RUMBLINGS, May 1951

RUMBLINGS

The season is commencing in a highly interesting manner. Already Ferrari has established its continued superiority in Beginnings Grand Prix and sports-car racing, a fully recovered Villoresi winning at Pau with one of the new unblown 44,-litres, although chased by Rosier Lago-Talbot, and two 2,560.-c.c. Ferraris finishing first and second in the 675-mile Circuit of Sicily, that twist, of us call Ow Targa In the latter race a British ” he Mans Replica ” Frazer-Nash put it across the 2-litre Ferraris most convincingly-, but over in Buenos Aires two Allard d2s defeated three Ferraris, six ingltar

X I:120s, two I fealeys, some Alfa-Romeos, a ” 328 ” 13.M, V., and other cars in the 87-mile sports-car race. Is this a pointer to ,Allard suprematy in this year’s American sports-car races. or will the Jaguar-Allard battle be resumed with excitingly fluctuating fortunes ‘t Perhaps with Ferraris sonwtinws leading the duellists ?

Reverting to Pan, although unblown G.P. cars dominated the race, mechanical casualties were high. Only six out of fourteen finished. Ascari’s 41-litre Ferrari developed unexplained engine trouble while leading, after doing 47 of the 110 laps. Serafini, with one of the ” 1954 ” 2i-litre Ferraris, spent mere time at the pits than on the circuit and withdrew with steering trouble. Farina’s two-stage 1:1-litre Maserati was bothered by illness in its ignition and carburation departments, but finished third. Manzon’s Wade-blown Simea, folloWing a practice craSh, went out with gearbox trouble, Sinion’s with back-axle failure, and Trintignanrs with early brake and gear-ehange Maladies. I ,e Graffertried’s Maserati anti Etancelin’s Talbot were also in trtnible.

So it. has been 44-litre Ferrari victorious id, Syracuse and Pau. By the time you have digested this it may be the stone at San Remo (April 22nd). Interest boils lip over Le Mans and if you have not yet booked a passage and a place it. is time to start jumping about. A Le Mans Challengers little news of the American challengers, the Cunninghams, dribbles through. They will look akin to inflated Ferraris. The chassis is welded up front various Sizes of chrome

ntoiy, jube. Cod-spring suspension is employed all round, with a de Dion back axle. Front suspension is a blend of Ford and Cadillac parts. The fuel tanks are side-slung, leaving a clear boot at the rear. The cars are very low, a low-set propeller-shaft line being secured by the use of a lIalibrand quick-change (Of ratio) transmission. The present plan is to have a Cadillac VS engine in one car. and the new ISO-bh.p. Chrysler VS engines with hemispherical heads in the other two.

These Cunninghams are likely to go into production. Obviously Briggs Cunningham has based theta on the best Italian sports cars. Ire eschews ehromitun beading, port-holes and such-like horrors, and uses Firestone-shod centre-lock wire wheels with light-alloy rims, a one-piece curved windscreen, and brake drums with impeller-type cooling fins. The ears are finished in white and blue. We wish them a very good race.

Meanwhile, the Allard Le Mans cars are held up because of ii shortage of Cadillae VS engines’, due to General Motors changeover to war produetion. As we announced last merit h, the Mtrroa SPORT Challenge Cup, kindly presented by Mr. Anthony Baring, together with a The ” Motor Sport ” Silverstone Contest Replica and £31) cash prize donated by this

journal, will be competed for during this year’s Club Race Meetings at Silverstone. circuit. The rules governing this contest are somewhat complicated but should be self explanatory. They were drawn up with the

were up aim of providing an exciting contest for club drivers of sports ears that would hold its interest right, through the season and be decided, not solely -on a points-system that can sontetimes result in one competittir early gaining an unassailable load but. in a series of races as smell ; moreover, as will be seen, competitors will have the excitement of being able to make a bid to get back into the contest, even if they are insufficiently highly placed in one of these special MoTort SeonT races to compete in the next in the series.

