THE MANX ” MONACO “

DETAILS OF THE PROPOSED “ROUND THE TOWN” RACE AT DOUGLAS, I.O.M.

AS announced in MOTOR SPORT for July, 1932, plans for a motor car race in Douglas have been considered by the authorities there, and. we are now able to give some interesting details as to the course and other matters. Various routes have been considered, but the one favoured is as follows. Starting from the T.T. Grandstand above Douglas, the cars will run in a direction contrary to that of the motor cycle races to Governor’s Bridge, with its awkward dip, thence on to Onchan Village. Rounding a right hand hairpin, the course then turns back towards the promenade, which Is reached down Summer Hill, a gradient

of about 1 in 7, with a corner half way down. This hill joins the Promenade at a slight angle, and incautious drivers would find themselves on the adverse camber, to the delight of the gloating spectators. T h e Promenade is over a mile and a half in length, with one or two slight changes of direction to make it interesting. 1 3 m.p.h. along it should be quite pos

sible with the faster cars. At the end of the Promenade the course turns up into the town, by a,n acute bend between the Villiers Hotel and the Jubilee Clock and proceeds up Victoria Street. A deceptive climbing turn up Prospect Hill, and the course is on its way back towards the Start, proceeding by Bucks, Woodburn and Lauriston Roads. At last the cars reach Ballaquayle Road, joining the T.T. course round a right angle corner at the top of Bray Hill, where a further quarter mile stretch brings them back to the Grandstand again. The stand, which is a permanent structure, provided with pits and score-board is

500ft. above sea level so that there is a good deal of climbing between the promenades. The course is about 4i miles long, and is over 25 feet wide at almost all points. This is sufficient even for cars in the unlimited class, which will enhance the interest of the race. It would obviously be unfair to match ” 750’s ” and ” Mercs,” for instance, in the same race, so there will probably be a Junior and. a Senior Race, the first for cars up to 1,500 c.c. unsupercharged, and the second 1,500 c.c. supercharged and upwards. No one would mourn the absence of handicapping in a British race.

The races are to be run by the Royal Automobile Clu b, and will be organised by Captain Phillips, whose name is a synonym for perfect organisation. The date for’ the races has not yet been fixed, but the middle of July, 1933, is named as a probable date. It is hoped that in the near future the R.A.C. will issue a bulletin giving further details.