Circuit of Sables d'Olonne

Author

admin

Circuit of Sables d’Olonne

SABLE? n’Ot.oNNE, August 9th THE French holiday season being at its height, organisers and local conned are quick to see that a motor-race figures in the activities of the more popular watering places, and Sables d’Olonne, on the Atlantic coast, is one of those places. With a heat wave at its peak the whole town was overflowing with humanity, not all of whom, unfortunately, took very kindly to metor-racing, preferring buckets and -spades, or beach bulls. However, the Antemobile Club de la Vendee had made big efforts and lengthened and improved the circuit from last year. This was the third Grand Prix to be run at Sables d’Olonne and ae at Aix-lea-Rains, a few weeks earlier, the entry consisted of private owners and the smaller works teams, in fact the entry was almost identical. Trintignant,

Schell and Behra were on the Gordini six-cylinders, Collins, Macklin and Cabantous on 11.W.M.s, Bayol and Chiron with their Oseas, the latter new and shinny fresh from a factory overhaul, Rosier with his four-cylinder Ferrari. MOBS with his Cooper-Alta, Clues and his yellow Connaught and Pilette with a 4CLT Maeerati with the engine converted to 2-litres and unsupereharged. Following the Aix-lesRainslead the event was run in two heats, each (if 45 laps of the 2.9 kilometre circuit, in which everyone took part, the General Classification being decided by adding the times for the two races. With no works Ferraris or Maseratis present the race was another

very open one, which could be won by almost any of the competitors, and once again, as at Aix, the whole event took on an entirely different character from the usual Italian demonstration meetings. Practice saw the three Gordinis monopolise the Limes, though Bayol eith his Osea was right on their tail, followed by MOSS and Rosier with equal times and Chiron ;met behind, only 2 see. covering the difference between all these drivers. Although Schell made the fastest practice time it was Trintignant, followed by Behra, who led away on the first lap of the first heat, with Bard Piet behind them. Schell got past the Ogee and the three Gordinis looked as though they would monopolise the race, if they did not blow up, for Trintignant and Behra had drawn quite a way ahead and Schell was keeping the rest of the field at bay. Moss began to speed up, his Alta engine going very well, and he got into fourth place ahead of the two thecae, but then he lost second gear in his pro-selector box and they both overtook him. Bayol leading Chiron. Before half-distance Trintignanes Gordini broke, and almost At the same time Schell stopped LO make adjustments, which left Behra way out on his own, with Chiron now in second place ahead of Bayol, the two °seas running quietly and smoothly and Moss was now back in fourth piece ahead of fielder. The H.W.M.s were having minor troubles St8 was Claes’ Connaught, while the modified Masernti of Pilette could hardly drag itself round the Course. With 15 laps to go Bayol had an oil pipe split and at the same time was cut in the face by flying grit and decided a brief atop at his pit was due and this let Moss up into third place, which spurred him on to greater efforts and before another 10 laps had passed he had caught Chiron and taken second place. but then his gearbox decided first gear should have a rest and while be was struggling round in third and top both Chiron and Rosier overtook hint. With Bebra out on his own they finished in that order after 45 Laps of heat one. A 40 minute break before the second beat allowed Moss’ gearbox to receive attention, TrintignanCs transmission to be repaired and Rosier’s water system to be stopped up, as well as getting the other competitors ready for another 45 laps, all that is with the exception of (Lies and Pilette. whose cars were both beyond another attempt. Lining up on the grid in the order of finishing the previous heat, with uon-finishers at the back, it was Behra who led away followed by Schell, Chiron and Moss the last now with all the gears functioning. For the first eight laps everyone had is reel go at motor-racing and although Behra was leading all the time, he had a seething hunch worrying at his heele, consisting of Moss, Chiron, Resier, Bayol, Trintignant and Macklin, the II.W.41. going As never before. These six shuffled and reehultled behind the leading Gordini until the Cooper gearbox played its tricks again and Bayol’s temporarily repaired oil pipe split again. By hip 10 Behra was still leading with Trintignant and Rosier ahnoet side by side chasing him, then came Chiron driving remarkably swiftly and Macklin tmw dropping beek A bit due to failing brakes. By half-distance Beira seemed all set to win he second heat. though Rosier and Trintignant had not yet decided who was to he second. Moss had dropped farther and farther back, being lapped by all the field with the exception of Collins, these two circulating together to amuse themselves. With

11 laps to go Behra relaxed his attention for a fleeting moment, the Gordini spun and his rear axle was beut against the kerb and he limped hack to his pit to retire, having literally thrown away the race. Trintignant now pressed on a bit and got away (rota Rosier and finished heat two comfortably in the. lead, the Ferrari being second and Chiron, still driving splendidly for an old man, in third place. The only other finishers wore. Cabantoue, Moss and Collins, two, three and three. laps behind, respectively.

When the results of the two races were juggled together to find out the General Classification, the ludicrous Situation resulted whereby no Giardini figured in the list, even though they had won both heats. As so often happens in races of unknown quantity, it was Rosier who was the winner, by reason of a third and second place. Chiron was next with a second and third hut a greater total time than Rosier, and to complete the absurdity of the situation Moss was third, with a fourth and fifth place, .showing that in these French races it pays to keep geing, however slowly. Without a doubt the CooperAlta has the mekinee of an ideAl car for these. typo of races, having not too much weight and a an licieney of Rower, though the power range could be usefully extended lower down the rev-range, while something more reliable in the way of gearboxes seems called for. Watching on one of the slower corners it was interesting to note how Rosier’s Ferrari and the two Oscas accelerated mach better at low speed than the other comeetitore, the Gardiais needed lots of ree.m., while the Alta eneine and the H.W.M. engines seemed to take their time in getting up to a point where the power came in with a rush. On driving styles, too, it was interesting for the less spectacular drivers had the power churning out immediately they finished the radius of the corner, whereas other drivers, who were working away on the steering wheel mid controlling elidee duo to entering the corner to fast, were travelling as much as 23 or 30 yards farther on before they could effectively pet the throttle wide open. Once again the fescue were very impressive, and apart from being very stable on the corner, their acceleration was beautifully smooth and the carburation wonderfully clean all the way up the rev-range.

Results I CIRCUIT OF SABLES IPOLONNE (August 9th)—Two Ileats—Blitaing Heat 1 u 45 Laps-13.3 Kilometres :

## AVUSRENNEN (July 12th)

Held on the banked Autobahn eireeit, the Avue races attracted a large entry in spite of the difficulties in crossing the Russian Zone. John Cooper drove the streamline record-breaking car and had little difficulty in winning the Fortnela ILL event, the Avus track suiting the car admirably. In the Formula11 race the entry comprised purely ” private owners and Alan Brown scared off into the lead in his Cooper-Bristol, only to spin oil at the first comer. Sw-atere. driving the Belgian-owned four-cylinder Ferrari, brand new from a factory overhaul, had little difficulty in winning.

Results FORMULA II, …I hr. 5 min. 181.1

FORMULA III 1 ._ 49 min. see. … 150,6

VUE DES ALPES HILL-CLIMB (Full Results)