THE J.C.C. AT PLAY ON BROOKLANDS

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THE J.C.C. AT PLAY ON BROOKLANDS

FANE MAKES BEST SHOWING WITH A FRAZER-NASH-B.M.W. AT ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING THE Junior Car Club—for such it is still called—had a miserably cold day for its eighth members’ day at Brookland.s on March 25th. It even snowed during the afternoon, but quite a few bright young things spectated, while there was an entry of 186. Seven tests were used. The first was a starting-test, in which Anthony Curtis and his 9 h.p. II.R.G. took only 10.6 secs. The popular, older-style Monte Carlo test followed, a good test of braking and acceleration as well as of driving skill, and Pane, in a borrowed Type 328 B.M.W. managed the very fine time of 57.6 secs., whereas Cristea took 65 secs. at this evolution in the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally—only, of course, Cristea’s car had had an arduous run first. Hunter and Johnson tied for second place with 828 B.M.W.s, Smith’s B.M.W. took its class in 64.8 secs., and Riishbrook’s blown T-type M.G. headed the small-car class in 05.6 secs. A tricky parking-test followed, which failed eighty competitors. The driving skill test saw A. C. Westwood’s Smith Special Fiat, looking rather like a dodgem’ car, clocked 35.2 secs., with Loader’s B.M.W. runner-up in 17.2

sees. The flying half-mile saw Ian Mathieson’s V12 Lagonda do 92.78 m.p.h. four up and Pane and Aldy 91.84 m.p.h. with B.M.W.s. The half-mile commenced earlier this year and embraced the Byfleet banking. The Hill tests proved fairly easy. We did not quite like the system of flag-signalling used in conjunction with timing the Monte Carlo tests. Incidentally, Sydney Allard and Ian Connell were not very popular with the organisers for bringing a trials V8 Allard and the sports 4-litre Darracq, respectively. They were allowed to run, but not for Best Performance. Allard was excluded last year ; Allard cars are definitely in production, but the Supplementary Regulations specified that the event was open to any four-wheeler car, but not a vehicle which, in the opinion of the Club, is a racing-car. Apparently, Allard paid the penalty of putting a fairly normal V8 Ford engine into a Bugatti-tailed body, for the L.N. Special, Gerard’s blown Riley, and Golman’s S.S. Special were allowed to compete. Pane deservedly won the whole thing with a Type 328 Frazet-Nash-B.M.W. and Miss P. M. Lambert’s T-type M.G. took the Ladies Award, after most other lady drivers had made several mistakes. Twenty gained first-class awards, as shown in the list which concludes this report. This J.C.C. Rally is rather like the old Crystal Palace circus ; so much happens at once that a lot has to be missed. We concentrated on the Monte Carlo test. Pinkerton (M.G.) was neat, but needed a couple of reverses, Rushbrook (TM.G. s/c) was truly masterful, and both Miss Stanley-Turner and G. Walker (M.G.$) were neat, but Miss Turner was rather slow. I. G. Williams (M.G.) made a general mess of things, Gerard’s blown, shortened Riley was neat, Maidens (Rover) slow, Cromar (Singer) slow also, while Westwood’s comic little Fiat nearly pulled off its shoes on a hectic run after stalling while reversing for the first pylon. Bennett’s Standard saloon made a poor turn and heeled over, Blade’s elderly Standard was slow, likewise Palmer’s Standard, and Clark’s drop-head Sunbeam-Talbot. Couper handled his Talbot Ten saloon beautifully, using lots of revs., but Lay’s Talbot Ten was touring and Gillett’s Montlhery M.G., without outside exhaust system, was well handled, but not very rapid. YarburghBateson (A.C.) braked heavily and was moderate in the bays, and Hill, with huge pipe and outside exhaust, did not place his A.C. very neatly and had axle judder. Houlding (A.C.) had a drop-head body which his passenger apparently does not

