WET COURSE SLOWS DOWN INTERNATIONAL PRESCOTT MEETING

WET COURSE SLOWS DOWN INTERNATIONAL PRESCOTT MEETING

P. D. C. Walker (E.R.A.) Proves “Rain Master” on Magnificent Fastest Run

THE weather gods were cruel indeed to the B.O.C. on September 12th. Practice day enjoyed perfect conditions, and was enlivened by the astonishing Freikaiserwagen unofficially beating Gerard’s course-record, by Leslie Allard equalling Whincop’s sports-car record, and, alas, by Raymond Mays shearing a key in his E.R.A.’s rear axle-on the eve of the final round of the Hill-Climb Championship.

Sunday, unfortunately, started wet and became damper as the day wore on. The course was soaked, for once the B.O.C. ran behind schedule and had to abandon the tea-interval (a wag said because there was a shortage of water with which to make the brew !), and some normally exemplary marshals, who display times on a board at the Esses, were seen to desert their post-rather hard on keen spectators who stood firm, endeavouring to inscribe results on pulp-like programmes. Curiously, this time Sam Chit-ton did not have his umbrella !

The Paddock produced little that was new. Mackie’s Rover, racing edition of the current Rover models, now has rear as Well as front brakes, and we hope to see this interesting car go faster in future. W. A. Taylor’s A.C.-engined CaesarSpecial was there, with stub exhausts, Austin front brakes and hubs, i.f.s. by two transverse springs, Luvax shockabsorbers, G.N. clutch, final drive by two G.N. chains, a motor-cycle battery in the tail to look after ignition, and the girlfriend’s umbrella over the cockpit-let’s hope she had another one for personal use ! Miss Bloomer’s Riley Special did not materialise and she drove her “Sprite,” with drilled engine bearers and four Amal carburetters. C. Renaud and his lady were welcome visitors from abroad-he drove a blown ” TC ” M.G.’ using the hood as shelter in the Paddock, with aero-screen erect. Sydney Allard, using a lower axle-ratio on the Steyr-Allard, broke a gudgeon-pin, which bent a con.-rod and punched holes in the crankcase-prodigious work by his mechanics. resulted in two new barrels being fitted before the start. Work was still proceeding on Mays’ E.R.A. in the car-park on Sunday morning. Amongst interesting cars in the car park were a fine “Silver Ghost” Rolls-Royce tourer and a bright yellow Wolseley Ten 2-seater of the early nineteen-twenties. Sparrowe crashed his ” 500 ” in practice and was removed to hospital.

Sports Cars up to 1,500 c.c., Non-Supercharged

Miss Bloomer’s Riley slid at the Esses, Palmer blipped his Frazer-Nash through and Lambton’s Bugatti ran well, but honours went to record-holder Newton and his venerable H.R.G.

let : E. J. Newton (H.R.G.) … 56.02 sec. 2nd : C. W. Lambton (Bugatti) … 59.22 „ 3rd : C. D. F. Buckler (Buckler) … 59.38 „ Also ran : Miss Bloomer (Riley), 61.53 sec.; Palmer (Frazer-Nash), 63.31 sec.; Morton (Riley),

65.93 sec.

Sports Cars up to 1,500 c.c., Supercharged

Leonard made alto tiler of his astonishing climbs in this eh, holding f.t.d. until the meeting was well advanced. Jacobs had an exciting slide and just went off the edge on his first negotiation of the Esses, and Renaud drove keenlyand well to net third place, showing us what they do with blown M.G.s in Switzerland. Bowles wasn’t afraid of the slippery course, Pollock’s Frazer-Nash seemed to lack good acceleration, and Marshall selected a lower ratio for his M.G. after the Esses.

4: L. Leonard (141.(4.) .,. 54.21 see. 62nd : R. W. Jacobs … 58.39 „ Renaud … 58.55 „ A /so rafri n. ( Fraser-Nash), 58.5 sec.; Marshall (11.(;.),s.s see.; Bowles (Austin), 59.03 see.: 8tiat rock OtAanta Special), 59.17 see.; Hobbs

(11.(,). syo(Amilear), 60.20 see.; Mrs. II ath (51.(.1.), 62.74 svc.: Burton (Riley), 66.66 scl’.

Sports Cars, 1,501-3,000 c.c., Non-Supercharged

Tony Crook’s well-known ” 328 ” B.M.W. just beat J. M. Perkins’ B.M.W.engiiie(1 11.11.G., the latter tending to bounce and slide at the Esscs.

