TOURIST TROPHY ENTRIES PROMISE A FINE RACE

TOURIST TROPHY ENTRIES PROMISE A FINE RACE

BUGATTI, BENTLEY, LAGONDA, RAILTON IN FIVE-LITRE CLASS SINGER, ADLER AND FIAT OPPOSED IN CLASS G THIRTY-SEVEN cars are entered in

this year’s T.T. race as compared with 42 in 1934, but the struggle promises to be more interesting than ever, especially amongst the big cars. The complete list is as follows :—

Lagonda (Two), A W Fox, 4,429 c.c.

Railton. rr Rose-Richards, 4,300 c.c.

Bentley, E H Hall 3,669 (Le. Bugatti, W N Rees and Earl Howe,

8,255 0.0. Bugatti, Earl Howe and W N lee!’,

3,255.. 0.0. Bugatti, P M Dwyer 3,255 c.c

Alm, A Powys-Lybbe, 2,511 c.c.

Lagonda, R Davies Millar, 1,104 c.c. Aston Martin (Four), Aston Martin

Limited, 1,494.5 c.c.

Aston Martin, P L Donkin, 1,494.5 c.c.

Aston Martin, B Bira, 1,494.5 c.c. Aston Martin, M Fullmer and T G Clarke,

1,494.5 c.c.

Riley (Three), F St. G Riley.

Riley, F W Dixon, 1,495.89 c.c. Marendaz-Special, Marendaz-Special Cars Limited, Magnette (Four), D G Evans,

1,287 0.0.

M.G. Magnette, W R Baird. 1.287 c.c.

Riley, J Chambers, 1,087 c.c.

Adler (Three), R Briscoe, 993 c.c.

Fiat, F ffrench Davis, 995 c.c. Fiat, A Dobson, 995 c.c

Fiat, E W H Dobson, 995 c.c.

Singer (Four), W E Bullock, 972 0.0.

Considering the cars in detail, first of all there are two 4i-litre Lagondas entered by Arthur Fox and driven by Hindmarsh and Charlie Dodson, the latter driver, of course, is the winner of last year’s race. Hall, who had such a thrilling duel with Brian Lewis in 1934, is again entering a 34-litre Bentley. Then there is the Railton, a dark horse as regards road-racing, but a car possessed of terrific acceleration. The car is being prepared by Thompson and Taylors, and with a light shell body is said to weigh only 17i cwt., and to have an acceleration comparable to that of the 2.3-litre supercharged Alfas which were formerly the fastest cars on the Ulster circuit. Tim Rose-Richards will be at the wheel.

Against the English cars are ranged three of the new 3.3-litre Bugattis. Two of them are entered by Earl Howe and Noel Rees, and Earl Howe and Brian Lewis will be the drivers. These cars differ from the touring cars in having higher compression ratios and a 3.8 axle ratio. The engines are said to develop 148 horse-power, and the all-out speed of the cars should be about xis m.p.h. The three English makes and the French seem really well matched, and an excellent race should be seen in Class C, apart from the handicap side of the race. The third Bugatti is entered by P. M. Dwyer, an Irish driver who has not previously raced sin the Ards circuit.

Powys-Lybbe is again driving an Alvis Silver Eagle, this time fitted with the larger of the two engines available for that chassis. Davies Millar’s Lagonda is, of course, one of the Rapier cars. The four drivers of the works AstonMartins have not yet been settled, as Fotheringham is not yet fully recovered from his accident at Le Mans, and Penn Hughes is getting married I

Rileys have not yet decided whether to enter if-litre four-cylinder cars or the 1,too c.c. ones, but their choice will probably be the former. Against them we find the redoubtable Freddy Dixon.

Three of the M.G. Magnettes entered by D. G. Evans will be the cars entered by the factory last year, the fourth one being a home-tuned one fitted with a Q-type Midget body. The drivers will be D. G. and K. D. Evans, Connell and Seaman. The Adlers are the three cars which have been entered in numerous races in Ireland this season, and will be driven by the usual trio, Le Fanu, Manders and Mitchell. The Ballila Fiats are also entered by Irish drivers, though, of course, A. Dobson has also driven at Brooklands and the Isle of

Man with his 2.6 Alfa. Against these teams of foreign cars will be opposed four of the new Le Mans Singers, to be driven probably by the Barnes Brothers, Langley and Baker. With these three rival teams in action a lively struggle can therefore be expected in the sub-class for cars up to one-litre.

Although the T.T. does not actually figure on the International Calendar this year, owing to a last-minute change of date, it will be seen that there are at any rate, representatives of three well-known foreign sports cars, which always adds to the interest of the race on the classic Ards circuit.

The race is again held over 35 laps of the 13.66 mile circuit, giving a total of 287 miles. The cars are unsupercharged and must be production jobs, though the coach-work can be altered in shape so long as it complies with the sports car measurements laid down by the A.I.A.C.R. regulations. The handicapping of the various cars is carried as in previous years by a combined system of credit laps and time allowances. The handicap speeds from which these are calculated are as follows :— 1935 1984

.. As will be seen from these figures, the

speeds for the 1,200-1,300, the 1,300-1,500, and the s,000 c.c. classes have been raised in view of the performances of the N-type M.G. Magnette, the Aston-Martins and the Bentley. This year the contest should be closer than ever with a good chance for the cars around the one-litre mark.