Out Again

Author

admin

.B.A.R.C. OPENING MEETING-continued.

into an easy win by about a quarter of a mile. Two old 30-98 Vauxhalls were running in this race, and Munday brought one of them home second. The other, driven by Meeson, failed to get going, however, and third place went to L. P. Driscoll, whose Lea-Francis had a particularly venomous crackle.

The Lightning Short Handicap suffered from the loss of the Thomas Special, which had gear-box trouble, and J. F. Field’s Talbot, which scratched, and interest centred on John Cobb with the big Delage. Bouts on the Sunbeam got away well, but never looked like holding his position, and Cobb came past and won easily at the best speed of the meeting, 111.37 m.p.h. The fourth race was the Mountain Racing Handicap, which was dull except for a pretty exhibition of driving by B. B. Lewis, who brought the single-seater Talbot through from scratch to win comfortably. The Talbot ran silently and steadily and was very fast indeed, but the race, as such, was dull, although Lt. Clover did his best to liven things up by passing backwards through the

barriers at the Fork hairpin, but continued with a slightly dented stern and increased caution.

The longer sprint races followed, and in the Junior Long Handicap Selby was rehandicapped after his previous win, but this did not deter him, and although .Horsman’s Triumph and Ashby’s Riley held him off for two laps, he came past to win comfortably at 99.32 m.p.h. The Senior Long provided an interesting race for second place between B. E. .Lewis on the Talbot and Craig’s 2-litre supercharged Bugatti. Starting from the same mark, the ” Bug.” got slightly ahead, but for the rest of the race there was nothing in it. Lewis caught up slightly, but could not actually make it, and the two cars came through the field together into second place a few yards apart, just failing to catch up Owen

Williams’ 3-litre Bentley, which went very well and averaged 84.77 m.p.h.

The Lightning Long saw Cobb’s Delage once more on the line, but rehandicapped because of his previous win. This gave Bouts (Sunbeam) a chance which he did not fail to grasp, and drawing quickly away from Carlson’s Bentley won easily by about a quarter of a mile. Cobb made a fine effort to catch up, and coming up behind Grant’s Bugatti on the last lap, pulled down below him, coming off the members’ banking to snatch a very neat second.

In the final race of the meeting, the Mountain Speed Handicap, most of the regular exponents were in the reserves owing to excess of entries. The entry fee for this event was 2 guineas in place of the usual 5 guineas, and the result of this may, we hope, lead the authorities to consider reductions all round. After a horde of M.G.’s and Austins had been turned loose into the fray, the larger stuff followed, and it soon became evident that V. G. Tliffe (Riley) was going

very fast, and he took the lead at little over half distance and held it to the end. The chief interest of the race lay in the fine scrap between Delaney’s Lea-Francis and A. F. Agabeg’s Salmson, a representative of the Cambridge Auto Club, who looks like doing well this season. The two cars remained almost level for the full distance, but the Salmson just managed to get home in front. Other good performers were Benn-Hughes (FrazerNash) and Major Cairnes (Invicta), who both displayed fine acceleration. With this event ended the first meeting and a good opening for the new season.

RUMB LIN GS—contivued.

All this appears to be rather long winded, but as you have gathered by now what I mean is, “Let’s have Brooklands cheaper all round, and it will be even more succes,sful ! “

A New Nash.

Among interesting sights at the opening meeting was the new ” Ulster ” Frazer-Nash, which appeared in public for the first time, and was definitely guilty of” causing a crowd to collect.” No wonder either, as it is one of the snappiest sports cars we have seen. Apart from the slightly V-shaped radiator, modifications have been made to the chassis. The frame is down swept behind the engine, and carried under the back axle, thus giving a very low driving position and getting the centre of gravity even lower than usual. The car will eventually be finished off in cream and scarlet, but the model at Brooklands has not been entirely completed yet. Quick action filler caps, a very neat dropping windscreen, and all the essential items that go to make the

real competition car, are included in the specification, and I gather this car will be seen in the hands of H. J. Aldington in the” round the mountain” events in future meetings. A development of great interest to the sports car community occurred recently, when H. J. Aldington took over the trade and retail sales of Aston-Martin cars. It would be hard to find a greater enthusiast for the pukka sports car than Aldington, and this latest arrangement should do much to increase the well deserved popularity of these two famous 1 i-litres, each with slightly varying purposes and appeals, but both having a common ideal, that of a first-class motor car. The allimportant 1 i-litre class has too few representatives from this country, but those that it has are certainly well worthy of it. Both these makes will be represented in the J .C.C. Double-Twelve, as Aiding • ton has entered 3 cars of each make. It will be remembered that last year Bertelli, the Aston-Martin designer, driving with M. Holder,

finished fourth on one of his own cars, while the only two FrazerNashes entered both finished well and in perfect condition, which augurs well for this year’s event.

Racing Specialists.

It is of course quite natural that a racing driver who also does his own work should eventually start tuning and overhauls for others in a less fortunate position. A. R. S. I3irkin and W. M. Couper are both familiar names to Brooklands habitués, and they have now formed the company of Henry Birkin and Couper Ltd., with works at Welwyn Garden City.

Another Brooklands driver, D. G. Evans, who met with considerable success in the smaller meetings last year, and who is this year driving a Bugatti, has opened a very well equipped service station and works, named the Bellevue Garage, at Wandsworth Common. This firm are making a speciality of sports car service, and are very conveniently situated for Londoners.