Club news, May 1953

We hear…

Osca engines may be used in the Gordon Bedson-designed Formula ll Kieft, if there is a Formula II Kieft. Coventry Climax are said to have a 200-b.h.p. V8 twin, o.h.c., petrol-injection, 1954 G.P. engine on the drawing-board. Dennis Poore, after severing his connection with Connaught, did not drive at Goodwood. The 750 Club has been urging its members to write to their M.P.s over the failure of the Treasury to fulfil its promise to reduce the tax on cars of 8 h.p. R.A.C. rating. Renault have slightly reduced the price of their popular rear-engined model. The “hush-hush” Bristols for Le Mans will be driven by Fairman/Macklin and Wisdom/A. G. Whitehead. R. Savill and some friends have covered 3,000 Miles round Britain at an average of 30.6 m.p.h. (driving average 30.6 m.p.h.) in a standard 1938 Ford Eight; m.p.g. was 35.

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Brake fade

From the  “Daily Mail” of April 13th :

“Mr. R.J. Belchambers, of High Street. Hampton Wick, Middlesex was driving down Countisbury Hill, Lynmouth, Devon, yesterday, when his brakes failed.

“He took a drive leading to an empty garage, drove through the partly open doors, through a wall at the end, dropped down a 35-ft. bank  —  and onto the road he had just left. His injury : A broken wrist.”

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Bugatti O.C.

We regret we gave the B.O.C. 1953 fixtures incorrectly last month. They should have read :—

May 17th: National Hill-Climb, Prescott.

June 14th: Members’ Hill-Climb, Prescott.

July 12th: Inter-Club Meeting, Prescott.

Sept. 20th: International Hill-Climb, Prescott.

Oct. 23rd: Annual dinner and dance, London.

Dec. 12th/13th: Welsh Rally.

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Whit Monday at Davidstow

The Cornwall V.C.C. and the Plymouth M.C. have joined forces to organise a race-meeting on Whit Monday at Davidstow Aerodrome, near Launceston, Cornwall. Three events have been arranged: for Formula lll  cars, sports cars up to 1,500 c.c. and sports cars over 1,500 c.c. The two clubs are offering prize monies of up to £350, including starting money for entrants.

Full information and regulations may be obtained from Mr. W. Roseveare, Sherwell House, Plymouth.

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S.S.C of America

The Sports Car Club of America announces the following revised Calendar of National Events for the balance of 1953. All of these events are road races.

May 23rd:  Bridgehampton Road Races, Bridgehampton, NY.

May 24th:  Golden Gate Road Races, San Francisco, Calif.

July 4th-5th:  Thompson Raceway, Thompson, Conn.

July 5th:  Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Neb.

August 9th:  Lockbourne Air Force Base, Columbus, Ohio.

August 21st-22nd-23rd: Janesville National Races, Janesville, Wis.

September 12th-13th:  Elkhart Lake Road Races, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

September 26th:  Watkins Glen Road Races, Watkins Glen, NY.

October 17th-18th:  Reno National Races, Reno, Nev.

October 25th;  Turner Air Force Base, Albany, Ga.

November 8th:  Marsh Air Force Base, Riverside, Calif.

Negotiations are still under way for several other events for this year, and these will be announced as soon as plans are finalised.

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North Midland M.C. 

At the recent annual general meeting of the North Midland M.C., the following members were elected as officials for the corning twelve months:  Chairman, J. W. Fleetwood;  Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the Social Committee, E. R. Hodgson;  Hon. Secretary, R. P. R. Habershon, ” Tregenna,” Baslow, Derbyshire;   Hon. Assistant Secretary, R. C. G. Costigan;   Trials Secretary, T. C. Harrison, 53/61, London Road, Sheffield, 2;   Hon. Treasurer, E. C. Hamlyn:   Captain, K. A. Scales;   Equipment Officer, J. P. Chapman;   Press Secretary, M. D. O. Mayne;  Committee, G. R. Crosby,  D. J. A. Parker,  E. S. Sneath,  R. F. Beasley and  R. C. Kirby.

A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the members of last year’s committee, in particular to Les Rew, who has been compelled to resign his position as Secretary due to pressure of business.

***

B.D.C. Eastbourne Rally (Mar. 27th – 29th)

The Bentley Drivers’ Club annual Eastbourne Rally this year attracted the very excellent entry of 71 cars, including Sgt. Teer in the Mobile Police M.D.S.’s excellent 4-1/2-litre Bentley saloon and other policemen in other cars. The road section was highly ingenious, and on the Sunday that useful acclivity at Firle was used for a fully-fledged and well-organised speed hill-climb  —  only not all the cars were fast.

Watney’s barrels marked the inside of the lower corner at Firle. The first car we saw go up on a wet, blustery afternoon, was Dr. Soltan’s boat-bodied 3-litre Bentley with reversing lamp. Policeman Baker, in a TC M.G., was a thought “dicey,” his colleague A. B. Mills in a 2-1/2-litre Riley saloon was very neat. R. L. Rolt’s touring 3-litre Bentley sounded very healthy, and Teer was outstanding in the aforementioned police Bentley, sliding its tail. L. S. Michael’s 4-1/2–litre Lagonda saloon displayed real power and was actually seen to accelerate, C. Jarvis’ 4-1/2-litre Bentley went up splendidly, as did Skeggs in a police Riley, needing all the road at the bottom corner.

N. Wood’s open Speed Six Bentley, running on a rich mixture, toyed with the gradient in second gear, and C. Whitehall’s 4-1/4-litre Bentley came up really fast on a fine ascent. P. Major’s Colmore Frazer Nash did not seem to find high ratios any disadvantage, but M. Leo’s blown 2-litre Lagonda was dreadfully slow. J. Bremner’s special-bodied Lancia Aprilia went very well. A. G. F. Oldworth in a 2-litre Ulster Aston-Martin did it in true speed hill-climb style, and police driver Shillabeer coped professionally with a tail slide in a Humber Super Snipe.

Altogether a pleasant party. Going home we ran for a while in company with Showell’s 4-1/2-litre Bentley, its crew clad as for an Arctic expedition. Later, as trials specials were encountered, some on tow-bars, returning from a trial at Pirbright, we were relieved to meet Sears in his 1914 T.T. Sunbeam and Peter Hampton in his 2.3 ex-Mannin Moar Monza Alfa Romeo on their way home from the Pomeroy Trophy contest.

Results:

Eastbourne Challenge Trophy  —  C. Whitehall (4-1/4-litre Bentley).

Sickelmore Trophy  —  C. Whitehall (4-1/4-litre Bentley).

Team Award  —  B.D.C: Crozier, Macleoid, Petrie-May (Bentleys).