THE B.A.R.C. AUTUMN MEETING

THE B.A.R.C. AUTUMN MEETING

MAYS AND ” BMA ” (E .R.A.$) WIN THE BIG RACES. MANY A.R.P. SMOKE SCREENS FAST WORK BY CHRIS STANTLAND

GLORIOUS weather greeted the Show Time Brooklands Meeting. Everyone was talking of the Mountain Championship and of whether Alta would again vanquish E.R.A. Mr. Bradley deserves credit for the rapid changes made from circuit to circuit. The gates into the finishing straight, which we criticised previously, now open outwards-when the safety fence is completed it will again be possible to cross by the Paddock Bridge. The first long outer-circuit handicap saw Michael May lead for two laps with Tuson’s Fiat Balilla, when Barker’s 3-litre Sunbeam came out in front, ahead of Whiddington’s Jensen, May and Russell-Roberts’s M.G. Couper’s Talbot went well up the banking, so Baker-Can passed below it in the big BentleyJackson, and Dunham’s Alvis pulled down inside the sports B.M.W., and the Brooke-Special, which latter had trouble. In an exciting last lap Bertram pulled the 140 m.p.h. Barnato-Hassan off the Home Banking beneath the BentleyJackson, and Elgood’s 41-litre Bentley

snaked from the bump. Dunham’s Alvis won at 104.98 m.p.h. from the B.M.W. and the old sports Sunbeam, in something of a procession. Another long handicap round the outside saw Whiddington’s Jensen lead for a lap and a bit from Follett’s Alvis and Pane’s sports B.M.W. The Alvis then went out ahead, followed by the Jensen, and in the run in, amid great bunching, Staniland, going great guns in the 3-litre Multi-Union, got through very fast indeed, winning at 133.20 m.p.h. from the B.M.W. and Courtney’s old Amilcar-Six, which were strung out behind. Going into the Railway Straight for the final lap Duller pulled his Duesenberg onto the Inside of Couper’s Talbot and at the same time Bertram, from scratch, hauled the Bamato-Hassan inside the Duesenberg

great driving, Oliver 1 Staniland did one lap at 141.49 m.p.h. The Siam Challenge Trophy Race came next ; a scratch event for blown ]-litre and unblown 2-litre cars, over ten laps of the Campbell circuit. The field started before the Paddock grandstand and hairpinned into the road course-in spite of the accident at the Jubilee Meet ing. On initial acceleration Minetti’s Squadra Ainbrosiana Maserati Six beat Connell’s E.R.A. and Hadley’s baby Austin. After a lap Dobson’s white E.R.A. led from the Maserati, with Contiell third and ” Bira’s ” Zoller-blown E.R.A. fourth, followed by Wakefield’s E.R.A., Hadley’s Austin and Abecassis’s Alta, etc. Next round, ” Bira ” was second, doing all he could to catch Arthur Dobson and straining every muscle to hold his lead. Lap 3 saw Wakefield fourth and Rolt’s E.R.A. fifth. On lap 4 Wakefield passed Connell. On lap 5 ” Bira ” closed with Dobson, who re ceived a signal from the pits. Lap 6 saw intense excitement as Dobson, regained the lead on going into the Members’ Hill bend. We wondered if he would pull down lower round the banking than ” Bira ” and gain on distance, but ” Bira ” repassed. before the Railway Straight. On lap 7 Dobson again came up level at the same spot and pulled early down the banking, but he could not

repass. Minetti now unfortunately retired. On the last lap but one Dobson swung very wide into the finishing straight, but he could do nothing to ” Bira.” ” Bira’s ” more modern E.R.A. finished a mere second ahead of Dobson’s hardused B-type E.R.A., at 73.33 m.p.h. Dobson had shown the better form. Abecassis went out in a real A.R.P. smoke screen, when the Alta broke a stud in the valve gear, letting oil play over the exhaust, and Rolt’s E.R.A. also set up one of these smoke screens, instituted by Ballamy at the Jubilee meeting. Wakefield was third. Hadley’s Austin packed up and Cuddon-Fletcher had the off front wheel part company from his M.G. Maclure got home, so gained the points he needed to rest from Fletcher the Bonus Award of the B.R.D.C.

The Mountain Championship followed-. only mountain-circuit race of 1938-but, frankly, we felt the course rather brief after the Campbell circuit races and believe we prefer the latter class of race.

