., where Brownson with an Elva-Climax beat Wershat with his Lolita-Ford 1,172 by a mere one-hundredth of a second for a class win. In the sports/racing groups Millbank was outstanding both with his own Lotus 6 with M.G. engine and a borrowed Lotus Eleven, with which he won the class, beating Keith Greene in a Lotus Seventeen. In the big sports/racing cars Bekeart was both fast and consistent on his two runs, with Wilkinson’s Lister-Jaguar and though he made third fastest time overall the arrangement of the major awards gave him nothing more than a class win. In the 1,500-c.c. Racing Car class once more a one-hundredth of a second separated the first two drivers, Good beating Gaskell, who was driving the Mark X Cooper he had just bought from A. E. Marsh. However, in the Championship class Good made quite sure of things by being the only one to get below 47 sec.

This annual event, which started out as a small Club meeting progresses with the passage af time, first raising its status until it became a National Event, and this year taking a further big step forward by becoming part of the Hill-Climb Championship. Starting at 10.30 a.m. a very large and varied entry was accommodated and results were produced remarkably quickly but the opportunity to appear on television seemed to throw the organisation into a flap, so that there was a certain amount of chaos that was most unbecoming to the West Essex C.C., and not at all in their usual tradition of good organisation. — D.S.J.

Results:

1st: D. R. Good (Cooper-J.A.P. 1,100 c.c.) 46.79 sec.

2nd: P. J. Gaskell (Cooper-J.A.P.1,100 c.c.) 47.14 sec.

3rd: J. Bekeart (Lister-Jaguar 3,781 c.c.) 47.32 sec.

4th: B. R. Millbank (Lotus-Climax Eleven) 47.81 sec.

5th: A. Owen (Cooper-Climax 1,960 c.c.) 47.87 sec.

6th: D. C. Hull (E.R.A. s/c 1,992 c.c.) 48.01

F.T.D. and Stuart Powell Trophy (with £20): D. R. Good (Cooper-J.A.P.) 46.79 sec.

Fastest Racing Sports Car: J. Bekeart (Lister-Jaguar) 47.32 sec.

Fastest Saloon Car: J. M. Uren (Ford Zephyr) 54.61 sec.