THE T.T. ENTRIES

THE T.T. ENTRIES

In spite of the Donington venue for this year’s T.T. saving entrants endless expense and worry in connection with the shipping of cars and personnel, entries for the race on September 4th are four down on those for last year. This time they total twenty-nine cars, of twelve different makes, representing Britain, France, Italy, and Germany-fifteen foreign and fourteen British. In Class 3-3 to 5 litres-we have three l’Ecurie Blue Delahayes, Prince Chula’s Delahaye to be driven by “B. Bira ” and, incidentally, the personal property of the Siamese stable, and Count Heyden’s Delahaye, three works Talbot-Darracqs entered by M. A. F. I,ago, Arthur Fox’s entry of a 4k-litre Lagonda, and E. R. Hall’s 41-litre Bentley. Obviously the Delahayes will start warm favourites, after their last year’s lap record and ” Bira’s ” victory in the recent 12-Hour Donington race, and it will be extremely interesting to see how the TalbotDarracqs, which won the French Grand Prix, oppose them. Once again we are due to witness the great Bentley-Lagonda battle and this time there will only be one example of each marque, where previously the lone Bentley has fought, and beaten, a Lagonda team. In Class 511 to 2-litres-H. J. Aldington enters four Frazer-Nash-B.M.’W.s, which will undoubtedly be the Type 328 2-litre cars which have so rapidly built up an unassailable reputation in sports-car racing. They are opposed only by P. N. Whitehead’s Atalanta, running in its first race. In Class 6-1,100 to 1,500 c.c.-Victor Riley officially enters two Rileys, remarkably potent T.T. cars, A. F. Gee and F. R. Gerard have privately-entered Rileys,

A. C. Scott will drive his and H. F. S. Morgan, no doubt heartened by Morgan 4/4 successes in Irish races, enters a Morgan. Class 7-750 c.c. to 1,100 c.c.-is composed of A. Gordini’s two Simca Fiats, Mrs. A. C. Dobson’s Balilla Fiat, and P. S. Barnes, Norman Black and H. M. Emery with Singers. Class 8–up to 750 c.c.-will see a battle between A. R. Kennedy’s M.G. Midget and C. J. P. Dodson running a Le Mans Austin as a private entry. This field will ensure an excellent race, with interest focused on the bigger cars. Nevertheless, one

regrets that 13 ugatti-winner at Le Mans and Marne-will not be coming over, while for the first time for years the Aston-Martin marque is absent, which is especially disappointing after the fine showing of the new 2-litre and veteran 1i-litre at Le Mans. The Frazer-Nash is another make we shall miss and a team of T-type M.G. Midgets would have been distinctly interesting, following the winning of the Team Prize by these cars in the 12-Hour Sports-Car Race.

Probably part of the trouble is that entry-lists for big races have to close early, and the 12-Hour contest had not, in fact, been run when the T.T. late-fee list closed.

Undoubtedly the Tourist Trophy Race carries greater prestige than any other sports-car race and this will be especially the case this year, when very large crowds are likely to gather at Donington on September 4th. We hope to get a report of the race in the next issue. Drivers have yet to be nominated, at the time of writing, for most cars, but Dreyfus, Schell, Carriere and Mongin will handle the Delahaye team.