THE R.A.C. EASTBOURNE RALLY

Entries Exceed Three Hundred

ENTRIES for the 4th Annual R.A.C. Rally closed Wednesday, 6th February, with a total of 308 compared with 400 last year. The apparent reason for the decrease is the almost complete absence of entries from manufacturers. In previous years the Rally has been divided into classes with premier awards in each class. This system was a direct encouragement for cars to be specially prepared, in order to obtain one of the premier awards, a practice which the R.A.C. felt was undesirable in an event of this character. Accordingly the regulations for this year’s Rally were amended, and in place of premier awards in each class, entrants, by achieving certain standards, will qualify for gold, silver and bronze awards. The incentive to enter specially tuned cars has thus been removed, and it can probably be taken for granted that the large majority of the cars entered this year conform

closely to standard, and will be driven by private owners.

Although the decrease in the number of entries may be regretted, the R.A.C. is satisfied that the true spirit of the Rally has been preserved, and that an entry of three hundred enthusiasts, who will be competing for the pleasure of the game and not for a prize, is an almost certain guarantee of success. The following is the number of entries from each Starting Control : Buxton… 29 Edinburgh … ..• 22 Harrogate … 19 Leamington 77 Liverpool 10 London 100 Torquay • • . 33 Yarmouth .„ • • • 18 Every type of car is represented in the Rally from small seven horse-power sports

cars to the largest luxury saloon. An interesting feature of the entry also is the very large proportion of new cars that will be competing, over sixty per cent. being 1935 models.

Ladies are very strongly represented, there being forty-four actual entrants in addition to a very large number who will be acting as spare drivers.

The Rally commences on Tuesday, 26th March, competitors being despatched from the Starting Controls at two-minute intervals. They are due to arrive at Eastbourne on the following Thursday, when the cars will be examined for condition. They will be parked in the open on Thursday night, and on Friday after an easy starting test from cold, will go through the Eliminating Tests, the nature of which will not be revealed until the previous evening. On Saturday, 30th March, the Coachwork Competition will be held.

THE LIST OF ENTRIES.