trust, for she wore a white helmet, and Maynard (A.C.) overshot the first pylon badly and was slow thereafter. Samuel’s beautiful Alfa-Romeo took it steadily, fuel escaping from the tank filler, Shepherd (Alvis) and Watson (Alvis) were slow—we are concerned with speeds on the figure-8 bit—and it began to snow. Beauchamp (Aston-Martin) got muddled, Doyle’s well preserved Aston-Martin was very slow and just got round, Ferguson’s s.v. Aston-Martin was touring and Hindes’s Aston-Martin coupe was neat. Macklin put his long chassis Aston-Martin through skilfully and steadily, and Ian Mathieson (Aston-Martin), in helmet, almost spun round, took the ” 8 ” carefully, sliding a bit, and pinked away. Somerville was slow, but good for so large a car as his long-chassis Aston-Martin, while Miss Wilby’s smart Atalanta approached fast, took sonic time to restart after the reverse, and was very good, if wild, through the bay. Needell’s Fiat was slow to restart from the pylon and rolled considerable round the obstacles, Tipper’s blown Fiat had the radio going, was very slow in reversing and rolled, Watson’s Fiat was steady, and Miss Dobson’s Frazer-Nash very slow. Miss McOstrich blipped her Frazer-Nash through, Fitt (B.M.W.) was fairly quick, Hancock’s B.M.W. saloon steady and Smith’s B.M.W. very nicely driven. Loader, handling a B.M.W. in place of a Hansa, was notably spirited, Delingpole blipped his H.R.G. and drove very well, if steadily, and Robins (H.R.G.) put up a polished performance, likewise Vriens (Lea-Francis). limes (blown M.G.) went through with wheels spinning, but experienced a stuck throttle at the second reverse and retired after his engine had revved furiously. Kemp’s M.G. looked slowish, but Mann’s blown M.G. reached interesting revs. on a very good run, Remfry’s M.G. was good, but Stileman (M.G.) went too wide in the bay and Acres (Riley) died with what seemed to be fuel starvation. Beetson (Riley) was good, Bussey (Riley) calm, likewise Mrs. Hague (Riley), but Hubbard overshot the first turn considerably, afterwards going well in his Riley. Lusty (Riley) was excellent, and Melly (Riley) put up a most commendable show. Taylor (Riley) was slow, Coppen (Rover) rather laboured, and Rowbotham (Rover) neat, whereas Wilmott slid the tail of his Rover. Meaden (SS.) was neat, and Osbourne (S.S.) made lots of errors and did a second circuit of the bay as a sort of comic turn. Squire’s Standard was quite good, but Denny (Riley) used blipping tactics and was slow. So to the cars over 16 h.p. Hardaker (S.S.) was neat, Pierpont’s Auburn was too big to do justice to the ” 8,” Shaw (Alvis) favoured a white flying bat and was very slow, Allard made a good run with the V8 Allard and Gregory’s huge Bentley Six saloon just fitted, was placed beautifully and accelerated with a crunch of gears. Martin slid the tail of his 41-litre Bentley on a spirited run, and the balanced cornering of the modern Bentley was very evident. Sabey took his Bentley round very nicely but was not fast. Gordon Wood put up an exceptionally fine show in his 41litre, tyres protesting, and Ian Connell’s Darracq needed two reverses at the turn, after a very rapid entry. Thereafter the wheels spun and a vicious tail slide had to be corrected. Brierley’s Ford V8 was neat, Burton (Ford) toured, Viscount Chetwynd (Ford) was slow and took an unusual route in turning, Hall (Ford) was hectic and heeling, Lyda11 (Ford) drove nicely, likewise Mann (Ford.) while Whalley (Ford) did some immense braking and must have established a record for spinning wheels. Don Aidington (F.N.-B.M.W.) was very good, Viscount Curzon (B.M.W.) likewise, and then Vane showed us how it should be done, spinning his B.M.W. 90 at each pylon, to make fastest time of all. The same expert tactics were used by Hugh Hunter (B.M.W.), who tied for second best time with Leslie Johnson, who elected to change down to help his brakes and not to spin for the pylons, which he rather overshot the second time. Murray (B.M.W.) was slower and needed two reverses and was troubled with misfiring. Mrs. Wood (B.M.W.) was slower still, Ramlet had a rumble-seat Occupant in his huge Hudson, Mathiesoll’s V12 Lagonda was sanely driven and heeled over, Silcock’s two-seater Allard VS just managed to stop for the turn and was .very quick, Smith (Lagonda) had to reverse within the hay, Smith (Lagonda) did a fast, well-judged rum, and C. W. P. Hampton’s vintage Lambda Lancia saloon almost lost it boots on a very fast run. Goldman (special S.S.) took the ” 8 ” carefully and had a racing exhaust note. Mann’s S.S had a nice exhaust note and went splendidly, Smith’s S.S. sltowed up well, and Miss Streather (S.S.) used blipping tactics

and was neat. Wood’s S.S. had poor brakes and went rather wide at the pylons, Dr Squire’s Terraplane, smoking, approached the turns at high Speed and was very good and Goodson managed his big Wolseley well. The entry indicates that there is nothing Much amiss with the state of amateur-side of the sport in this country. And the driving seemed of a much less wild standard than in previous years—but possibly the cold resulted in cramped style.

RESULTS

First-Class Awards : A. E. S. Curtis (H.R.G.), J. A. Andrews (Morgan), C. G. Gibbs (M.G.), Miss P. M. Lambert (M.G.), R. E. Rushbrook (M.G. 5), P. R. Gerard (Riley S.), A. C. Cromar (Singer), W. B. King (Standard), A. F. Needell (Fiat), C. G. Fitt (F.N.-B.MAV.), K. N. Smith (F.N.-B.M.W.), D. A. Loader (F.N.-B.M.W.), K. C. Delinole (H.R.0.), G. H. Beason (Riley), S. H. .Allard (Allard), (1. Wood (Bentley), I), A. Aldington (F.N.-B.M.W.), A. P. P. Pane (F.N.-B.M.W.), H. C. Hunter (F.N.-B.M.W.), H. N. Place (S.S.).