I.M.R.C. "IRISH MOTOR DERBY" CORK INTERNATIONAL CAR RACES MEETING, 1938

I.M.R.C. “IRISH MOTOR DERBY” CORK INTERNATIONAL CAR RACES MEETING, 1938

AS has already been announced, Saturday, April 23rd, 1938, has been inscribed on the International Sporting Calendar as the Irish Free

State’s motor-racing fixture On this date, The Irish Motor Racing Club will, with the co-operation of the Cork and District Motor Club, promote the Cork International Car Races Meeting. Thanks to the public spirited and generous action of Mr. Joseph McGrath, Managing Director of the Irish Hospitals Trust, the event will be one of outstanding, and so far as these countries are concerned, unprecedented importance. Mr. McGrath will present the entire prize fund and give a most generous contribution to the cost of organisation, the balance of which is being locally subscribed in Cork. The meeting will consist of three races : a 200 mile race under the new International Formula, to be known as the Cork Grand Prix ; a formula free race of seventy-five miles or thereabouts for cars not exceeding ii-litres, which will probably be called the Cork International Light Car Race—both of which will, of course, be scratch events ; and a fifty mile handicap, confined to entries of racing and sports-cars from Great Britain and Ireland and to be known as the Cork National Motor Handicap. Prize money for these three events has been fixed as follows :— Cork Grand 1,500 c.c. National Prix Race Handicap 1st 2nd 3rd £1,000 £500 000 £250 £150 £100 £100 £50 L35

A HOME-BUILT SPECIAL

A large number of readers are interested in home-constructed special cars and we learn that Laurence Allen has such a car in course of construction. It has a 1925-6 big-port 12-50 h.p. Alvis engine in a Riley ” Redwing ” chassis, the chassis having been built up of spare parts at a very moderate cost—bits of it date back to 1923. The final drive ratio is 4 to 1 and, as 4.75′ x 19′ tyres are being used, quite a ” 30/98 ” effect should be obtained. The engine now has two horizontal S.U. carburetters replacing the original single carburetter and a twenty thousandth solid copper gasket to obtain an increase of compression ratio. A new exhaust system will be necessary. The engine has been very carefully re-assembled, big end and main bearings re-metalled and the crankshaft re-ground. The head was lapped to the block with extreme care—three weeks of spare time work. Mr. Allen, with the aid of his brother, has done all the work in the home workshop, so far only calling in outside assistance in turning out a flange in the flywheel, which would not fit their lathe. The car should be on the road by next March. It is temporarily called an Allen Special because the builders have been unable to think of any suitable name repeatable in polite

society ! Suggestions are invited. 4th L100 L75 £15 5th £50 6th £25

and L50 for best performance by 1,100 c.c. car.

It is intended that there should be three practising sessions and since all three races could not be conveniently run on one day, it is proposed that the Handicap Race and final practising for the 1,500 c.c. and Grand Prix cars should take place on the afternoon of Friday, 22nd April, 1938. All arrangements for that afternoon will be on the same stale as for the following day’s racing and there will probably be a charge for admission to the various stands and enclosures. In addition to the Handicap Race, the proceedings will be in the nature of a full dress rehearsal of the organisation for Saturday.

The Cork Grand Prix will be one of the first races to be held under the new racing formula. The Irish Motor Racing Club has already made tentative contacts. with some of the Continental racing teams. and has had assurances of their intention to compete in Cork. The promoters have every hope, not only that Germany will be represented by Mercedes and Auto-Union, but of the appearance of the new formula Darracqs and Delahayes representing Prance. All three races wilt, of course, be run on the renowned Carrigrohane circuit, which is one of the fastest and most perfect road courses in Europe. The lap length is 6 miles 154 yards and the course is famous for its unique 2i mile dead

AN INTERESTING VETERAN

News conies to hand that Marcus Chambers wishes to dispose of his prewar Babe Peugeot and that another of these small cars has come to light on the South Coast. Peugeot made a Babe as early as 1904, but the cars in question are of the type in production from 1911 until after the War. Designed by M. Bugatti, they have 55 x90 mm. 855 c.c. T-head engines with head, block and crankcase as one unit. The wheelbase is 6′ 0, and the rear suspension by re

versed quarter-elliptic springs. After the war Peugeot introduced the rather more modern ” Quad” with longer wheelbase and worm final drive. Later still came the 7 h.p. Peugeot with very abbreviated track, still seen occasionally on our roads. Chambers’s Babe is said to have been raced at Brooklands.

A VERY SOUND SUGGESTION

Cecil Clutton, who looks after the veteran side of the Vintage S.C.C., has suggested to Leslie Wilson, Secretary of the Midland AC., that a separate veteran class be instituted at the next Shelsley-Walsh hill-climb. Clutton, who made a tremendous ascent last meeting on his 1908 Sixty Itala, has the promise of at least seven entries of over 7-litre cars, including R. Cl. J. Nash (Lorraine

level straight, the perfect non-skid surface of which was widened from 21 to 30 feet before last season’s Cork Car Race. Some idea of the speeds which the Grand Prix cars may attain on this circuit may be gathered from the fact that the lap record stands at 92.08 m.p.h. (C. E. C. Martin-2,904 c.c. Alfa-Romeo). The course will be still further improved for

the coming races. The PoulavoneCarrigrohane Castle section, which is the only portion of the course that has not yet received special attention, is about to be widened and re-surfaced. Regulations for the meeting are in the course of preparation. They will follow the more or less standard rules of Grand Prix meetings. Pressure refuelling will, of course, be permitted. Practising will take place on Wednesday and Thursday as well as on Friday, but on the first two days probably in the early morning. Scrutiny, weighing in and examination of competitors’ credentials are provisionally fixed for Tuesday afternoon. Negotiations are in progress with a view to arranging a special sailing from a convenient Continental port to Cork direct for Continental competitors and their cars as well as special steamship and railway schedules and excursion rates for spectators. General information and copies of the Regulations, when ready, may be had on application to the Secretary, The Irish Motor Racing Club, 1, Cavendish Row, Dublin, Telephone No. 44264 Dublin, Telegraphic Address : Moracing,

Dietrich), A. S. Heal (1912 10-litre Fiat), John Morris (22-litre Benz), Wike (Fiat or Daimler), Mills (1907 Renault) and the Itala.

This strikes us as a very sound suggestion. When a veteran makes a mere demonstration run the whole thing is regarded as a circus, and serious attention is lost. But pitting the old cars against themselves in a separate class with definite competition removes the ” museum ” aspect and allows people to appreciate these astonishing motors at their true worth. We hope Mr. Wilson will cooperate with Clutton. If not, no doubt the organisers of the Prescott hill-climbs will be interested.

PRAISE WHERE DUE

The Bugatti Owners’ Club has made the extremely interesting move of fixing their three hill-climbs to be held at Prescott later this year, on Sundays—namely May 15th, July 3rd, and September 25th. This will enable competitors to practise on the Saturday preceding instead of on a week-day, and should result in greatly increased ” gates.” Admission charges are likely to be 2/6 with 5/transfer to certain parts and 2/6 for carparking. Prescott is about ninety miles from London.