BRANDS HATCH CLOSES DOWN

BRANDS HATCH CLOSES DOWN

Alf Bottoms’ J.B.S. Has a Day Out at Closing Meeting of 1950. Elizabeth Store Wins Ladies’ Race.

THIB racing at Brands Hatch on October 14th, the last 500 Club Daily Telegraph Race Meeting of the season, was really first class. Mr. and Mrs. Tony Itolt and Dennis Poore were spectating and admitted to being altogether fascinated.

The Paddock presented two intriguing new 500s. F. C. Corbin’s Cobra had a singe-cam Norton engine with Bearttype barrel protruding from the Off side of the tail over the back axle, the driver sitting on the near side front to balance the weight. The engine drove forward to the gearbox and the drive then went forward again to a countershaft, front which a _chain on each side took the drive to the back axle, these chains having guards Li In Parry Thomas in miniature. A widetrack Morgan-type front suspension unit was used, with similar rear suspension, where transverse “track rods” prevented the wheels from swivelling Hydraulic brakes with finned drums were employed and the whole mechanism was well cowled. N. Smith’s Goodwillie had Douglas motive power at the front, in line withthe drilled channel-section chassis, which had -B.S.A. front-wheel drive and i.f.s., the hack axle being an Austin Seven front axle with the king pins looked, and Austin Seven wheels.

The first heat (seven laps) of the Open Challenge Race was a battle between Ken Carter and Big Bill Whitehouse in their Cooper-Nortons, Bill leading at first, until Ken slipstreamed him and finally crept up at the top corner, so close that his rival snaked to the left to provide more room and lost his lead. Brake was third, raising the dust at this same corner on one lap, ahead of Burgoyne and Smith. Bottoms, %Vesteott and Kennington met trouble. The second heat produced t he astonishing spectacle of Rowland’s Cooper-J.A.P. emerging from the top corner after a melee with its near-side front wheel canted at an angle of about 25 degrees to the ground, in which state the car did nearly

lap before horrified officials waved it in Don Parker, looking more petite than ever in a crash-hat, led throughout save for a lap when Leary’s Cooper was ahead, only to retire. Wicken’s ” French ” Cooper came up strongly from a ” Continental ” start to finish second, MontgomerieCharrington third, and Dryden ahead of Beardshaw in fourth place after these two had indulged in a most exciting duel. The third heat saw Alan Rogers, driving extremely well and steadily in his blue Cooper-.1.A. P., lead all the way. John Co

other opposition to finish third. Bilton’s Cooper shed bits as it Crossed the hiiiishuuiig line. The excitement of the heats was maintained in the Final (15 laps). The ParkerSpecial builtup an excellent lead from the start, with Rogers, Carter and Wickert locked in combat behind. On the second lap Wickert spun at the Paddock bend, two laps later Carter ran out of road at the same place and Rogers began to push Parker, Brake third, Whitehouse fourth. Carter retired, Gregory’s Kieft shot into the middle of the arena with play in its steering and Beardshaw’s Cooper had ” converted.” its nose cowl into a miniahire of that used on the old Wolseley Viper, probably against one of Wieken’s rear wheels. Braid was having trouble. Still the fun and games went on. On the seventh lap Rogers passed Parker, whereupon his Cooper immediately Shed a chain and he waved Parker back into the lead. VVILitchouse, third behind parker and Brake, had a truly ” professional” spin on the lower straight but held his Cooper skilfully and kept his engine going, losing only one place, to Burgoyne, during this evolution. This he made tip in two laps, and so they finished—Parker, Brake, snaking a bit. after Beardshaw, who had been lapped, had baulked him tit a corner, and NVhitehouse. Dryden left the road momentarily and the Smith, its chassis broken, finally rubbed itself to a standstill. Burgoyne was fourth, Montgonierie-Cluirrington fifth. Parker and

Whitehouse were reprimanded for grassmotoring.

