THE DONINGTON LAP RECORD BROKEN

THE DONINGTON LAP RECORD BROKEN C. S. STANILAND (BUGATTI) RAISES THE COVETED RECORD TO 69.51 M.P.H. AND ALSO IMPROVES ON THE 10 LAP FIGURE. EVERITT’S Q TYPE M.G. MIDGET AND CYRIL PAUL’S RILEY BOTH DO WELL

DONINGTON is gradually losing its reputation for spectacular crashes by wild young men, and the meeting on August 18th was characterised by good driving by the majority of competitors. Particularly did this apply to the fastest cars present, such as C. S. Staniland’s Bugatti, Cryil Paul’s Riley, W. G. Everitt’s Q type M.G. Midget, C. E. C. Martin’s Bugatti, and R. F. Turner’s Austin, all of which were handled beautifully and were an object lesson in how this sort of thing should be done.

The course was closed by W. H. Green driving round in an Adler, the marque which has been so successful recently in Irish road races. Then the cars left the Paddock to take up their positions for the first race, and Fred Craner dropped his flag to send H. Whitley Burt and J. Hutton Potts (M.G. Midgets) away on their 5 lap journey. Both these cars were unsupercharged and had 60 seconds start from the rest of the field, namely C. L. C’yoodacre and R. F. Turner (Austins) and W. G. Everitt and G. Dunfee (M.G. Midgets). Hutton-Potts led for three laps, but Bill Everitt was tremendously fast with his ” Q ” Midget, fitted with a pre-selector gearbox, and assumed command on lap 4. R. F. Turner (Austin) kept Everitt in sight, and finished second, 10 seconds slower than the Midget. Both these men gave a fine exhibition of smooth, polished driving which atoned for the race being somewhat uninteresting. It was difficult to compare the relative speeds of the two cars on a given corner, for Everitt came round as though on rails while Turner gave his characteristic slide. Geoffrey Dunfee drove well, but his Midget began to misfire half-way through the race and he was not placed. The second race was a 5-lap event for unblown cars up to 1,100 c.c. and the full entry came to the starting line. On the fall of the flag three cars made a hectic rush for Hairpin Corner, T. C. Harrison (Ford) getting there first ahead of C. A. Richardson and P. Maclure on Rileys. Harrison’s Ford, by the way, has been bored out to 1,800 c.c. and was one of the steadiest and best driven cars at the meeting. For two whole laps he kept ahead of Maclure, but the Riley

got by at last on the third lap. Richardson faded right out, and eventually retired, while E. Hodges (Singer) moved up into third place in front of J. W. Lucas (Riley), J. D. Middlebrook (Singer), and E. W. Quero (Singer). Lucas’s Riley developed a horrid front-wheel wobble on

every corner, which seemed to alarm the spectators a good deal more than the driver.

These two races were only in the nature of curtain-raisers, and the real business of the day started with the first 25-mile Handicap for any cars up to 3,000 c.c. E. Hodges (Singer) was limit man with a start of 140 seconds, and he held his lead for three laps. Behind him came Maclure’s Riley, but both of these were obviously going to be challenged very shortly by W. G. Everitt (M.G. Midget), Cyril Paul (Riley Six), and Raymond Mays (Riley)_; of the remaining back markers C. E. C. Martin (Bugatti) was not fast enough to make much headway against Mays and Paul, while C. S. Staniland, driving Mathieson’s Bugatti, had started a bit late and was not used to the course.

On the fourth lap Cyril Paul took the lead, having passed Everitt with difficulty. Raymond Mays, after a shaky initial lap, was settling down well with the white Riley, which displayed amazing acceleration after the corners. On the sixth lap he had pulled right up to third place behind Paul and Everitt, having passed seven cars since the start. Then his engine

began to misfire as he accelerated, a complaint which grew steadily worse until he had to retire when within sight of the finishing line.

Maclure kept well up with the leaders by driving in his usual determined fashion, but he was swamped by Staniland and Martin on the last lap. Staniland’s twin camshaft model took eight laps to catch Martin’s older machine, and he eventually got third place to Paul and Everitt. Compared with the previous races this event was altogether more interesting, both from the amount of scrapping and the better quality of the field. Hodges (Singer), Richardson (Riley), Turner (Austin), Simister (M.G.), Goodacre (Austin) and Porter-Hargreaves (Frazer Nash) all suffered mechanical trouble. Seven cars turned out for the unblown 1,500 c.c. race, these being J. W. Lucas

.(Riley), P. Maclure (Riley), C. A. Richardson (Riley), A. Powys-Lybbe (Alvis), T. C. Harrison (Ford), H. H. PorterHargreaves (Frazer Nash) and A. C. Dobson (Bugatti). Harrison made the usual nippy getaway at the start and led for a lap, but Maclure then went ahead. Richardson was right on Harrison’s heels but could not get past until the last lap, taking second place in the race by a margin

* of a second. The rest of the field were ” also rans,” and never looked the least bit dangerous to the leaders. Dobson’s Bugatti completed one woolly lap and then retired ; Porter Hargreaves’s Frazer Nash again made unhealthy noises, Lucas’s Riley flabb2d its front wheels, and Powys-Lybbe motored quietly round with his rebuilt Alvis.

Event 5 was a complete flop Four cars started, and three of them fell out after three laps, leaving Bill Everitt to win exactly as he pleased on the ” Q” type Midget. The wretched drivers who retired were C. A. Richardson (Riley), K. Hutchison (Bugatti) and A. C. Dobson (Bugatti).