I. A. Ii.’rauk (B.M.W.) … 50.31 sec. 2nd : .1. M. l’crkins (11.R.G.) … 56.38 „ 3rd c. D. Miller (Riley) 57.60 „ Also ran Perkins (11.R.G.), 58.61 see.; Bond

Williams (Aston-Martin). 62.74 sec.

Sports Cars, 1,501-3,000 c.c., Supercharged

Crampton made his Maserati’s tyres steam but could not approach the time of Whincop’s Bugatti, the only other runner, which was beautifully handled.

1st : A. C. Whincop (Bugatti) … 55.06 see.

Also ran : Crampton (Maserati), 59.18 sec.

Sports Cars over 3,000 c.c., Non-Supercharged

Tom Cole, braking his Jaguar for the Esses, his tyres flexing, showed us how to ascend Prescott in the rain, being easily victor of this class. Sir David Gamble handled his Invieta very neatly, and Mansell took his Allard close to the outer bank at the Esses, its stop-light working.

1st : T. L. H. Cole (Jaguar) … 56.16 sec. 2nd : G. E. Matthews (jaguar) … 57.86 „ 3rd : G. N. Mansell (Allard) … 58.46 „

Also ran: Sir D. Gamble (Invicta), 58.88 see.; Dryden (Jaguar), 59.25 sec.; Monro (Invieta), 59.31 sec.; Symondson (Bugatti), 59.49 see.; Price (Price Special), 60.22 sec.; Hindes (jaguar), 60.54 sec.

Sports Cars over 3,000 c.c., Supercharged

Leslie Allard’s yellow Allard went very well to win this class, a door opening on the way up to prove that it really is a sports car. His second run, in torrential rain, gave him fastest sports-car time, fractionally quicker than Leonard’s M.G. James warmed the tyres of his usefullystable ” 4.9 ” Bugatti, and Imhof’s sprint Allard had its hood up, to prove that it, also, is a sports car.

1st : T. L. Allard (Allard) … 54.14 see. 2nd : A. G. Imhof (Allard) … 55.76 „

Also ran : James (Bugatti), 57.04 sec.

Racing Cars up to SOO c.c.

Lones held a nasty Esses-slide in Tiger Kitten lait snaked on, Lord Strathe.arron wasn’t intimidated by the slipperiness, and Moss did a magnificent 53.67 sec. This Brandon reduced to 52.43 sec., and he was also faster than Moss on his second run. The Smith ” 500 ” went well, but Adams’ new D.M.R.A. seemed to have gear-selection bothers and smelt decidedly hot. Strang was almost back on his old

form, getting second place on both his runs.

1st : E. Brandon (Cooper) … 52.43 sec. 2nd : C. H. Strang (Strang)… … 52.74 „ 3rd : S. Moss (Cooper) … 53.67 „

Also ran : Lones (Tiger Kitten), 53.68 sec.; Lord Strathearron (Marwyn), 54.82 sec.; Smith (Smith), 55.64 sec.; Dryden (Cooper), 57.59 sec.; Truman (Marwyn), 68.69 sec.; Ebdon (Buzzie), 60.64 sec.; Adams (D.M.R.A.), 68.04 sec.

Racing Cars, 501-1,100 c.c.

Fry drove magnificently but in the wet could not fend off John Cooper’s sopotent and so-stable Cooper 1,000. Sir Clive Edwards held a tail-slide low down, and Symonds flicked his little Austin here and there at what could hardly have been maximum cornering speed. Note that the “500s” beat the big fellows

1st : j. Cooper (Cooper 1,000) … 52.67 see. 2nd : J. G. Fry (Freikaiserwagen) … 52.79 „ 3rd : K. Wharton (Wharton) … 54.33 „

Also ran : Kennington (M.G.), 68.01 sec.; Symonds (Austin), 59.7 sec.; Rivers Fleteher (M.G.), 60.12 sec.; McClure (M.G.), 60.33 sec.; Sir C. Edwards (H.R.G.), 60.34 sec.; Lomax (M.G.), 61.02 sec.

