continental notes and news, October 1935

Confinenta Notes and. Newz

By HAROLD NOCKOLDS

it’s Quicker by Air

One of the greatest drawbacks of life as a motor-racing ” star,” I imagine, must be the interminable travelling about from race to race. Barcelona one weekend, Berlin the next, and that sort of thing.

Most drivers use fast cars. Stuck’s 12-cylinder Horch is familiar to all continental racing fans, and so is Caracciola’s Mercedes-Benz cabriolet. But Nuvolari has decided that it is quicker by air, and after the Nice Grand Prix he took delivery of a Potez 58, French machine. Why he does not use an Italian aeroplane is not quite clear.

Over here, of course, we all know Shuttleworth’s little Comper Swift, with which he flies to the Isle of Man, Shelsley and Donington.

Tough

When Philippe Etancelin was picked up after his crash in the Italian Grand Prix, the doctors shook their heads. They feared internal complications, cracked ribs and other sundry unpleasantnesses. However, they deferred passing judgment until X-ray photographs had been taken.

The results showed that it takes more than a spill like that to hurt ” Phi-Phi.” Beyond a severe bruising and shaking he was O.K., and he has now left the Ansaldo Clinic in Milan and is back in Rouen.

But no more racing this season.

Lehoux Fills the Breach

His place in the Subalpina team has been taken by Marcel Lehoux, who is to handle a Maserati at San Sabastian and Masaryk. Lehoux has not had a good season since his Bugatti days. With that twincamshaft ” two-three” he was a menace to anyone. But times have changed. He did not seem to get on with the Ferrari -cars, and since then he has driven Maser

atis on his own account and for Villapadierna.

As for Etancelin, he hankers after a fast car of his own, running as an independent. He is one of those men who must be up with the leaders. He is not content to race at his own speed. The sort of man to enliven any race. I sometimes wonder what would happen if he were given a Mere

The Call of the Road

A friend of mine ran into Willy Williams the other day. Williams still wants to get back into the racing game, but the position in France is a gloomy one at the moment.

On his day, Williams used to be the match of anyone you care to name, Chiron included. But a bad season with Bugatti put him out of the running.

Another famous driver who would like to race again is Mme. Junek, who will be remembered for a classic performance in the Targa Florio one year.

Honourable Retirement

Before the war the name Lautenschlager summed up the essence of continental road-racing, who will ever forget his performances with a Mercedes in the 1914 French Grand Prix?

I have just heard that this famous driver has now retired from business in Germany and is settling down to a peaceful old age. Long may he live!

Auto-Union Recruit by the success of their

Encouraged by success experiment with Berndt Rosemeyer, the Auto-Union people have engaged another German motor-cyclist, Ernst Loof. Loof has been racing for the Imperia concern for some years, and this will be his last season. He has done extremely well, and won four national champion

ships in 1934, two for road-racing and two for hill-climbing.

The intention is to give him a D.K.W. motor-cycle at the beginning of next season, and then after a few races give him a trial on a racing car. If thii proves satisfactory—and who can doubt otherwise?—Loof will become a regular member of the Auto-Union team. So Varzi is leaving the German team

French Hill-climb

An interesting little hill-climb took place last month at Lectourne. The hill was 1.8 kilometres in length, with an average gradient of 1 in 20 and including several corners. Fastest time of the day was made by Barowski (Bugatti).

RESULTS.

1,100 o.c.-1, Vilhet (Darmont), lm. 22s. 1,500 c.c.-1, Felix (Salmon), lm. 20.4s. 2,000 c.c.-1, Barowski (Bugatti), .1m. 2, Durand (Bugatti), lm. 11.2s.

3,000 c.c.-1, Delorme (Bugatti) lm. 8.4s. ; 2, Mlle. Helle-Nice (Alfa-Romeo), lm. 8.6s. 6.484

New French Race

A new race is already promised on the French calendar for next season. This is an event for sports-cars, which will take place at Montlhery road-circuit. The date chosen is the day before the Grand Prix de PA.C.F.—if the latter is held after all.

The French have a strong public sense of their shortcomings in the racing field. The lack of French participation in the big continental road-races is to them a national disgrace. Over here noone cares a hoot whether a British car runs or not. It is presumably with the idea of fostering some sort of French motor-racing

that they have planned this race. it would be interesting to see how British cars fared against the Delahayes and Hotchkiss which generally win in France.

Meanwhile there is no word from Bugatti as to his plans next year.