Although only three cars started, the next race was a good one owing to the fact that all three drivers were really worth watching. Cyril Paul was given a 30 secs. start‘with the 1,808 c.c. unblown Riley, W. G. Everitt was on scratch with his Midget, and C. S. Staniland (Bugatti) owed 30 seconds. The order remained the same for the whole race, but Staniland made great headway and nearly caught Everitt. Watching the race at MacLean’s corner it seemed that Everitt was the neatest driver, Staniland just as fast but not quite so regular, and Paul rather ragged in his methods but nevertheless very quick.

The meeting closed with a really fine 25-mile handicap, in which 13 cars took part. At first a hard-fought duel was staged between T. C. Harrison (Ford), H. Laird (McEvoy special) and E. Hodges (Singer). For three laps the McEvoy staved in front, and then was no more. Harrison then settled down to keep ahead for as long as possible. But now the interest centred on the back markers, and on three cars in particular.

Cyril Paul (Riley) and Charles Martin (Bugatti) had started together. on the 15 seconds mark, with C. S. Staniland (Bugatti) at scratch. Incidentally Martin’s driving was first-class, lacking anything in the nature of -flurry and at the same time being as fast as the capabilities of the car would allow.

Staniland was picking up seconds on every lap, and Dunfee’s Midget, with a whole credit lap as well as 60 secs. start, was still a danger. The cars seemed to get faster and faster on every lap, and on one occasion Staniland put in a lap at 69.51 m.p.h., a new record for the course. Eccles previous figure was 69.00 m.p.h. As the end grew nearer everyone was on tip-tee with excitement. When the cars came down the hill past the Paddock on the 5th lap Staniland was right behind Martin, with Paul a little way ahead. Actually the Ford and Richardson’s Riley were still in front, but they did not stand a chance of winning. On the next lap Staniland caught Martin, and Richardson fell back. The next lap would bring the blue Bugatti right on the heels of Paul’s Riley, and the crowd anxiously awaited the sharp bursts of noise which betokened their arrival at the top of the hill. Staniland was still behind, but with terrific acceleration he

managed to scrape past as the two cars roared under the Bridge, Paul keeping well to the right and giving the Bugatti as much atom as he could. This was real motor-racing, and Staniland received a great cheer as he was flagged past the post two laps later, and Paid and Martin got their share too.

After the race it was found that Staniland had also broken the record for 10 laps with a speed of 68.792 M.p.h., a performance which reflects the extreme regularity of his driving. The record was previously held by Lindsay Eccles at 66.99 m.p.h. RESULTS

6-lap Race for Cars up to 850 c.c. (unsupercharged cars 60 sees. start).-1, W. G. Everitt (M.G. Midget S), 12m. 231s. ((36.22 m.p.h.) •, 2, R. F. Turner (Austin 7 S), 12m. 331s. (61.40 m.p.h.) ; 3, 1. Hulton-Potts (M.G. Midget J2), 14In. 4s. (54.97 m.p.h.). 6-lap Scratch Race for Cars up to 1,100 c.c. (unsupercharged only).-1, P. Maclure (1,098 c.cRiley), 12m. 321s. (61.48 m.p.h.) ; 2, T. C. Harrison 1,080. c.c. Ford), 12m. 461s. (60.51 m.p.h.) ; 3, E. Hodges (972 c.c. Singer), 13m. 34s. (56.79 tit.p.h-)•

26-mile (10-lap) Handicap forears up to 3 Litres.-1, C. Paul (1,808 c.c. Riley), 45s. start, 23m. 161s.

(66.32 ; 2, W. G. Everitt (M.G. Midget 5). 60s. start. 23m. 441s, ((34.74 m.p.h.) ‘ • 3, C. S. Staniland (2.3-litre Bugatti 5) (scratch), 23m. I4s. (66.32 tn.p,h.). 5-lap Scratch Race for Can up to 1,500 ex(onsuPercharged only).-1, 1’. Maclure (1,098 c.c. Riley), 12m. 311s. (61.56 m.p.h.) ; 2, C. A. Richardson

(1,087 c.c. I2M. 521s. (59.88 m.p.h.) ; 3, T. C.

Harrison (1,080 c.c. Ford), 12m. 531s. (59.81 m.p.h.).

5-lap Scratch Race for Can up to 1,500 c.c. (supercharged or not). -1 W. G. Everitt (M.G. Midget S), 13m. 20s, (57.711 m.p.h.) ; only one finished.

5-lap Race for Cars up to 3-litres (unstipercharged cars, 30 sees. start):-I, C. Paul (1,8(18 c.c. Riley) (130 secs. start), I 1m. 44s. ((5.48 m.p.h.) ; 2, W. G. Everitt (M.G. Midget) (scratch), I lin. 521s. (64.93 m.p.h.) • 3, C. S. Statilland (2.3-litre Bugatti SI (owes 34 sees.). him. 4I1s, (65.95 m.p.h.).

25-mile (10-lap) Handicap for Cars up to 3-litres.-I C. S. Staniland (2.3-litre Bugatti S) (scratch), 22m., 231s. (85.792 m.p.h.)* 1 • 2, C. Paul (1,808 c.c. Riley) (15 secs. start), 22m. 53S. (67.39 m.p.h.) ; 3, C. Martin (2.3-litre Bugatti S) (5 secs. start), 22m. 56s, (67.194 m.p.h.). (*Record for a 10-lap race.)