We hope this Silverstone Contest will prove as interesting as the contest for the MoTon SPOUT Brooklands :Memorial Trophy proved to be last year. NVe are glad to bit able to announce that nearly all Elle clubs holding Members’ Itace Meetings at Silverstone :ire et t-tipe rat i113 in putting on tlictxtra neeessary handicap rtwe for us. There is no entry fee and no need to register. Any driver entering a sports car for one of the speeffied ntectings and gelling sufficiently highly placed can run in the special Mirtott tivon-r Handicap that scores marks in the contest. The roles are as follows :—

(II Each ‘dub which agrees to partivitsite JO)* the Trophy is aslosl to set itside the last stands Car handicap ‘I.:we of its Meeting as the Mob uf SronT Trophy liandintp. C.1) Entries Sir this race, hereinafter called the Trophy Handicap, will he hie:oil, ai the first CI ii Wet ing, (,ii such a proportion of finishers itt earlier ham I kap rti devi.ited sports carti or sports ears And hieing ears, z,t;,. to rrovidc IS IWAr 11-S11(Kiii/W A ?.11 20 for L110 Trophy Handicap, i.e., if imij ono suitable race., tile first 20 cars placed ; if three Stlell raCeli UV, llod, six in each nos! it IOUr Suitable rarvs, the first five, and ii() on. IN. eollte$C, 110WeVer. Is V0111111ed ttport: ears mut when eoml tined raring :1.11(19)01111eAr rltIe Or, involved only Spf ;HS car* etinforttlinu to lig’. mutilations governing ,;tgli eaN at the meeting eta-teemed and carrying all the road equipment thereby required Of such ‘Lars, can he Orwell i uhove for He. :thermc Senn Trophy Handle:4,J

(a) Tho first It tinislurS in the first la these Tniphy 113111.1frit lig Will 1W, eliVible to start in the seems! Trophy Ilandicap and the renlaining fourteen starters for this geeellid riee Will is Liken from linisheN hinder the arrativement given in ride 121) in the handleap raves for unlimited sports ears run at I ti samu meetingas this seeond Trophy Handieap.

(4) For the third and snine-ment’frophyHandleap raves the first six placed in the preceding ‘,trophy Handi(‘ap, plus a proportion of t how pinepAi In each itatalteap race at the ittimim Meeting, adjusted as in rule et) to bring the field as near its possible to 20 starlATS, will lie eligitije tit start,. ‘Flume drivers plaved lower than 11th in aliV Trciphy 1MT-idiom -will only be eligible to (omPole LII it Subsequent Trophy Wending) if they qualify in another handicap race as’ per rule (2).

(5) Inivers twist drive the stone car in the ‘Pronto* Handietips tel they use to qualify to run in these raeeS. Where a driver enters More than one car in ” (nullifying vices “his first ” qualifying ” phteIng is h. ‘,mud. for fliethitity in the Troy] iy Sweat the same meeting, any Subsequent titatiC of hitt at this meeting being ignored for the purpose of Starters in the Trophy .Handicap, and other plam-inen roved tip tor this purpose. accOrdingly. Similarly, if racing and not sports ears ftli :my of the qualifying places those sports cars pi:wed will he tri(reed up aeeordingly. If a driver littiShes below the first its in a ‘Frothy Handicap, he is entitled to enter a different car subsequently for races in which, if he is stalleieutly highly placed he elin again quialIfs to run in a Trilillj• hush leap, but where a driver is placed 1st, 2fid, Srd, 4th, itti. or Sill in one Trophy Bandit:1Lp and thereby automatically qualifies to run in the next of these races, he or Hile must start in the same car in this next race.

0) The Trophy llandFap ran be of tiny length the organising club stipulates, providing it is nes shorter than the shortest ” mudifying mitre” at the suite. meeting.. The DIMS Of finishing die meeting within the Hunt lintit imposed by the R.A.C. mats with the organising club mid this should be borne in mind.

(‘) No entry fee shall be charged for Trophy Handicaps.

(i1)• Competitors .entering for those rams named by the Individual organisers as a ” qualifying .race ” for the Trophy flainficap id the sans, meeting shall pay the required entry Mt* for these races and atikle by all the rules and regulations laid down hY the organising club for its meeting. The organising club will have the right to limit cut tics iii ” qualifying racist”‘ under iM rules and local arrangements and :Matta Setticr will not intOrtere in this limiting of entries In any way whataoever. (f)) There Is no -onus on the organisers of any nieeting ft -orient prize or prizes for the Trophy races, hut It. is suggested that those drivers who startin it Trophy Ilantlieap may pay 10S. sweepstakeleo to the organism, to be devoted to a prize. Or prizes for this particular race, (10) If any driver eligible. for a Trophy HandiCap, either at the same Sr the

succeed ing meeting, elects not to start in the race, no alteration of starters will 1st permitted, i.e., lower plaee-rnen in ” qualifying races ” or Who qualify in one trophy Handielip will remain unaltered. Drivers who qualify in ono Trophy Handicap for the subsequent Trophy Handle:1p will pediabl3 enter for other races at the next meeting in any ease, but. if they do not„ they will, obviously, be entittod to eontreto in the TWA Trophy Handicap willanit entry fee and whether members of the Organising club or not (secrete (10).