3 Racing Cars, 1,101-1,500 c.c.

It was in this category that P. D. C. Walker, in Whitehead’s old E.R.A., made one of the most sensational ascents ever seen at Prescott. Scorning a raincoat, he drove in sports jacket and seemed quite unconcerned about the rain. The E.R.A. slid about alarmingly, but obviously much as its driver wished, and clocked 49.99 sec. Then, to show there was no deception, or water in the timing apparatus, Walker made his second run. in 49.96 sec.-f.t.d. by a clear 1.49 sec. and 2.74 sec. faster than Hill-Climb Champion Raymond Mays’ best ascent. On his tour d’honneur Walker was loudly applauded-maybe he is our new sprint champion ? Norris and Mrs. Gerard would obviously prefer a dry course. 1st: P. D. C. Walker (E.R.A.) … 49.96 sec. 2nd : G. N. Richardson (E.R.A. , Riley) … 53.58 „ 3rd : B. Spollon (Triangle Special) … 55.00 „

Also rain: Mrs. Gerard (Riley), 55.79 sec.; Norris (Norris Special), 55.80 sec.; Bradnaek (Frazer-Nash), 55.84 sec.; Pollock (Frazer-Nash), 58.04 sec.; Blomfield (Bugatti), 5931 see.; Spikins (Spiking), 60.14 sec.; de Mattos (Spikins), 60.49 sec.

Racing Cars, 1,501-2,000 c.c.

Gerard, fully recovered from 11 iN recent illness-which wasn’t an operation as the weeklies announced-and in fine form, did 52.06, then 51.72 sec. in the 2-litre E.R.A. Mays, his car repaired, was at first disappointingly slow, 53.76 sec., but on his third actual ascent, after spinning the E.R.A.’s twin rear wheels on the jack to-clear some of the mud and warm the transmission, he reduced this to 52.70 sec., securing the Hill-Climb Championship for the second year in succession. Taylor seemed blinded by smoke from the Caesar’s stub-exhausts. The A.C.Nash took a. richly deserved third place.

1st : F. R. Gerard (E.R.A.) … 51.72 sec. 2nd : R. Mays (E.R.A.) … … 52.70 „ 3rd : M. A. H. Christie (A.C.-Nash) 54.72 „

Also ran : Merrick (Alta), 54.84 see.; Rowley (Bugatti), 54.94 sec.; Carr (Alta), 56.01 sec.; Crook (B.M.W.), 56.88 sec.; Mackie (Rover), 58.16 see.; Taylor (Caesar), 58.41 sec.; Norris (Alta), 58.47 sec.

Racing Cars over 2,000 c.c.

With this class things became truly dramatic. Everyone waited for Poore. On his first run the Alfa-Romeo slid as the brakes went on for Orchard Corner, and the car came to rest against the offside barriers. On his next run, in the team event, Poore got as far as the SemiCircle, only to crash again, this time starting a leak in the water-pump. It was decided that he could make his second run in the class if the radiator were topped-up immediately before the line. Well-wishers clustered round, eager to ring Poore’s hand or clap him on the back. He tried the engine and was satisfied. He stalled once on the line but was soon ready again. Alas, it seems that he started in the incorrect gear of his crash box, and couldn’t better 54.38 sec. Once again Mays’ experience and calm

preparation had triumphed. All this excitement rather detracted from a stupendous run by Sidney Allard [Correct spelling: Sydney Allard], who, in his hastily re-assembled unblown Allard, did 51.94, then 51.45 sec. His brother, too, did a prodigious 53.78 sec. in his sports Allard. Cole found his Jaguar. far slower on twin rear tyres, so used singles for his second run, and McAlpine slumped the Maserati broadside into the sand at Orchard, spun out of that, but had his engine fluff out at Pardon hairpin. Stubberfield was another who richly deserved third place in his class.

1st: S. H. Allard (Allard) … … 51.45 see. 2nd : T. L. Allard (Allard) … … 53.78 „ 3rd : P. J. Stubberfield (Bugatti) … 54.14 „

Also ran : Poore ( Alfa-Romeo), 54.38 Hutchison (Alfa-Romeo), 54.09 sec.; Bear (Bugatti), 55.93 sec.; Butterworth (f.w.d. A.J.B.), 56.12 sec.; Lloyd Jones (Triangle-Skinner), 56.39 see.; AllanArnold (Bugatti), 57.44 sec.; Cole (Jaguar), 57.85 sec.; Tyrer (Bugatti), 58.00 sec.; Blackburn (Bugatti), 58.45 sec.

Team Event

In this event Fry got down to 52.14, Hutchison to 54.23, Stubberfield to 53.54, Moss to 53.64, Tyrer to 56.61, and Carr to 54.86 sec., while Bear equalled his time of the previous class, after falsestarting on his first run in that category. Mays took 53.91, Gerard 52.24 and Allard 51.69 sec. 1st : Team 2-Mays, Mrs. Gerard,

Gerard… … … 162.81 sec. 2nd : Team 5-Allard, Mansell, L. Allard … … 165.13 „ 3rd : Team 9-Whincop, Crook, Brandon … 165.91 „ * * *

So ended a very miserable Prescott. Please, B.O.C., can we have a Press box next year ?

The Twelve Fastest