Southport's first sand meeting

Bad weather conditions cause small entry.

Anyone who has ever maintained that the supporters of Motor Racing lack enthusiasm should have journeyed to Southport on January 11th. There, if they had avoided being frozen where they stood or blown away altogether, they would have seen proof that at least one club are too impatient and too enthusiastic to wait for fine weather before restarting their events. In spite of half a gale, varied occasionally by the addition of snow and hail, quite a good series of races was run off, and if nothing else was achieved at least the competitors were given further illustration of the fact that machinery does not like salt water, and most of the failures were due to the entrance of this otherwise refreshing commodity into the vital portions of the mechanism.

In the motorcycle races the paucity of entries may be considerably accounted for by the recent action of the manufacturers in the matter of bonus, but apart from this the weather was enough to make strong men wonder whether, after all, January was a trifle soon to start fast motoring.

The straight mile events for cars failed to produce any startling results owing to the lack of competitors, D. Brown, driving the Vauxhall Villiers, making very sure of the events for which he could enter.

The 20-mile race confirmed the impressions of Brown’s Vauxhall already suggested by the sprint events, and although Byron on his Bugatti drove exceedingly well, he was much slower and from the word ” go ” no one but Brown was ever in the picture.

The 1500 c.c. class of the same race was won easily by J. Walker on a Bugatti who, as was only to be expected, walked away from the Austins to win as he liked, though in view of the great difference in capacity of the two makes, the Austin’s performance was very good. The conditions were absolutely appalling for this event, and it is really a miracle that any one could see where they were going, through the barrage of spray flung up by the wheels of the car in front.

In the motorcycle events the entry although sadly depleted in numbers from the usual Southport gathering was by no means lacking in quality, and Brockbank showed that he has not lost any of his cunning during the winter.

In the sprints no one could get near him and this took some of the interest out of these events.

The 25 mile solo race started well, and a lively scrap ensued between Emery (Sunbeam) and Gardner (Norton) with the latter just holding a small lead and the pair being chased by P. Hunt (Norton).

Soon after the start the Scotts started having a bit of bother due to the waterlogged condition of the beach and Chapman and Kitchen were both in trouble with them.

Unfortunately just as the race was getting really exciting, and Emery was about to pull into the lead, Gardner’s engine gave up the ghost, possibly as a protest against being so early aroused from its winter sleep, and Emery proceeded to have things his own way from then on, and made a clean sweep of all classes for which he was eligible.

This was evidently a Sunbeam day for R. Shiers led the 350 c.c. class home on his 347 c.c. Sunbeam, who actually finished in front of the 3rd man in the 500 c.c. class.

Then, following an interval for a snowstorm, came the 10 miles sidecar race which produced a close finish, Buckley on a Brough Superior just beating C. V. Edwards on a similar machine after coasting over the line minus any noticeable connection between the engine and the rear wheel. His was a lucky win as he had only just gained the lead from Edwards whose ignition had commenced to complain of the wet.

Emery who had led in a hectic manner at the start was put out with engine trouble, but as he had already had a very satisfactory afternoon he had nothing much to worry about.

Any chilliness which may have marked the afternoon’s performance was however amply compensated for by the annual dinner, held the same evening at the Palace Hotel, Birkdale, when the prizes were distributed, and speeches containing a note of cheerful optimism for the opening season were the order of the day.

CAR RESULTS. Straight Mile Races.

1,100 c.c.—General : B. L. Byrom. (Austin).

Ditto, Novice : B. L. Byrom (Austin).

1,500 c.c.—General P. Stephenson (Austin), w.o.

Ditto, Novice : P. Stephenson (Austin).

3,000 c.c.—.General: D. Brown (Vauxhall-Villiers).

3,000 cc..—Novice : J. C. Byrom (Bugatti).

Unlimited.—General D. Brown (Vauxhall-Villiers).

Ditto, Novice : J. Field. (Bugatti).

Twenty-mile Races.

1,500 , J. Walker (Bugatti) ; 2, P. Stephenson (Austin); 3, D. Z. De Ferranti (Austin).

Unlimited.-1, D. Brown (Vauxhall-Villiers) ; 2, J. C. Byrom (Bugatti) ; 3, J. Field (Bugatti).

MOTORCYCLE RESULTS.

Straight-Mile Races.

350 c.c.—General : 1, S. Anderton (348 A.J.S.), w.o. Novice 1, R. Shiers (347 Sunbeam.), w.o.

500 c.c.—General : 1, H. F. Brockbank (490 Norton) ; 2, A. Simister (498 Excelsior) , 3, S. Anderton (348 A. J .S.) . Novice : 1, T. Price (494 Douglas) , 2, A. Simister (498 Excelsior) ; 3, R. F. Turner (490 Norton).

750 c.c.—General: 1, F. Parker (498 Vincent-H.R.D.). Novice : 1, A. Simister (498 Excelsior) ; 2, J. G. Hall (596 Scott) ; 3, T. Price (494 Douglas).

1,000 c.c.—General : 1, H. P. Brockbank (490 Norton) ; 2, F. Parker (498 Vincent-H.R.D.). Novice : 1, A. Simister (498 Excelsior) ; 2, J. G. Hall (596 Scott).

500 c.c. Sidecars.–General : 1, H. P. Brockbank (490 Norton sc.), w.o.

1,000 c.c. Sidecars and 1,100 c.c. Three-wheelers.—General: 1, C. F. Edwards (998 Brough Superior sc,) ; 2, H. P. Brockbank (490 Norton Sc.); 3, N. H. Buckley (998 Brough Superior sc.).

Twenty-five-mile Race.

350 c.c. Class.-1, R. Shiers (347 Sunbeam) ; 2, M. Carson (348 Raleigh).

500 c.c. Class.-1, G. L. Emery (493 Sunbeam) ; 2, R. P. Turner (490 Norton) ; 3, A. Simister (498 Excelsior). 750 c.c. Class.-1, G. L. Emery (493 Sunbeam). 1,000 c.c. Class.-1, G. L. Emery (493 Sunbeam).

Ten-mile Sidecar Race.

600 c.c. Class.-1, W. Riley (596 Scott sc.).

1,000 c.c. Class.-1, N. H. Buckley (998 Brough Superior Sc.) ; 2, C. P. Edwards (998 Brough Superior Sc.).