(Il) In the eAse uf closet club meetings, theSe hoping to qualify to run for the Trophy Handicap will have to be members of the organising club, but the orgimisers will, if they agrim to participate in the Trophy contest, have to mint Inc entry in I tie.Trenhy flalnlieati tit tiles!): previous qualifiers, whether membe.ra Of the tirgani-itig chill or lad. This has It.A.c. sanction. (12) It will be the onus of clubs mrtielpating in this contest to publish in their supplementary regulations or thud instructions governing the rare meeting concerned details oi which_ ra(.08 will rank As qulnu lit, rakes ” for the Trophy, Mild% finishers in these races Will ice eligible to start in the Trophy Hatislkap, and which drivers and cars, if any, are already eligible for the Trophy Handicap at their meeting, If they intend to run a ” sweepstake ” on tie Trophy Handicap, details should also he given, 13) Ifelinitions of a spOrts-car for the tairtiO0 of this contest will be thriae of the organising clubs, and all cars (11114 present theraselves hie serntineering. If a car eligible for the Trophy Handicap fails to pass IL Serutineer ut Any meeting it will haveto stand d(kWil awl MoTolt tiroTir will agree Icc al?ide tv lite impartial finding of the dill, officials, rem…tying, however, the right I, he informed on the points On which ref usitls a re insert, The handicaps used in flu, Trophy mituumi, wilt be worked out by the organisers ft( the meeting isowerned, protenibly subsequent to the lag ” qualifying race.” Organising clubs who are taking part lathe sehenis must state fa their regulations or supplementary reolatioist. that eompt1 tors in the Trophy Handicap are covered by insurance, although not paying an entry fee,

(14) MOTOR 8roRT will endeavour to supply printed copies of the finalised rides for clubs to include with their own regulations. This does not relieve them of the oblii(ation expressed in rule (13).

(15) The first winner of the MOTOR SPORT SilVerst0»e Challenge Trophy, kindly presented by A. Baring, Esq., and of the .400 MOTOR SPORT Cash Prize will be the driver with the highest number of marks, based as follows on Handicap Trophy races only, not qualifying races. First place-6 marks ; second place-6 marks; third place-4 marks ; fourth place–3 marks; fifth place-2 marks ; sixth plami-1 mark. In this, as in all qualifying and , frophy Handicaps, the decision of the Judge, appointed by the organising clubs, will be final, but MOTOR SPORT will keep a watching brief on the conduct. Of the contest to clarify the working of these necessarily complicated rules. At the time of writing the following meetings are included in those at which the Trophy will be contested :—

May 19th : Vintage 8.C.C.

May 26th : Maidstone. (t, Mid-Kent MX.

June ‘2nd : Eight Clubs.

June 30th: Midland M.E.C. July 28th : Aston-Martin O.C. Sept. 1st:

Sept, 8th: MAC. It only remains to wish competitors the best racing possible, to thank the R.A.C. for approving the rides and the clubs for their kind co-operation. Naturally we are sorry Hurt all the clubs holding Members’ Silverstone Meetings are not able to include a MOTOR SPORT IfOrldiCap ill t heir programmes, but the contest is not possible for the half-Lure Chili, ;is its events are

for racing ears only. The 750 Chit, anti Bugatti O.C. will be running rather specialised races and inform us that it would not be practicable to have an extra lumdicap race thereat, and the M.G.C.C., Mr. Russell Lowry tells us, already has its programme fully planned. The Bentley D.C.’s closed meeting is of it specialised nature and therefore hardly applicable.

A report of the Vintage S.C.C. meeting will appear in the next issue awl we shall hope to give the marking at this and the Maidstone & Mid-Kent meeting, together with the names of those competitors eligible for the Murcia Sroax Handicap at the Eight Clubs Meeting.

A ” hand-out ” from Shell-Mex and I3.P. Ltd. dealing with their motor-racing films and intended for provincial newspapers, reveals two startling facts. One is that the Shell cameraman was allowed to ” spend most of his time during the race (1950 G.P. (I’Europe, Silverstone) in a fast car on the inside perimeter of the course, rushing from one camera to another.” This may occasion raised eyebrows on the part of pressmen who were not allowed to take a car or caravan anywhere near the course. The account also refers to ” pedestrians seen leaping for safety ” when a sports-car went round the I.O.M. course daring the filming of the motor-cycle T.T. The Shell films are excellent but some of the methods used in filming them are a bit dubious, or so it would seem front the Shell hand-outs.