The VSCC Measham Rally

The VSCC is well aware that an all-night rally has an added sense of adventure and that darkness puts a fine edge on driving and navigating, also that the by-ways are usually empty of all but competitors’ and marshalls’ cars during the dark hours. Hence the continuance of the long-established Measham Rally, which, as last year, was run over a demanding route in Yorkshire on January 18. The entry of 51 pre-war cars was reduced to 44 when a Fiat, a Bentley, two Alvis, two Rileys, a FN-BMW and an MG non-started, a convenient field for such an event.

The time schedule defeated Mrs Sythes, navigated by Mark Joseland in the 1935 FN-BMW, Peter Binns and David Filsell in the 1929 Riley 9, Day and Sewell in the Brescia Bugatti and the Macdonalds in their 1930 12/50 Alvis. The unlucky ones who retired were Mycock (1930 A7), Johnson (1928 Lea-Francis), the Tarrings in their 1927 Frazer Nash and, with that elusive problem, electrical trouble, Simonard’s 1931 12/50 Alvis. It was good to note that the majority of the competing cars were in the standard category, as befits a road rally.

The outright winner was N S Thompson in a standard 1930 1½-litre Lea-Francis, navigated by D B Roberts. He was also a First Class Award winner, as were G Winder/H Barton (1926 12/50 Alvis), the Second Class Award winner was T Clark/K Pendlebury (1925 Salmson) and those who scored Third Class Awards were D Marsh/C Robinson (1923 30/98 Vauxhall), K Bumett/J Warburton (1928 12/50 Alvis) and P Harris/R Buxton (1924 3-litre Bentley). The award for the best performance by a novice was won by RJ Nice/B Coulter (1933 A7).