A Tale of Two Trials

A Tale of Two Trials

-continued from page 28

flywheel, sipped untidily across the line and wasn’t too neat when reversing, and Faulkner’s Mercury touched a pylon. Proceeding to the group of four hills near Westbury, it was evident that we were to see long delays. An R.A.C. official rushed hither and thither with good effect in a Land Rover, and young Farmer Draper and his B.S.A. motoreydle proved able to ascend every acclivity there was, but the trials ears all jibbed at. that short steepness called

Noverton .save L. J. Oliver, whose Oliver-Ford made it fine climb-and most of them couldn’t get either to the start of the longer Noverton II or to any of the other hills !–again, all exeept Oliver, who got a long way up, and Wharton, who climbed clean with no bouncing-aid from his navigator.

Over at Draper’s Two, a sort of Redroads which ears had to tackle from a standing start just before a severe hump, this hump defeated most of them and those who cleared it came to rest on a gulley a little higher up. Wharton was magnificent, getting into section 4, Phillips’ Fairley got into section 3, and Tracey’s blown Dellow was even better. In spite of the snowy scene-it was one of great beauty-many little engines were boiling merrily, Burgess being quite obscured by steam and having clutch slip into the bargain. All Frost’s A.F.S. wouldn’t look at it, neither would Widdron’S Dellow or Wilson’s Austin Special, but Pentony, hero of the Lockhart-Boasingtuna, got his Cyclops, the Vauxhall engine of which has needed no attention of any sort in a year of this kind of thing, as high as anyone. Rumlitt’s white Allard, one of the declining ” heavy brigade,” wouldn’t leave the line, but 3Varing’s blown Dellow proved helpful by wearing down the hump by wheelspin. 13egley’s Ward Special was boiling seriously, likewise Winder’s Ford-Austin and the Price, and then Imhof, watched by his enthusiastic wife Nina, ” did a Wharton ” in a grand assault on this nasty pimple. Best’s “never-say-die” M.G. achieved section 3. The Draper RSA, motorcycle was, of course, complete master of the situation ! We now moved on to John’s Delight, a rather similar, straight-up hill but beneath trees. The skilful got as far as section 3, Wharton up into 4,” the others to section 2, and all slid backwards., wheels locked, in hair-raising fashion to the bottom. Even the Bold, whose engine had ” list a pot • On the first hill, boiled here. thislow-Bart let Icalled for heilwrs to hold down I lit front of his

tail-heavy Bartlett as came to rest. ! The o.h.v. .A. P. still si;tried in the button but the carburetters-there is one to each cylinder-were twisting round on their mounting stirbs.

The cars now wound along the field road, at a time when t he trial should have been finishing and with four more hills and another timed teat to tackle. But the situation was retrieved-marks had been noted down, the competitors had got clear of Lower Hill Farm, where at one time they seemed likely to stay, and the trial Would clearly come to a stiff but successful conclusion. At the keit hill, Middle Jinny, lent by Cheltenham Corporation, the last competitors climbed this long, leaf-mould lane with a steep bit at the top, in the dusk. Many clean climbs were recorded, mostly by those who built up sufficient speed to get over the final obstacle, Wharton actually changing-up. Only Crossliy’s neat Vauxhall Special failed low down, but there were many who were unlucky at the top, ineheling the Wilson, the RADFord. Goodall’s Ford, Smith’s Bartlett, Enderby’s Ford, I lopkinson’s Ford/Austin, and others, So the taud-staitied ears wended their way back into the lown awl the welcome hospitality of the Cheltenham M.C., whose members had marshalled the hills. This R.A.C. event, is a classic of the utmost iinportanee but it is only fair to emphasise that it. isn’t a ehainpionship in the sense that the Hill-Climb lleonpionship is,

FIXTURES FOR JANUARY

. u, ifution

It.= Iteutriched Ewnt.

N. Nrutionot Event.

I. International lireut. S.C.C. C.1. Rally,

Wi r rail I (RI C. Trial, N. Wales. 12th.–Ulster A.C. C. Trial, Northern Ireland.

Scottish S.C.C. C. Rally, Glasgow.

Sheffield & Hallarnshire M.C. Dinner/Danee.

13th.-Bristol M.C. & L.C.C. C.

13th/2401.-BRUSSELS MOTOR SHOW.

14th.–31.G. C.C. Midland Centre C. Trial.

Leicester C.C. C. Trial.

N. Midland M.C. C. Trial, Derbyshire.

21st.–N. Ireland M.C. C.1. Trial, Londonderry.

Blackpool & Fylde M.C. C. Trial, Wales.

23rd/31st.NT E R N AT TONAL MONTE CA111,0 RALLY.

27th.-Manchester U.M.C. C.

27th/28th.-Leeds VAL M.C. C.I.

Night Trial, W. Riding:MIL-North Devon M.C. C.I. Trial, Devon.

M.G. C.C. S.E. Centre C.1. Trial, Chilterns. no previous events being taken into account. Wharton, however, also won in 1949, which is fair enough 1 The .esults were announced that night, as follows :-

Results:

fl.k.M1,10N81111′ TROPItY (REST PERFORMANCE) : K. Wharton (I,200.c.e. Wharton-Austin).

SPECIAL AWARDS (SECOND ANA) Timm ItEST PERFORMANCES): A. (4. linhof (I,172-cx. sic. Imhof Spectal), R. W. Phillips (1.4$0-e.c. Fairloy). SOUVENIR AW ADS (NEXT SEVEN IN ORDER OV ‘MERIT) : ‘P. C. Harrison (1,172-e.e. Eariorcl), L. J. Oliver (1,172-e,e. Oliver), D. Peutony (1,450.e.e. Cyclops), 4. Sleetnan (1,172-e.c. sic. Sesame Sports), I/. F. II. Cotton (1,172-c.c. Cotton Special), K. G. W. Rawlings (2,153ti-e.e. Vanguard), J, Clegg

(1,172-c.o. sic, Clegg). SPECIAL AREA AWARDS: North: WhArton, South:

littlest. Seethout : J. E. Wilson (1,200-c.C. Austin). trelostut: W. 1% Todd (4,086-c.c. Ihunber).