M.G. MAGNAS WIN the RELAY RACE

M.G. MAGNAS WIN the RELAY RACE at 88362

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL RACE ORGANISED BY THE LIGHT CAR CLUB FOR THE THIRD TIME. MORGANS FINISH SECOND AT 89.01 m.p.h.

Previous Winners.

1931 : Capt. Waite’s Austin Team (I,. Cushman, J. 0. Barnes & C. Goodacre), 81.77 m.p.h.

1932: Mr. F. S. Hutchen’s team of Wolseley Hornets (F. S. Hutchens, B. H. Wickens & E. J . Erith), 77.51 m.p.h.

JUDGING by the tremendous entry list received by the Light Car Club for their Third Relay Race at Brooklands, the number of potential racing motorists in this country is most encouraging. The majority of the cars entered were sports cars used by their owners for normal use, but tuned with great care for the event at Brooklands with such good results that some really excellent speeds were recorded.

As will be seen from the list of entrants, a good many were of the ” mixed ” variety, but in some cases an effort had been made to gather together complete one-make teams, as in the case of the winning M.G. Club team of Magnas, the three Frazer Nash Club teams, W. A. Cuthbert’s three Rileys, H. G. Dobbs’ Riley team, Victor Gillow’s Riley trio, the Hornet Club’s team, J. G. Crowther’s Hornets, and G. H. R. Chaplin’s three Austins. In addition, there were some ” official” teams of Austins, Morgans, Singers and Vale Specials.

A good many alterations to programme were caused by mechanical trouble in practicing for the race, some teams being reshuffled, while others were non-starters. Finally only three teams failed to start ; Dobbs’ three Rileys not being ready in time ; A. M. Laing’s 0.17.C.C. team No. 2, and Chaplin’s Austins.

The task of organising 78 cars into an orderly relay race required careful preparation, but there was no delay at the start, and promptly at 2 o’clock the first man, R. J. W. Appleton (Riley) was sent away. Gaspar (Vale Special) and Robbins .(Magna) followed, and one after another the cars joined the fray. All except J. A. Driskell, who could not start his B.N.C.

After much pushing Driskell was advised to take his car to the pit. In pushing it there the engine started !

The pits presented a very gay spectacle, members of the fair sex tackling the job of pit-control with great seriousness. Incidentally, two entrants had hoisted umbrellas aloft as a guide to their drivers, one was ‘a bright red, and the other of many hues. J. ason Gilson (Riley) was the first “

A” car to retire. In accordance with the regulations he pulled up at his pit, handed over the sash to the ” B” driver who ran forward to the enclosure beyond the pits where the ” B” and ” C” cars were parked, and finally got away. Gibson had had some piston trouble in practice, and could not prepare his car in time. In actual fact it only had three pistons hi the engine at the start, and instead of pushing the car over the line and then going to the pit he considered it better to cover a couple of laps and then hand over to his” B” man, A. D. Taylor.

THE ENTRANTS.

Retirements came thick and fast, after the race had only been running a few minutes. J. C. Elwes broke the crankshaft of his M.G. Midget ; Metcalfe brought his Salmson in ; Victor Gillow had the bad luck to break a petrol pipe on his Riley ; and E. P. A. Bax soon had to retire with his Hornet—a bad start for F. S. Hutchens’ team, last year’s winners of the race. C. E. Wood (Hornet) pulled into his pit, but did not delay longer than to shout something at his staff a few laps later he came in again, this time to work on the engine. Most of the drivers seemed to have little confidence in their machines. Every time they passed the pits a happy ” thumbs up ” would be registered by the drivers, apparently in surprised relief that another lap had been covered without untoward consequences to their vehicles’

The Morgans and Austins were lapping at high speed, round about 103 m.p.h. and 98 m.p.h. respectively. As yet, of course, they had made up little on their handicaps, but at this rate the former would have a very good chance of success. After about half an hour’s running, however, the ” A ” Morgan retired with engine trouble, and the ” B ” car took up the chase.

A very poor show was made by the team of Rileys entered by W. A. Cuthbert. These cars were on the scratch mark, but in less than half an hour all three were in the ” dead” car park, the ” B” car having blown up so violently that daylight was visible through the engine ! The first car to complete 30 laps was G. H. Robins’ M.G. Magna, and at this stage the order was : I. V. H. Tuson’s team, 76.27 m.p.h,

2. F. S. Barnes’ team, 77.93 m.p.h.

3. A. M. Laing’s team, $5.28 m.p.h. Appleton’s Riley had been withdrawn with plug trouble, and the ” B” car was soon out with gear box trouble, C. H. Masters the driver, having to run in from the Byfleet. A Similar fate also befell

C. M. Anthony’s team. The first man, Wood (Hornet), retired early with plug trouble, and Anthony (Aston Martin) had to run in from his abandoned car to hand over to the ” C ” driver, A. Jones’ Singer, who continued until the end. M. A. McEvoy (McEvoy Special Hornet) gave his second man, Flt.-Lt. J. P. Greaves (Frazer Nash) a long run when he retired at 2.38 with magneto trouble. Greaves, however, was quite equal to the occasion and finished the 60 laps. The Hon, P. M. Thomson (Frazer Nash) dropped out at 2.50 with petrol starvation ; he handed over to P. H. Bell, who promptly put in several laps at about 95 m.p.h. on his cold Frazer Nash, with the inevitable result that he had a long run to reach the pits and hand over to ‘1’. A. W. Thorpe, who kept going to the end and finished 6th. One of the most unfortunate was T. G. Moore (Frazer Nash) who broke down near the Aero

plane Sheds on the Byfleet Banking and had to run a mile ! His second string, R. D. Tweed, only lapped for 16 minutes, when a big end ran, so Berry had to tackle the job of finishing. At 4.38 lw, too, went out, with engine trouble. Meanwhile, a great fight was going on for the lead. Tuson’s team was running very regularly, Levy’s M.G. Midget never faltering in its stride. In spite of this, Alan Hess’s team Of three M ignas was coming up hand over fist, revealing a wonderful turn of speed and lapping at about 90 m.p.h. Behind came Greaves (Frazer Nash) who was also very fast. At 60 laps, then, the order was :

