International news

RAC Rally
November’s premier motor sporting event is the RAC Rally, which starts in Bath on Saturday, November 27th, and finishes at the same venue on Tuesday, November 30th. Sponsorship is vital to such a costly event to stage and this year’s sponsors, Lombard North Central Ltd., the finance house, has stepped in with an injection of £200,000 to ensure the future for 1977, 1978 and 1979.

Timo Makinen, starting at number 1, will leave the starting ramp in Bath’s Great Poultney Street at 0900 hrs. on the Saturday. From there the 200 or so cars will head out on a 1,900-mile route which goes north to Scotland through the night and returns to Bath on the Sunday evening for an overnight halt. They restart at 0800 hrs. on Monday morning for another all-night run into the West Country and Wales, returning to Bath during the Tuesday evening. There will be 320 miles of special stages.

At the time of going to Press, specific details of the route and entries are unavailable. Our sister journal, Motoring News, will publish full details, together with spectator advice, in its issue of November 25th.

Aston Martin at Le Mans
FOR the first time for 14 years an Aston Martin should be seen at Le Mans next year. Staffordshire Aston Martin specialist Robin Hamilton has entered the Aston Martin V8 which he has campaigned as a development exercise in several club races over the last couple of seasons.

Hamilton had intended to enter this season’s 24-hour classic, but lack of sponsorship prevented this, in spite of factory support from Newport Pagnell in the way of engineering and development assistance. Believed to be the only fully race-prepared Aston Martin V8 in the World, Hamilton’s car, based upon a second-hand road car, will run in Group 4. Extensive lightening will be carried out, together with special bodywork developed from wind-tunnel testing. The all-aluminium 5.34-litre V8 engine is expected to develop about 500 b.h.p. and the estimated top speed 190 m.p.h.

Factory technical support will continue for 1977, but Hamilton is still seeking a sponsor to finance the project. With a possibility of Jaguar returning to the Le Mans fray next year, the Sarthe atmosphere could be quite like old times!

Reg (Jacko) Jackson
We are sorry to record the death of Reg Jackson, head of MG’s Abingdon Competition Shop in pre-War days and so virtually responsible for the racing and record successes which were to build up the MG charisma. He was number two member of the British Racing Mechanics Club, number one being Head, Earl Howe’s mechanic. Reg, who was just over 70, remained with MG Abingdon until his retirement about five years ago, latterly as Chief Inspector. His son, Barry, continues the Jackson-MG tradition, being employed in the MG drawing office. Our sympathy goes to the Jackson family.