M.G. WINS AT PHOENIX PARK

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M.G. WINS AT PHCENIX PARK

H. W, Furey, driving a two-seater M.G. Magnette which started life as a RN-type saloon, won the last of the 1936 Irish road-races, at Pliwnix Park. General opinion was to the effect that the handicapping made the race a gift to Furey. but it must not be overlooked that this year he averaged 77.16 miles per hour compared with his winning

average of 69.91 miles per hour in last year’s race, when he drove the-.5ame M.G. The Irish Motor Racing Club handicappers set him seventy-two miles per hour this year. The _M.G. is tm blown. It won by two laps. ” }lira ” came home in second place with the ex-Whitney Straight 3-litre monoposto Maserati, now painted ” Bira ” blue. ” Bira ” was a warm favourite from the start. From the front row of the massed start he shot away to average ninety-six miles per hour for the standing lap. On the next circuit he lapped at 101.6 miles per hour, smashing the old lap-record held by Austin Dobson at 99.6 miles per hour, this being the frst lime in histor■ that a lap speed of over one hundred miles per hour has been established over a British road circuit. But the Maserati had something in hand, and when ” Bira ” received the ” go-faster ” signal front his pit at half-distance he again broke the record, lapping at 102.27 miles per hour. The old record of 99.6 miles per hour was made in 1933 by Dobson when he drove the ex-Tiirkin 3-litre

:laserati. ” Bira’s ” record time is 2 min. 30 secs. The Maserati averaged 99.3 I. inik.s per hour, a record average for the course.

Third place went to T. W. McComb’s M.G. Midget, which averaged 69.25 miles per hour. Thereafter the race was stopped, the remaining positions, detailed I elow, being calculated on handicap performances. Only seven cars covered the fall distance of 200 miles. Dobson’s red 2.9-litre monoposto AlfaRomeo had been expected to challenge ” but it was hindered by tvre change and nevk r appeared able to reach its normal maximum. Of the two Austin, hastily prepared after the 500-Mile Race, Dobson lapped at Oyer ninety miles per hour, loading on handicap after twenty minutes’ running, but retiring with a oken oil-pipe soon after fifty miles of high-speed I mining, while a similar trouble had put Goodaere’s sister car out after a mere two laps, though he had not started fast driving. j. 11. T. Smith’s 1■3 Magnette had broken the 1,100

c.c. lap record in practice at 91.3 miles per hour, but in the race it experienced a choked fuel system and plug difficulties. Michael May did wonderful things with his old Silver Eagle 2-litre Alyis, lapping at eighty-three miles per hour, to lead on handicap after the Austin’s retirement until he made too many calls at his pit to continue the good work, misfiring having set in.

Walker, driving _Tucker’s 2-litre Alta, had a fine scrap with Tongue (E.R.A.) until the Alta brakes had had enough. their condition calling for retirement. h i tehead (1. R A ) hlnallv passed Tongue,

improving the 1.„,ylitre lap record in the Process , though both 1.R .A ,s were hampered by having to refuel in this comparatively short race, and Bourne must do something, it would seem, about liigger tanks for the t 937 races. Maclachlan took fourth place at a useful

average with an Aston-Martin. those shown in the list of finishers had completed at least live-sixths of the lans set them by the handicappers. The Phoenix race was a signal success and we commend all the Irish road-races to those who have fast motors to exercise in 1937. ” Bira ” was driving the Maserati

in his first race with this car and his future performances with this heavier metal will be interesting to follow. RESULT

1. H. W. Furey (1,287 c.c. M.G.) 12 laps. 77.16 m.p.h.

2. “B. Bira” (2,098 c.c. Mascrati, S.) ser. 99.34 m.p.h.

3. T. NV. McComb (847 c.o. M.G.) 14 laps. 69.25 m.p.h.

4. A. N. L. Maelaehlan (1,495 e.e. Aston-Martin) 8 laps. 80.60 m.p.h.

5. P. N. Whitehead (1,488 c.c. E.R.A. S.) 2 laps. 92.91 m.p.h.

6. R.. E. Tongue (1,488 c.e. E.R.A. S.) 2 laps. 92.66 m.p.h.

7. A. M. Leitell (2,263 e.e. Bugatti, S.) 3 far 89.99 m.p.h.

s. D. L. Briault (030 c.c. .M.(1., S.) 11 laps. 72.9 Ill. p.h. 9. A. llobson (2,904 e.e. Alfa-Ronleo, S.) ser. 04.5

to. M. W. B. May (1,991 e.e. Alvis) 9 laps. 73.4 m.p.h.

11. M. H. Flemming (847 e.e. M.G.) 14 laps. 66.5 m.p.h.

12. C. H. Wood (1,950 e.e. Aston-Martin) 6 laps. 81.5 m.p.h.

13. L. R. Briggs (1,087 ex. M.6., s.) 5 laps. 52.7 m.p.h. Li. 0. Yule (952 ex. (‘.M.Y.. S.) 19 laps. 67.5

15. E. NV. H. Dobson (905 c.c. Fiat) 12 laps. 07 m.p.h.

16. H. B. Prestwich (847 ex. M.G.) 14 laps. 60 m.p.h.

17. Sir A. MaeRobert (1,087 c.c. M.G., S.) 5 laps. 75.6 m.p.h.