RECORDS WEEKEND

RECORDS WEEKEND

In the past two years the N.S.A. have organised a private two-day meeting at Elvington Airfield. near York, at which cats and ns,.1 cycles have at and set up World, Intermit lima’ and Natisi,1:11 records over the quarter-mile, 5eso metres, kilometre and mile. Tnis year the meeting is on 0..tober 2tst22nd and a limited number of tickets, at f.,1 for the two days, will be available for spectators. This is not a sprint meeting in the ordinary sense, for runs have to be made in bath directions tor record claims, and the organisation runs at the race of the contestants, they setting off when they are ready, as distinct

It normal Meetings, where things are run at a controlled pace. In consequence action is not guaranteed to be continuous, or always entertaining. but the cream of the sprint world will be there and anyone interested in watching International Record attempt; taking place should write for a ticket senclosing j it to Alarm. creic News, S Breams Buildings, London, E.C.4.

Among those worth seeing in action will be flagon riding his blown J.A.P. in under to seconds on the quarter-mile, and numerous blown Vincents on the kilometre doing over 17o m.p.h. at the end (if each run. Last year history was made by Leslie Turner, who drove his blown Cortina-engined Dragster over the 502 metres faster than the World record of B.M.W., Porsche and Abarth. Altogether ss e hold 65 World; International and National records due to these Elvington meetings, and no doubt this figure will be increased by the end of October. the heading ” 35 Seconds,in which he expounded the theory that in the history of every sprint course or circuit there must come a day when the course-record or lap-record will reach an absolute minimum time, otherwise Such records would continue until drivers set zero

The author looked at the Shelsley Walsh bill-climb record, plotting it from 1921 onwards, and found that the amount by which a new record had bettered the old Over the years had been decreasing, the record showing a stead’ decrease, the only non-conformity being vats Stuck’s climb in 1930 with the Austro-Daimler. when he improved on Raymond Mays’ 5929 record by 3.2 sec. That combination of man and machine Was apparently two years ahead of everyone else at Shelsley Walsh. for other drivers improved on the course record hy margins of i to 1.1 sec.

Mr. I Tooke maintained that no one would better 35 see, at this venue, unle.;s resurfacing, or easing and cambering the bends altered the nature of the hill. 1 le expected this time to be recorded by 1957. Well, this year Bryan Eccles put the record to 30.83 sdc.„ driving a 3.5-litre Brabham V13. But the hill was resurfaced for this season, and as this figure is only iust over 4 sec. lower than the Suggested optimum on the old course, and it has taken ten years beyond the stated period for it to be achieved, or around the rate of 2 years per second, this prediction was far nearer the mark than most of the motoring prophecies I have read.—W. 13.