HORNETS SHOW THEIR STRING at BROOKLANDS in the L.C.C. RELAY RACE

HOR BROOKLAN S in the I „C.0 RELAY RACE NETS SHOW THEIR STING at

SPLENDID VICTORY OF EUSTACE WATKINS’ TEAM OF E.W. HORNET SPECIALS IN KEENLY CONTESTED RACE.

THERF, is no doubt about the keenness of the small car world. On Saturday, 16th j uly, no less than 29 teams took part in the Light Car Club’s very successful event, several of them virtually factory entries. Captain Waite put in a team of the famous little singleseater Austins, their principal opponents, on paper, being the Morgans, entered by H. P. S. Morgan. A team of Crossleys was entered by Vernon Balls, while farther down the list was Derrington’s team of Wolseley Hornet Specials and next to them a team of E.W. Hornet Specials. This latter contingent stole a considerable march on the handicappers, for to most people’s amazement these little cars lapped steadily at over 80 m.p.h. and completed their 90 laps to win at 77.5 m.p.h. after a no-trouble run. A very stout performance ! The rules of the Relay Race were quite straightforward. Each team of three cars had to cover 90 laps of Brooklands outer circuit, each car normally doing 30, but if the first one fell out for any reason car B had to take its place and complete the first series, and then went on with the second lot of 30. In the same way, if car B was forced to give up, the last car of the team had to make up the laps which its forerunners had been unable to com

plete. . At noon on Saturday the A cars moved up to their places at the Fork, and later the other members of the teams were arranged behind them. The skyoverhead was grey, and some of the drivers seemed rather to regret having so thoroughly stripped their cars. Happily the weather behaved itself and the competitors were spared the soaking which they received last year. At 1.20 the Minister of Transport gave the race his blessing, and after a short interval for warming up, the limit

man, P. L. Farquarson on an Aston Martin was sent off at 1.30.

The single-seater Austins were’ not due to start for nearly an hour, so we spent the time in watching the performances of some of the intermediate ears. One of the fastest was C. S. Dickson-Geertz on a Supercharged Salmson, who was lapping at about 1 min. 14 or about 87 m.p.h. The E. W. Hornet, .No. 22A, was little slower. Oats, who was driving one of the new Crossleys in place of V. L. Seyd, had also found some more horses and was holding 84 for some laps. Shortly before 2.30 the characteristic crackle of a Morgan was heard, and the A car of the team, driven by H. C. Lones, came round and was soon overhauling the earlier Starters. Driscoll on the first

single seater Austin came round soon afterwards but was considerably slower than the three-wheeler. A good many of the A cars were being driven with more enthusiasm than skill, and an hour after the start, a large number of expensive retirements had taken place.

The A cars, which were the fastest in each team, were drawn up in a line from Chronograph Villa down the track, and each was brought up in turn to the starting line, which crossed the outer circuit at the Fork. Each team was handicapped according to the total speed of its cars, and the A cars were sent off in the order of the handicap. As this took place, the cars move up to take their positions in the place vacated. After 29glaps the driver of car A, instead

of continuing up the Members Banking, turned off down the Finishing Straight between barriers, coming to rest on a Stop Line, when the driver of car B took from him the ” baton,” in this case a red scarf, and gets away in the second car as quickly as possible. If a car broke down on the track, the driver was allowed to run back to the Start and hand on the scarf to the next driver, while if it retired at the pits, car B had to be pushed to the pits through a neutral zone before it could take the place

of its team mate. This latter provision caused a considerable amount of light relief, especially where one wretched driver did not notice that the brake was still on. Order after 20 laps :

1. No. 30A, P. L. Farquarson, Aston Martin, 20 laps at 74.66.

2. No. 27A, C. M. Anthony, Aston Martin, 16 laps at 79.61.

3. No. 28A, B. G. Bailey, Austin sic, 15 laps at 66.48. 4. No. 25A, D. S. Dickson-Geertz, Salmson a/c, 13 laps at 86.17. The fast Morgan found a lap speed of 97 too much for it, and retired with engine trouble, but Driscoll in the Austin maintained his steady .93. The first Crossley was out with a burnt exhaust valve, but Crowther in 11B was lapping at about 98 m.p.h. These cars have come on very well this season, and by Ulster should be capable of putting up a good show. Team

30 is still in the lead, though the retirement of Paul’s Windsor with big end trouble makes it necessary for Masters in his variegated Austin to take on the running.

Order after 40 laps.

1. No. 30C, C. H. Masters, Austin, 40 laps at 70.13.

2. No, 27B, C. E. Wood, M.G., 39 laps at 77.93.

3, No. 2511, G. P. Harvey Noble, 38 laps at 84.06.

4. No. 22B, B. H. Wickens, E. W. Wolseley Special, 38 laps at 79.81.

The consistent running of the E.W. Hornets carried them through the field and at the 50th lap Wickens was leading at an average speed of 82.45 m.p.h., which position he retained at the changeover at 60 laps. C. M. Anthony’s team still retained second place, and Derrington’s Salmsons were third. The casualties by this time were very heavy, and t he “used car park” overflowed along the track. Order after 60 laps :

1. No. 22B, B. H. Wickens, R.W.Hornet Special, 60 laps at 81.91. 2. No. 27B, C. E. Wood, M.G.,

3. No. 25B, G. B. Harvey-Noble Salmson.

4. No. 30C, C. H. Masters; Austin. At 60 laps Erith took Wickens’ place with the third car of the team, but as this was last year’s car, it was not quite so fast as the latest models. Derrington, who had also been driving one of his team of Hornet Specials, kept the third Salm son going steadily to gain second place, while a last minute move was the arrival on the leader board of E. K. Rayson’s ” mixed ” team. They started with 17 minutes handicap, and if P. R. Water

field’s Riley had not blown up before he had completed his 30 laps, they would have improved their position. The last few laps were not without excitement, for the tie-rod on Hunter’s

Riley came adrift without the driver being aware of it, but his car was flagged down to a standstill without doing any damage. He made a temporary repair and continued. No one could catch the E.W. Home Special and at 5p.m. Erith crossed the line after a trouble-free run. These cars, intended primarily as fast and comfortable road vehicles, showed a turn of speed and stamina which even their keenest sup porters hardly expected, and entitles

them to rank amongst our most successful small cars. Credit is due too, to Capt.

Waite’s team of Austins, which are of course single seater racing cars, for their high speed and reliability.