I. V. H. Tuson’s team, 79.17 m.p.h.

2. Alan C. Hess’s team, 88.78 M.p.h.

3. M MeEvoy’s team, _83.99 m.p.h. A very creditable show was being made by the Vale Specials, making their first appearance in a Brooklands competition. Although not particularly fast these little cars sounded extraordinarily healthy, and looked as though they would go on lapping regularly for ever. Both the ” A ” and ” B ” ears completed their allotted 30 laps, a feat accomplished by only three other teams,

The :Morgans were still very much in the running, for although the second car retired after 17 minutes with a bri iken tierod, the third man was careering round at a steady 98-100 m.p.h. The Austius were still dangerous, too, but it looked as though the M.G. Club’s .Magnas would gain the clay, barring trouble. At this stage of the race we took some lap speeds, with the following results : F. S. Hutchens (Corsica Hornet Special) who had had to carry on the laps of the whole team from 2.45 p.m„ was lapping at 85.13 m.p.h. ; A. Ashton Rigby’s

unblown Magnette, 82.31 ; V. H. Tuson’s Fiat, 73,24 ; R. H. Eccles

(Frazer Nash), 88.94 m.p.h., A. H. Langley (Singer), 76.62 m.p.h. Eason Gibson’s team was finally eliminated at 4.49 when E. A. Halford’s G.N. blew a gasket after 45 minutes running. The” B” man had retired at 4.2 because he felt tired! M. D. Scott’s team also

went out, their troubles being G. P. Smith, piston, L. J . Gooch, radiator, and K. W. Hole, cause unknown. On the 70th lap Alan Hess overtook Tuson’s Fiat to gain first place, a lead which he was destined to retain for the remaining 20 laps. The Austins were going well, but the high speed of the Magnas prevented them from reducing their handicap sufficiently. The same thing applied to the Morgans, although they were in third place. From then on there was no change, and finally Alan Hess

received the checkered flag in token of a very fun! victory. The three Magnas had :gone extraordinarily well, pnaluced a real turn of speed, and never gave a hint of trouble. Second came H. C. Lones, having completed a long ‘run with his Morgan. These three-wheelers were the fastest individual cars in the race, and only narrowly missed premier place. In third place was the gallant Tuson team, composed of Robins and Levy on M.G.,s and Tuson’s weather beaten old Fiat. They

averaged 76.37 m.p.h., :a really good effort. The Austin’s were fourth, their total average being the highest of the day, 91.60 m.p.h., a great performance, but not quite great enough for the handicap.

RESULT.

I. Alan C. Hess, M.G. Car Club (three M.G. Magnas, 1,086 c.c,, driven by C. E. C. Wraith’, O. W. J. II. Wright and A. C. Hess), average speed for 90 laps, 8s.52 m.p.h. 2. H. V. S. Morgan (three Morgans, driven by . A. Rhodes, H. Laird and H. C. Lones), 89.01

3. V. II. Tuson (G. II. Robins M.G. Magna ; L. Levy, M.G. Midget ; and V. 11.. Tuson, Fiat), . 37 m.p.h.

4. Capt. A. C. R. Waite (three Austins, driven by J. P. Driscoll, J. D. Barnes and C. Goodacre), 91.60 m.p.h. S. M. A. McEvoy (M.A. ‘McEvoy, McEvoy Hornet SpeCial; D. Greaves, Frazer-NaEh ; H. J. Hooper, Morgan), 82.99

6. Burnham Brooke, Frazer Nash Club No. 3 (three Frazer Na.shes, driven by H. J. Aldington, L.13. Henderson and R. 11. P:ecles), 83.39 m.p.h.

7. G. P. H. Noble (G. P. H. Noble, Salmson ; J. Freeman, M.G. Midget ; A. Ashton Rigby, M.G. Magna), 81.17 m.p.h.

8. F. S. Barnes (three Singers, driven by F. S. Barnes, J. It. Baker and A. 11. Langley) , 72.88 m.p.h.

9. A. M. Laing, Oxford University Club No. 1. (G. B. C. Sumner, Austin; G. F. Hartwell, Aston Martin; A. M. Laing, Aston Martin) , 75.57 m.p.h.

10. T. A. W. Thorpe, Frazer Nash Club No. ‘2 ( three 17 razerNashes,driven by on. P . M . Thomson, P. H. Bell and T.-A.-W. Thorpe), 75.12 m.p.h.

The following ” C” cars were still running half an hour after the first man had finished :-A. Jones (Singer), J. A. Rolph (Morris Minor), T. Green (M.G. Midget), F. S. Hutchens (Wolseley Hornet), P. B. C. King (Frazer Nash), R. 0, Wilcoxson (Vale Special) and R. W. Sparrow (Austin).