DUBLIN MOTOR RACES

DU LIN MOTOR RACES

GOOD SPORT IN SECOND MEETING AT PHOENIX PARK. LAST year the Irish Motor Racing Club held two 50 Mile Races on the famous Phoenix Park circuit, and their success was such that this year the Junior Event was lengthened to 75 miles and the Senior, for cars over 1,100 c.c., to 100 miles. The circuit measures just over four miles round, and has a magnificent straight 4 miles long, with a sharp corner at each end, and a downhill fast stretch with two deceptive bends. Sports cars of all types and ages take part, so

that a handicap start, based like that of the T.T. race, on time and distance, is essential. Cars have to keep to the right, and this troubled some of the less experienced drivers, but an early morning practise greatly improved the driving of the newcomers on the day of the race.

There were 15 starters in the Junior event, which began at 3 o’clock, and the first groups, including Potterton (KG. Midget) last year’s winner, got away well. Kavanagh (Austin) lost some time, and Baird driving the Riley on which he finished 6th in the Ulster T.T., was held up with oiled plugs, and did not get going until the first man was round again, and MacLachlan on the other Brooklands Riley also passed him.

The limit man, Earney (Aznilcar) dropped out after one lap, and Potterton who received more than three laps, took the lead. The field was rather thin, and interest was centered on Baird, who was chasing MacLachltut Between them was sandwiched Kavanagh (Ulster Austin) who had been executing some daring cornering at Mountjoy. The passenger hung right across the pointed tail, but on one of these manoeuvres the car struck the bank and upset his balance. He swayed to one side and the other in a sickening way, the light car doing likewise, and only skilful driving on Baird’s part prevented a collision. After some fine duels on the corners, Baird then succeeded in passing MacLachlan. Potterton was running comfortably in first place, his nearest rival being Sullivan on the supercharged Special. As he came almost within striking distance, the engine developed a terrific vibration, and the driver gave up in disgust, which was increased when he found the trouble was nothing more than the loss of a fan blade. Kavanagh, who seemed little disturbed

by his near shave, was still going well and beat the lap record put up in the late lamented Irish Grand Prix with a lap at 72.4, while Baird’s lap of 73.4, was the fastest in the race.

Kavanagh finished a lap behind the leading car, the average of which was nearly 5 m.p.h. higher than in last year’s event, with MacLachlin close behind. He drove a sound race, and Baird was unable to catch up the precious 4 minutes he had lost at the start.

D. C. MacLachlan (Riley) finished 3rd in the Senior and 7th in the Junior. He is here seen at Moan (joy Corner.

The Senior Race.

The cars entered for the second event were of all types and ages and starters numbered 21. The limit car was a 1924 litre Peugeot, while the Statham Ford, which had a V-8 engine in a much lowered chassis, was scratch, and was handicapped to do 78 m.p.h. Between these extremities came sundry cars from the 4

Doran’s old 30/98 Vauxhall sw:ngs wide round Gough Corner.

Junio’r race, an old 3 litre Bentley and a smart-looking Le Mans “4k,” 2 30-98 Vauxhalls and a Meadows Special, built up from an Annicar chassis and a supercharged Meadows engine. There were also two modified G.P. Bugattis and a 2 litre blown Alfa. A fifteen minute interval separated the two races, ” to allow the small cars to cool” as one of the officials put it. Meanwhile some amazing last-minute work was going on on Wilson’s 30/98. During the practise he had seized a piston, so he flew to England for a new one, had driven a hundred miles for a cylinder block, and finished assembling the car on the line. It put up 8 laps at quite good speed and

was eliminated only through damaging a road wheel. At 4.45, the starter had raised his national flag, green, white and orange, and sent off the first four, Manders’ Bugatti, O’Boyle’s Riley Gamecock, Miss Comerford, who was duly acclaimed as the first woman to drive in a road race in the British Isles, and was driving a Hillman Minx, and Yule’s 3 litre Bentley. Similarly, assorted groups of cars followed, ending with the Ford, which was scratch, • and Berkery’s Sunbeam which had four laps start. This car had very comfortably exceeded its handicap speed in practice and was well fancied if it could last the course.

The pace was a hot one from the start, and after a few laps, Moore, driving Versehoyle’S supercharged Lagonda, had retired with ti burst water hose, and the Meadows Special with plug trouble, while Manders’ Bugatti came to rest with considerable internal bother.

Pearson’s old Peugeot with its seven laps start led the race at the beginning, and the Sunbeam also made good use of its advantage. McCalla’s Bentley Which had comfortably exceeded its handicap time in practise, did not seem so good in the race, and stopped after 11 laps with an unpleasant knock coming from a bigend. Meanwhile some of the cars from the Junior race were showing a surprising increase on their former speeds, O’Boyle on a Riley Gamecock averaging Over 68 m.p.h., while Baird was keeping up 87 m.p.h. Neill, on a 2 litre Bugatti, who started level with Baird was on his heels all the time and McLachlin on the other

Brooklands Riley held his own with them for some laps. Of the other scratch cars,. the Statham-Ford, driven by Hynes was well handled, but was too heavily handieapped to challenge the leading cars. Plunkett’s 2 litre Alfa was not very rapid, and dropped out at half distance with big-end trouble. Motmtjoy Corner was again troublesome, and Kavanagh (Austin) once more nearly collided with the tree. MacLachliaspun round there, and was only avoided with difficulty by Kavanagh and the Sunbeam, while an old 2-seater 30-98 Vauxhall swung right round just as :Baird was approaching the corner. This Vauxhall also had difficulty with Gough Corner, the driver and passenger being thrown from side to side as the car skidded round. The Sunbeam was also alarming, in contrast to the accurate cornering of Baird,

Neill and Hynes, whose cars pursued a perfect course, not without some screaming of tyres. %O’Boyle, who received 4 laps start, secured the lead after nine laps and maintained it to the end, but Sullivan (S van Special), whose pit sign had incited him to go “like Hell,” towards the end of the race, equalled Kavanagh’s lap speed of 3 min. 32 secs., and passed Berkery’s

Sunbeam in the last lap. Cony’s L. Type Magna secured a well-deserved fourth plate, while Baird, who had again put up the record lap, 82 m.p.h., just scraped in ahead of Neill’s Bugatti. Altogether as good a finish as one could wish to see.