THE BRISTOL SPEED TRIALS
THE BRISTOL SPEED TRIALS
FASTEST TIME OF THE DAY BY AUSTIN
Sprint events are almost as popular now as in the ” good old days” for, if they are not held quite so frequently, nearly every meeting results in entries of real quality. The Bristol M.C. and L.C.C. planned very effectively for their speed trials over a 750-yard concrete-surfaced course at the Bristol Airport on May 22nd. The course incorporates three bends, the worst of which could be tackled at about 80 m.p.h., which called for really masterly handling of fast cars. Unfortunately a kerb bordered the road and proved to be contributory to an accident in which R. A. Waddy was seriously injured. He was driving the little, rather freakish four-wheel-drive, twin-engined Fuzzi 9, of which so much was expected this year, and got into a bad slide, coming out of the left-hand bend. The car jumped the kerb on the inside of the bend, hit a gulley and flung Waddy out, proceeding against the railings that protected the spectators. Waddy was taken. to hospital with a fractured shoulder, multiple bruises and possibly other injuries besides. We offer him sincere condolences in -what must be a very hard-to-bear
disappointment, for Puzzi would have been a factor to reckon with this season. Enthusiasm ran high and ” fan ” Dryer, finding his Salome unready, ran a sports O.M. In the sports classes R. D. Poore’s 746 c.c. M.G. was fastest in 26.4 secs. and a very fine time that was, beating even the 5-litre class cars. The racing classes also went to the small-engined cars, H. L. Hadley with the o.h.v. Austin making fastest time of the day in 24.6 secs., equal to 62.4 m.p.h. Second fastest time was shared between G. Hartwell’s 1,287 c.c. M.G. and J. G. Fry’s Freikaiserwagert, the latter a new special with 1,097 c.c. V-twin air-cooled propulsion behind the driver, G.N. rear-works and the front bits from a Morgan. Extensive testing at Brooklands beforehand apparently stifled the temperament of this special, which will be keenly followed in future in consequence. These two cars both made runs in 25 secs. Third fastest was Denis Evans with the Bellevue M.G., in 25.9 secs. Specials came out in force, including R. A. Barnwell’s Jabberwock II, which has a wood frame, Austin Seven axles a Ford Eight engine, and fully faired bodywork. Being old-fashioned
we quite deplore the lurid names now given to home-constructed special cars. LemonBurton and Lt. Horne Kidstone, R.N. drove fast Bugattis. Some indignation has arisen because the published results show small cars to have been awarded the larger classes, in. which they did not qualify to compete under the announced
capacity divisions. This would seem another little matter to which the R.A.C. Competitions Department might attend. Hadley’s 62.4 m.p.h. with the Austin stands as the course-record.
RESULTS Sports
1,100 c.c.: 1, R. D. Poore (M.G.), 26.4s.; 2, C. A. N. May (M.G.), 27.6s.
2.000 c.o. : 1, R. D. Poore (M.G.), 26.4s.; 2, R. A. Macdermid (M.G.), 27s.
5,000 c.c. :1, R. D. Poore (M.G.), 26.4a.; 2, D. M. Campbell (Alfa-Romeo), 28.7s.
Racing Cars
850 c.c. : 1., H. L. Hadley (Austin), 24.6s., equals 82.4 m.p.h., fastest of day ; 2, D. G. Evans (M.G.), 25.9a,
1,100 c.o.: 1, H. L. Hadley (Austin), 24.68.; 2, J. G. Fry (Freikaiserwagen), 25s. 1,500 c.c. and to 5,000 c.c.: 1, H. L. Hadley (Austin), 24.es. •, tie for second, J. G. Fry (Frelkaiserwagen) and G. Hartwell (M.G.), both 258,