The M.C.C. at Silverstone (Sept. 13th)

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The Motor-Cycling Club ran off a very full programme, comprising four one-hour high-speed trials, eight short races and a relay handicap, for which an entry of 101 cars and 94 motor-cycles had been received. Sad to relate, no three-wheeler cars competed. The short club circuit was used, with a straw-bale chicane just before Woodcote. This slowed competitors before this notorious corner but resulted in a few minor spills at the chicane itself – why do the British slow down their motor-racing?

So slow was T. N. Blockley’s Allard at the chicane that, although he wore a white helmet, he seemed to be taking driving lessons. Two Vespas enlivened the first motor-cycle one-hour event, the faster lapping at about 40 m.p.h. Scragg’s Alta-Jaguar had no difficulty in winning the first scratch race, at 68.14 m.p.h., from Hemsworth’s Jaguar and Gammon’s well-braked TC M.G. Special. Mrs. Stapleton attained the “daily” headlines by bringing the Spa Aston-Martin home first in the following 5-lap handicap, at 60.2 m.p.h., beating Rogers’ Riley saloon from the same mark. Peter Morgan was third in a neat green Morgan Plus Four with metal spare-wheel cover. Another handicap followed, which Williamson’s hard-used 4½ Bentley won at 64.58 m.p.h. from Gammon’s M.G. and Everitt’s 1½ H.R.G. A further handicap saw A. Thomas’ Jupiter beat Freedman’s Jupiter from the same mark, with Metcalfe coming home a good third from scratch in his Fiat. The opening laps were led by Spiller’s early Hillman Minx saloon; Thomas averaged 57.29 m.p.h.

The 24-lap Relay Handicap, in which a plug had to be removed front the first and second cars of each team, was a Bentley victory, aggregate time 41 min. 52.4 sec. Finally, the Motor Sport Handicap was won at 55.88 m.p.h. by Freedman’s red Jupiter, followed home by Thomas’ Jupiter, Hely’s Healey, Hemsworth’s Jaguar, Gibbs’ Riley and Peter Morgan’s Morgan.