Rain Returns to Prescott

Christie’s Cooper 1,000 Makes F.t.d. at July Meeting. Many Incidents on Slippery Course

After weeks of fine weather rain in the night left Prescott in a slippery condition for the B.O.C. Open Meeting on July 17th, and light rain fell during the afternoon. Consequently many competitors left the course, and Sydney Allard, his Steyr-Allard now using larger cylinder barrels, making its capacity 3,722 c.c., was unable to approach the 44.96 sec. he achieved in practice, unofficially lowering his own course record. Poore did 47.97 sec. in practice and improved to 47.38 sec. in the event. All credit to Brandon, who, under these tricky conditions, improved on his own 500-c.c. class record in the silver Cooper, by 0.13 sec.

Christie justified the promise shown by his driving and by the Cooper 1,000 by making f.t.d. in 46.76 sec., his second run embracing a mild front-wheel slide from the Esses and being appreciably slower, Next in order were: Poore (Alfa-Romeo), 47.38 sec.; Allard (Allard), 47.56 sec.; Butterworth (A.J.B.), 48.07 sec.; McAlpine (Maserati), 48.22 sec.; Brandon (Cooper), 48.67 sec.; Stubberfield (Bugatti), 48.70 sec.; Vaughan (Frazer-Nash), 49.52 sec.; Fry (sports Bugatti), 49.57 sec.; Bradnack (B.R.A.), 49.58 sec.; and Norton (Alta), 49.96 sec. No one else got below 50 sec.

Good climbs go to the credit of Delingpole (H.R.G.), whose front tyres were a sight for Dunlop Mac!; Dargue, who drove his compact N-type M.G. Magnette, now to “K3” specification but unblown, very neatly; Hearn, who took his Amilcar Six smartly through the corners; Matthews (Jaguar), ditto; Symonds, going well in his Austin; Lones (Tiger Kitten) and Baird (R.B.L.). James handled the V12 Sunbeam with spirit, nearly setting its rear tyres alight between the Esses and Semi-circle. Two interesting Allards were Frost’s car with eight 45-deg. Amals fed from four central float-chambers and Allard’s new sports 2-seater with exposed coil springs and strut-dampers for its divided front axle, de Dion rear axle and bored-out, long-stroke Mercury engine of 4,375 c.c. This will be a production model, to cost about £990. With it Sydney won the big sports-car class and Mrs. Allard made fastest ladies’ time, but Frost’s car was hampered by losing second gear.

Of the “incidents” King (Rover) nearly plunged over the bank on the inside of Orchard in practice and Collins (Cooper) did so dramatically in the event. Christie and Brandon both went straight on into the bank here in their team event runs, Gordon Woods tail-slid his B.M.W. into the bank entering the Esses and the car overturned, Woods quite unmoved in spite of a stiff arm and facial cuts when the car was lifted off him, while Mrs. Allard put the new sports Allard through her husband’s famous hole in the hedge at the Semi-circle on her third run, merely bending one headlamp. The Steyr-Allard, McAlpine’s Maserati, the V12 Sunbeam., the Bardon Special, Mrs. Treen’s Riley, and Ostle’s Bugatti failed to complete certain of their runs due to trouble, and Phillips’ M.G. got but a few hundred yards from the start and didn’t appear again.

The International Meeting on September 11th should bring better entries and even more excitement.

Results:
Sports Cars up to 1,500 c.c., Non-Supercharged:
1st: K. C. Delingpole (1 ,496-c.c. H.R.G.) … 52.16., sec.
2nd: T. W. Dargue (1,133-c.c. M.G.) … 53.22 sec.
3rd: G. A. Ruddock (1,496-c.c. H.R.G.) … 53.24 sec.
Sports Cars uo to 1,500 C.C., Supercharged:
1st: V. J. Hearn (1,100-c.c. Amilcar) … 53.09 sec.
2nd: O. A. F. Finch (1,100-c.c. Amilcar) 53.55 sec.
3rd: R. W. Jacobs (1,087-c.c. M.G.) 54-07 sec.
Sports Cars, 1,501-3,000 c.c., Non-Supercharged:
1st: W. S. Perkins (1,941-c.c. H.R.G.) … 54.12 sec.
2nd: R. F. Peacock (1,971-c.c. B.M.W.) … 56.80 sec.
3rd: K. M. Towle (1,657-c.c. Frazer Nash) … 50.85 sec.
Sports Cars, 1.501-3,000 c.c., Supercharged:
1st: J. S. Fry (2,270-c.c. Bugatti) … 49.57 sec.
Sports Cars Over 3,000 c.c., Non-Supercharged:
1st: S. H. Allard (4,375-c.c. Allard) … 50.34 sec.
2nd: G. Mansell (3,917-c.c. Allard) … 63.67 sec.
3rd: Mrs. E. Allard (4,375-c.c. Allard) … 53.88 sec.
Racing Cars up to 500 c.c.:
1st: E. Brandon (497-c.c. Cooper-J.A.P) … 48.67 sec.*
2nd: C. A. N, May (497-c.c. Cooper) … 50.46 sec.
3rd: J. G. Reece (497-c.c. Cooper) … 50.82 sec.
* New course record.
Racing Cars, 501-750 c.c.:
1st: K. C. Jarvis (747-c.c. Austin) … 50.46 sec.
2nd: H. C. Lones (526-c.c. Tiger Kitten) 50.47 sec.
3rd: G. H. Symonds (747-c.c. Austin) … 52.07 sec.
Racing Cars, 751-1,500 c.c.:
1st: M. A. H. Christie (994-c.c. Cooper) 46.76 sec.#
2nd: C. P. Vaughan (1,496-c.c. Frazer Nash) … 49.52 sec.
3rd: B. E. Bradnack (1,496-c.c. B.R.A.) 49.58 sec.
# F.T.D.
Racing Cars, 1,500-2,000 c.c.:
1st: G. R. Baird (1,767-c.c. R.B.L.) … 50.25 sec.
2nd: P. M. Wilks (1,996-c.c. Rover) … 51.69 sec.
3rd; W. Toole (1,767-c.c. R.B.L.) … 52.06 sec.
Racing Cars Over 2,000 c.c.:
1st: R.. D. Poore (3,800-c.c. Alfa-Romeo) 47.38 sec.
2nd: S. H. Allard. (3,722-c.c. Allard) … 47.56 sec.
3rd A. J. Butterworth (4,425-c.c. A.J.B.) 48.07 sec.
Handicap Class:
1st: R. A. Johnson (1,087-c.c. M.G.).
2nd: K. C. Jarvis (747-c.c. Austin).
3rd: V. J. Hearn (1.100-c.c. Amilcar).
Team Event:
1st: Poore’s team (Poore, Fry, Butterworth) … 155.75 sec.
2nd: Mrs. Allard’s team (Mrs. Allard, Allard, Allard) … 156.71 sec.
3rd: Leigh’s team (Leigh, Wykes, Miles (Frazer-Nashes) ) … 180.14 sec.