THE M.C.C. ANNUAL " BLIND "

ONCE a year the members of the M.C.C. congregate in force at Brooklands Track for a meeting of their own, at which the chief events are the One-Hour Trials. There used to be only one of these Trials on the programme, but so popular have they become in the last year or so that the huge entry has to be split into two.

Fifty cars lined up in rows at the Fork on September 8th, and at 11 o’clock the pack was unleashed. Soon they were strung out all round the outer circuit, most of them trying as hard as they could to put as many miles behind them as possible. Although these Trials are not races, it is difficult indeed for proud owners to resist a combat with a rival marque, with the result that ” dog-fights ” were waged by little groups for the whole hour. The fastest car was C. J. Turner’s 4i-litre Le Mans Bentley, which lapped for some time at 103 m.p.h. He did not maintain this speed, however, and his retirement gave W. M. Couper (Talbot 105) the honour of making the fastest average of the First Trial at 85.06 m.p.h. The rest of the morning was given up to a series of 2-lap handicaps, all of which provided good sport. W. M. Couper again distinguished himself by winning the first of these races from the 25 secs. mark, beating G. E. Ferguson’s speed Twenty Alvis by a narrow margin. The afternoon programme opened with some very interesting 1-lap scratch races, which brought together many sports cars of similar capacity. There was a terrific field in the 1,100 c.c. race, all M.G. Midgets and Singers with the exception of Conway’s Austin. It was the Midget’s day, Toulmin and Bastock first and second with” P “

The 1,300 c.c. race was a walk-over for the two ” N ” type M.G. Magnettes, driven by R. C. Elwes and A. N. L. Ma,clachlan, which romped home a long way ahead of the rest. The 1,650 c.c. race turned out to be a Frazer NashSinger duel, and after a ding-dong struggle three Washes got over the line just in front of three Singers. The race for Lagonda, Terraplane, Ford and Talbot cars, was most instructive. The Railton’s, handled by Marker and Strang, seemed to lead slightly at the start, with Whalley’s Ford and Couper’s Talbot close behind. On the Railway Straight, Marker had a clear lead from Strang, but Couper was slowly drawing up. Yard by yard he gained ground, and soon passed Strang. Marker was still ahead at the Aeroplane Sheds, and the two came off the Byfleet side by side. Then the green Talbot, “straight from the Alps,” scraped by to win by a fraction at 80.20 m.p.h.

The race for unlimited cars was won by M. Bardolph on a workmanlike 61-litre Speed Six Bentley, with a white body similar to that of the 2-seater S.S.K. Mercedes-Benz. His speed of 81.77 m.p.h. was the fastest recorded in the series. Then came the second One-Hour Trial, and for sixty minutes the track was sprinkled with revving sports cars of all sizes. A. B. Gilbert led the field for several laps on his Talbot 105, but then H. J. Aldrington (Frazer Nash), slipped by and stayed in front for the rest of the time. The latter pulled in when he was two laps in hand, not waiting to complete the hour, leaving Gilbert to record the fastest time. A team-relay race wound up the proceedings, and turned out to be a hand

Some victory for the three Railton Terraplanes, driven by Strang, Marker and Cushman.

ABBREVIATED RESULTS. First One-Hour Trial. Three fastest cars in each class.

Three fastest cars in each class.

Unlimited.-W. M. Couper (Talbot), 85.06 m.p.h.; J. W. Whalley (Ford), 81.09 m.p.h. ; A. D. Jaffe (Lagonda 2-litre), 80.72 m.p.h.

1,800 c.c.-R. J. Barton (Aston-Martin), 82.40 m.p.h.; H. Laird (McEvoy Special), 79.84 m.p.h.; D. A. Aldington (Frazer Nash), 79.43 m.p.h.

1,100 c.c.-D. N. Leon (M.G.), 73.46 m.p.h.17.77, Dennis (Riley), 72.64 m.p.h. ; J. H. Whittindale (Triumph), 69.17 m.p.h.

850 c.c.-V. H. Seyd (M.G.), 79.36 m.p.h. ; J. C. Elwes (M.G.), 74.33 m.p.h. ; R. D. Tong (M.G.), 68.50 m.p.h. Second One-Hour TriaL

Second One-Hour TriaL Three fastest cars in each class.

Three fastest cars in each class.

Unlimited.-A. B. Gilbert (Talbot), 86.79 m.p.h. ; P. Hardy (Talbot), 84.27 m.p.h. ; H. A. Nash (Talbot), 82.32 m.p.h.

1,800 c.c.-H. J. Aldington (Frazer Nash), 86.77 m.p.h. ; C. H. Wood (Aston Martin), 78.43 m.p.h. ; J. D. Barnes (Singer), 78.37 m.p.h.

1,100 c.c.-H. Stevenson (M.G.), 74.49 m.p.h.; R. M. Andrews (Triumph), 70.28 m.p.h.; F. R, Gerard (Riley), 70.14 m.p.h.

850 c.c.-H. G. Sprions (M.G.), 73.07 m.p.h. ; G. H. R. Chaplin (Austin), 70.64 m.p.h.; D. Clare (M.G.), 68.60 m.p.h.

WINNERS OF TWO-LAP HANDICAPS. W. M. c.c. 25s., 86.62

W. M. Couper (2,970 c.c. Talbot), 25s., 86.62 m.p.h. T. L. Goozee (3,622 c.c. Ford), 35s., 78.67 m.p.h. C. W. Sewell (2,511 c.c. Alvis), 6s., 76.15 m.p.h. F. H. Dupre (2,565 c.c. Rover), 4s., 73.67 m.p.h. C. W. E. Windsor-Richards (4,234 c.c. Vauxhall),

scratch, 71.05 m.p.h.

WINNERS OF ONE-LAP SCRATCH EVENTS. M. Toulinin c.c. M.G.), 65.52

J. M. Toulinin (847 c.c. M.G.), 65.52 m.p.h. R. C. Elwes (1,286 c.c. M.G.), 68.22 m.p.h. H. E. R. Torin (1,496 c.c. Frazer Nash), 76.24 m.p.h. W. M. Couper (2,969 c.c. Talbot), 80.20 m.p.h. M. Bardolph (6,597 c.c. Bentley), 81.77 m.p.h.

WINNERS OF THREE-LAP TEAM RELAY. R. R. K. Marker, R. M. Strang, and L. A. Cushman

R. R. K. Marker, R. M. Strang, and L. A. Cushman (Railton Terraplanes), 79.68 m.p.h.