The first heat (Seven laps) of the Junior Championship saw Stiles’ C.M.S. in trouble and brother Bottoms led all the way in All’s impressively-steady car. Bedson, in Brown’s Cooper, spun on the lower straight but, like Big Bill before him, kept his engine running and _worked back to second place, with R. M. Carter third. Rex McCandless, in Ted Frost’s Cooper, led all the way in heat 2, peeping back anxiously to see how far he was ahead Of the Grose, which lets found extra speed this season. Split 11 i, Is Caine up well to take third place, lint the Wright had failed to start and the Cobra had left the road at Paddock bend. The first heat (seven laps) of the Championship followed. Dryden showed real acceleration from the back of t he grit!. Parker and Bottoms had a grand dust up, the pick-up of the Parker Special out of the Paddock bend being quite extraorditc try, fowever, the wonderful j.B.S. went. ahead and Carter passed Parker by more artistry at. the top corner: Carter was having trouble with his gear selectors and was saving the Cooper for Joan Genird in the Ladies’ Race. Later Parker went Widt. at l’addoek bend and I turgess ote,sed in>j? le. but Parker’s acceleration I ICU 11 wit h that. Later still Carter slid a it :d Itoe top corner and Burgess spun

at Paddock bend. Generally, however, the two leaders were very steady, even Nolen half a length apart. So Bottoms won from Carter and Parker, McCandless lOurth, Brown fifth. Heat 2 saw John Cooper unassailcd, and Rogers second after six laps, while Whitehouse took Brake at Paddock on the inside, on the last lap. Burgoyne was fifth. Wieken stalled on the line and Emery retired early.

The 15-lap Final of the Junior Championship was a question of C: Bottoms leading the Grose and building up a very safe gap. Kennington’s Emeryson was third, Richards fourth, Symonds fifth. Corbin tried a ” Continental ” dash at flag-fall behind the Emeryson and Wright slid at the top bend.

The 15-lap Final of the Championship came next. It produced another great Bottoms/Parker duel, but the J.B.S. was a sick car, its piston rings faulty, necessitating a plug-change between every race. Nevertheless, it led to the very last lap, when Bottoms had the wretched luck to break a chain. Carter had meanwhile taken second place and he now won from John Cooper, Whitehouse, Rogers, and Parker who hadn’t enough steam to hold his early position. Brake spun off backwards going into Paddock, so frightening a fire extinguisher that it proceeded to Put out a fire that wasn’t there. The 15-lap Championship of the Meeting followed, the cars now mostly rather

tired. Alf Bottoms led throughout from Rogers, J.11.8. beating Cooper, and Wieken worked through the field to third place after ten laps, only to leave the road. So John Cooper netted third place and Burgoyne would have been fourth had not the near-side driving shaft of his Cooper sheared. The wheel careered over the grass, hit the palings, sailed over the spectators’ heads, bounced over a line of ears and landed on an Austin A90, finally being retrieved by Brandon. Burgoyne was unhurt, as the car did not overturn. Dangerous though I Parker was thus fourth, Montgomerie-Charrington fifth, Gregory’s Kieft sixth.

The last race was the five-lap Ladies’ event—and it was surprising how many People stayed to see it, Dunlop MOO included ! As the flag fell Peggy Lambert stalled Richard’s Cooper and Mrs. FotheringhamParker needed pushing in John Cooper’s Cooper. Nancy Mims led away in Leary’s Cooper, chased by Joan Gerard in Carter’s Cooper and Joy Cooke in a Kieft-Norton, both Nancy and Joan doing most determined gear-changes. Then Joy sailed over the grass into the ditch at the top corner and Olga Kavelos, who has done much motomyele trials-riding, forged right ahead in Gregory’s Kieft. Joan Gerard was second after three laps, Nancy ‘firms third, but Elizabeth Store was

finding more speed in the J.B.S. The last-named took Nancy on lap four and came right up on the final round, passing first Joan, then Olga, at Paddock bend. Another fine race, well driven, even if one lady did change down when she should have changed up, her engine falling asunder in consequence. The sight of famous drivers biting their nails and holding theft’ girl’s handbags while the race lasted was quite something. Alf Bottoms, brother Bottoms and Miss Store were duly presented with wreaths and tried to ride a lap of honour on the very weary J.B.S., which remembered the state of its health and refused to climb the final gradient—what price 500-c.e. road cars!

The racing bad been excellent and we look forward to further doses of Brands next year—Dame Rumour malt something about an extension of the circuit where the old grass track was, making a three-mile circuit for occasional Formula II events. You must wait and see.—W. B.