Club news, March 1952

We hear Geoff Duke was voted Sportsman of 1951 in a national ballot organised by the Sporting Record. Out of over 223,000 votes Duke polled 61,939, a fine indication of the present popularity of motor sport. Runner-up was Randolph Turpin, with 52,219 votes, Reg Harris, winner in 1949 and 1950, dropping to 30,202 votes. Duke will be presented with the Sportsman of the Year Trophy at the Savoy Hotel on April 9th.—and we hope Mr. Butler and other politicians will heed the public interest in mechanised sport.

JR Collinson wants to trace any of the wooden-chassis Whitehead cars, of which 16 were built by a friend of his in 1920-21. The last known example was broken up by a Leeds breaker in about 1930. Any information will be gratefully received ; address, 1, Haigh Fold, Moorside Road, Eccleshill, Bradford.

Harold Murray, Waverley, Moss Lane, Lydiate, Liverpool, is seeking an experienced driver to handle his 11/2-litre special in sprints and short races this season, as owing to a disability, he cannot renew his competition licence. The car has three four-stud JAP single-cylinder engines driving via a preselector gearbox, independent suspension all round, 17-in Lockheed brakes, and is said to weigh less than 10 cwt and develop 133 bhp. It ran in the IoM in 1950 as the RBL. We feel certain Mr. Murray will find that more than one driver will he found who would like the chance of driving such a car.

Two Austin Heavy Twelve engines and gearboxes and a 1924 Morris engine, also some chassis parts, are said to be in a yard at Lawnswood, Leeds, and must be removed by March 31st. Telephone Leeds 38310 for details.

One of the films shown recently by the Berkhamsted MC & LCC dealt with the 1934 500 Mile Race at Brooklands.

Talbot enthusiasts who are waiting patiently for the promised article about these cars will be glad to know that we hope to publish it quite soon.

Arthur Mallock has purchased the CRM 500 and hopes to race it this year using a JAP in place of the former BSA engine.

JR Tite is overhauling a 1919 Triumph two-stroke last used in 1923. FA Clarke, 16 Hawthorne Avenue, Rainham, wonders if anyone has managed to strengthen the front end of the old Riley Nine chassis to secure better roadholding.

Two old Rolls-Royce cars are said to lie at the Stonebridge Garage, Oswaldtwistle, should anyone need spares.

Entries for the Circuit of Ireland Trial (April 14h-15th) close on March 15th at noon.

The BOC prize-giving has been postponed until March 9th.

The Marauder is now made by The Marauder Car Co, Ltd, Common Lane, Kenilworth.

NWLMC Social meetings take place on the third Thursday of every month at the Masons Arms, Maddox Street, Hanover Square, W1, from 7 pm, and all members are welcome. Regulations for the Little Rally (route approx 199 miles) from : Mrs. Nina Imhof, Robin Hill. Coombe Hill Road, Kingston-on-Thames. Hon. Sec JH Appleton, 99, Goldhawk Road, London, W12.

February quiz. This proved far more difficult than that for December. The answer we really wanted was Nanette, the car built by Felix Scriven for racing at Brooklands, where he also ran the fastest Austin Twenty, “Sergeant Murphy,” ever built–both stories appear in correct sequence in “The Story of Brooklands.” Scriven used inverted 80/98 Vauxhall side-members for his chassis and a Sage engine, calling the car “Mother Goose” because, indeed, it was stuffed with Sage. Later he installed an engine bought from Parry Thomas and renamed the modified car Nanette. Later it was burnt out and further rebuilt for road use, in which form we showed it. After a chequered post Scriven career we believe someone in Yorkshire now has the car and has renamed it the Mansfield Special.

Absolutely correct solutions were received from :— GE Browning May (Tewkesbury), J Maurice (Newcastle), PB McPhail (Ipswich), WV Jenkins (Derby), PG Stilwell (Guildford), FA Woodley (Maidenhead), RD Johnson (Bristol) and HK Mansfield (Cambridge).

Parry Thomas Special was permissible under the circumstances and the choice of :— HF Sands (Harpenden), JS Tozer (London NW5), PT Pulman (London SW15), JD Scott (Cambridge), CJ Lister (Rotherham), P Nixon (Cambridge), D Ickringill (Bradford), HW Tetley (Cambridge) and JM Paddock (Hauxton).

Not all these readers really knew the car, however, for it did not run at Nurburgring nor win the 200-Mile Race. Incorrect solutions favoured Alta, Maserati and Riley but also covered Lombard, Bayliss,Thomas, Alvis, Frazer-Nash, OM, Morris Special, Vernon-Derby, Marendaz-Special, BNC, Voisin and Austin Special.

The RAC Internatonal Rally

The second RAC International Rally of Great Britain, promoted and organised by the RAC, sponsored by the Daily Telegraph, and with the co-operation of the Corporations and County Boroughs of Scarborough, Hastings, Blackpool and Edinburgh, will take place from March 31st to April 5th.

Starting points for the rally will be at Scarborough and Hastings, and the finishing point at Scarborough. There will be overnight stops in Blackpool and Edinburgh ; special tests will take place at Silverstone Aerodrome, near Towcester, Northants, and at Castle Combe Aerodrome, near Bristol ; road tests will be held on the famous Rest-and-be-Thankful Hill in Scotland, in mid-Wales and in the Lake District. The rally will cover approximately 1,800 miles. Entries have closed.