Raymond Mays led off in the scratch start, his 2-litre E.R.A. beating Beadle’s 2-litre Alta on initial acceleration. Mays then drove beautifully for ten laps, was never challenged, and won by 12 secs. at 80.39 m.p.h. Staniland did all he could with the Multi-Union, but could only beat the rest, of whom Dobson’s E.R.A. was third. Rolt’s E.R.A. again went in for A.R.P. exercises, likewise Council’s E.R.A.but both drivers continued, for blow-ups can be of less moment in the autumn! Ashby’s Alfa-Romeo fell out at once with

chronic clutch slip. The Multi-Union was impressive as it accelerated snakily but Mays had a big advantage. Minetti was about beating Dobson on acceleration. The B.H.W., which has the old ” 4.9 ” Bugatti motor in a short chassis of Hassan’s design with special and beautifully made quarter-elliptic rear springing (springs set normally), was slow and sounded over-rich.

A five-lap Campbell circuit handicap followed, in which Metcalfe’s old-type Balilla Fiat led for 3 laps, whereupon Soames got ahead with Harmer’s 11-litre G.P. Bugatti and won at 63.26 m.p.h. from E. W. H. Dobson’s Riley and Hamilton, on Tuson’s Fiat. In the next five-lap road handicap

Aldington’s sports B.M.W. looked like winning, but at the close Rolt got home 1 sec. ahead of the Abecassis-Alta. These cars started level and it is an indication of Alta potency that Abecassis had only a patched-up engine and had to run on soft plugs to obviate oiling, as lubricant was getting badly into the machinery from the blow-up in the Mountain Championship. However, Rolt was not without his worries, for his E.R.A. broke a silencer bolt and attempted to set his legs on fire. This Rolt met by gradually stuffing a glove into the aperture and by getting out of his car just as soon as he could after getting the chequered flag. He averaged 69.75 m.p.h. The B.M.W. was third. In the last 5-lap road handicap Ansell just beat Maclure’s 1,748 c.c. Riley, the E.R.A. snatching victory by t of a sec.,

at 69.16 m.p.h. The Brooke-Special and Pay Taylour’s 2,3-litre Bugatti retired and Fletcher’s M.G., running again on four wheels, did likewise, thus presenting the 050 Bonus Prize to popular Percy Maclure. The B.H.W. still sounded ragged, but Maclure had driven a great race, leaving his braking noticeably late. Charlie Dodson’s 31–litre Delahaye was third.

R(9E8m7leaTS) H’cap. ,Fint October Long Handicap Outer Circuit

m. s. 1. C. 0.11. Dunham (2,511 c.c. Aivis) …… 1 8 2. H. J. Aldington (1,971 c.c. Frazer-Nash 1 8

3. 0. L. W. Barker (2,916 c.c. Sunbeam, S.) 1 44 Won at 104.98 m.p.h. by is.; Is. between first and third. Second October Long Handicap, Outer Circuit (9 miles) 1. C. S. Stanlland (2.946 c.c. Multi-Union, S.) 6 2. A. F. P. Pane (1,971 c.c. Frazer-Nash B.M.W.) 1 25

3. P. Courtney (1,093 c.c. Amilcar, 8.) 1 9 Won at 133.26 m.p.h. by 31s. ; 41s. between first and third. Siam Challenge Trophy, Road Circuit (23 miles)

1. “B. Blra ” (1,488 c.c. E.R.A., S.) set.

2. A. C. Dobson (1,488 c.c. E.R.A., S.) scr.

3. J. P. Wakefield (1,488 c.c. E.R.A., 8.) scr. Won at 73.33 m.p.h. by ls. ; 291s. between first and third. Mountain Championship (12 miles)

1. R. Mays (1,980 c.c. E.R.A., S.) scr.

2. C. S. Staniland (2,946 c.c. Multi-Union, 8.) sor.

3. A. C. Dobson (1,488 c.c. E.R.A., S) scr. Won at 80.39 m.p.h. by 12s.; 141s. between first and thin!. First October Road Handicap (11 miles) 1. M. S. Soames (1,496 c.c. Bugatti) 30 2. E. W. H. Dobson (1,496 c.c. Riley) 30 3. A. P. Hamilton (1,090 c.c. Fiat) 50

Won at 63.26 m.p.h. by 61s.; 71s. between first and third. Second October Road Handicap (11 miles) 1. A. P. R. Rolt (1,488 c.c. E.R.A., 8.) 18 2. G. E. Abecassis (1,490 c.c. Alta, S.) 13 3. H. J. Aldington (1,071 c.c. Frazer-Nash

B.M.W.) 1 Won at 69.75 m.p.h. by Is.; 41s. between first and third. Third October Road Handicap (11 miles) 1. R. E. .Ansell (1,488 c.c. E.R.A., 8) 26 2. P. W. Maclure (1,748 c.c. Riley) 26 3. C. J. P. Dodson (3,557 c.c. Delahaye) 40

Won at 69.16 m.p.h. by Is. ; 2s. between first and third.