VERY SUCCESSFUL DUNLOP CELEBRATION BROOKLANDS MEETING

VERY SUCCESSFUL DUNLOP CELEBRATION BROOKLANDS MEETING

FAST OUTER-CIRCUIT RACE. AUSTIN AND E R.A. WIN CAMPBELL TROPHY SCRATCH RACES. “BIRA” INVOLVED IN THREE-FOLD CRASH

IT was a very happy thought of the Dunlop Rubber Company Ltd. to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary by organising a great Jubilee Meeting at Brooklands. Entry fees of 3,1and 5/respectively pulled in 297 entries, which were suitably weeded out to manageable proportions—even so, extra bays had to be prepared in the Paddock to house the full number of runners. A big marque was erected in which Dunlop’s guests were lavishly entertained, and everyone Of importance in motor-racing, as well as almost . every famous racing-car, seemed to be present. Even then the threat of War could not be forgotten ; paper sellers in the Paddock displayed placards, “France mobilises,” and One could not fail to notice that Vickers had painted out most of their name on the sheds at the Fork.

The first race was a 9-mile outer-circuit handicap with a field of twelve. Michael Mayss Alvis soon overhauled Hughes’s .30/98 Vauxhall, and after a lap Aidington’s sports B.M.W. was in the lead. Hughes had trouble, the scratch Formula Delahaye, which in practice lapped at 127 m.p.h., was slow and Duller had -a wild ride in the Duesenberg without crossing swords with” Ebby.” Staniland was in the lead at the finish, winning at the excellent speed of 127.77 m.p.h. It was a good finish, for Humphreys came up very rapidly on the inside of the Railway Straight for second place, and Follett’s Railton passed the other side of Aldington to .take third place. Tommy Wisdom drove a stripped sports 4.3 Alvis and Hunter’s Alta opened its head .cowling. Another 9-mile outer-circuit race followed, with Andrews’s Balilla (old type) Fiat on limit and Dunham’s fabric-bodied Speed Twenty Alvis on scratch. After a lap Tuson’s racing, modern-type Balilla Fiat led from Andrews and Miss Mc Ostrich’s Frazer-Nash. Tuson built up a big lead and won at 89.07 m.p.h., but the rest were nicely bunched after two laps, with Whiddington’s Jensen second and Russell-Roberts’s M.G. third. In the run-in Dunham caught Roberts to take second place ahead of the M.O., passing inside coming off the banking. .So we came to the 20-mile outer-circuit

Dunlop Jubilee Cup Race. Once again, the Bonotore Alfa-Romeo was a nonrunner, and Noble instead drove the Bowler-Hofman-Special, which is sans f.w.b. After a lap Wisdom’s 4.3 Alvis led ElgOod.’s Bentley and Charlie Dodson’s Delahaye. These positiorS were unchanged for two laps, with Dodson closing on Elgood. Gerard was taking the Delage terribly high, and Brettell, with his new ex-Dr. Roth single-seater Talbot, was finding a light rear end exciting at speed. After four laps the three leading cars were running in a neat procession and Oliver Bertram, on the scratch Barnato-Hassan, was in ninth place, passing below Gerard on the Members Banking. Another lap and Dodson Was Oil Elgood’s tail and Wisdom was third. Meanwhile Couper’s wonderful stripped sports Talbot was working up steadily and it ran into first place to win at I 19.86 m.p.h. Dodson overhauled Elgood for second place. Both the Formula Delahay-es were a lap behind,

and Aldington, doing about 108 with the fully-equipped B.M.W., went high, so that Humphreys, whose special M.G. Midget was doing about 121, had difficulty in getting through—old bogy of outer-circuit racing. Another 9-mile outer-circuit race followed. with Baker-Carr’s 6i-litre BentleyJackson on virtual scratch, as the Bi motore did not show up. Other nonstarters were Brackenbury’s Bugatti, Kennedy’s 44-litre Lagonda., Wilkinson’s R-type M.G., Horsfall’s Aston-Martin and Baker’s Graham-Paige, Coupex’s Talbot ran again, with fresh rear covers fitted. After a lap Brooke’s stubby Brooke-Special led from Courtney’s Amilear-Six and Brettell’s Talbot. Courtney led next round and then after another lap the Bentley-Jackson passed on the inside to win from Couper’s Talbot at 119.70 m.p.h., with Courtney third. A true outer-circuit car had won, and would have been faster still if BakerCarr had not needed to cut out to pass slower stuff. Duller told us he literally had to brake hard several times for this reason, with the Duesenberg in the previous race. Dudley Froy retired the Bugatti-chassis two-stroke J amesonSpecial (late Phoenix-Special) and Dodson’s Delahaye sounded unwell. So, after excellent track racing, we moved to the Campbell road course. In the first 5lap race, Baron’s fully-equipped sports Alfa-Romeo, bearing a Continental registration, passed Miss Stanley-Turner’s M.G. after a lap. Wakefield (E.R.A.) was on virtual scratch as Wimille’s Alfa-Romeo did not run, and he started slowly. By the third lap Baron still led, with Ian Connell’s E.R.A. second and Aitken’s Maserati third. Ballamy was outclassed at the outset and his Bugatti now stopped on the Railway Straight emitting a smoke-screen which was the envy of all A.R.P. enthusiasts. On lap 4 Connell took the lead from Baron, and Wakefield came up in third place, the E.R.A. finally slipping through inside Baron at the Hill Bend, to challenge Connell’s sister car. Then Connell’s bad luck intruded, for the E.R.A. stopped half a lap from home, allowing Wakefield

to win at 71.59 m.p.h., in front of Aitken’s Maserati and Hanson’s Maserati. In the next 5-lap race Gordon Brettell’s famous little Austin was only just started up in time but it beat Costello’s Austin (once called ” Mrs. Jo Jo “) away, both cars being on the 10 sec. mark. After a lap Metcalfe, who used to drive the Abbott-Nash, led from Andrews, both handling old-type 995 c.c. Fiat Balillas, with Norton Bracey’s blown M.G. third. Another lap and Hurst was in third place with the M.G. Magnette which John Dugdale used to drive. Hurst led after three laps, and Soames was second with Harmer’s Type 37 Bugatti, which had an air-scoop to cool the sump—the announcer credited the entrant, Harmer, with driving. Hurst went on to victory, averaging 61.83 m.p.h. and Soames was second, with Tuson’s Fiat Balilla third, while very close behind Tuson came Brettell’s Austin. Costello was slow, likewise Hughes’s 30/98 Vauxhall. Wright drove his Frazer-Nash, the body of which consists of a low rear fuel tank and a bucket seat. The seventh event was the 10-lap 23-mile Jubilee Scratch Race for cars up to 1,400 c.c.—which excluded 11-litre Abecassis ran his Alta linered down to 1,386 c.c. The field started from opposite the Paddock and jostled round the hairpin into the road course. In this initial rush Nichols (M.G.) scored an advantage, but Appleton’s Appleton-Special soon led from Hadley’s Austin and Cuddon-Pletcher’s M.G. Mag nette. After a lap the leaders were Fletcher, Hadley and Appleton. Abecassis stopped by the pits and did not continue. Hadley had closed with Fletcher after two laps and then the M.G. slid round at the Hill Bend, Hadley slipping through to lead and the tiny Austin going beautifully. Fletcher restarted in second place and Appleton had trouble, so that after 4 laps Wilson’s 1,090 c.c. E.R.A. was third. Hadley now led by the length of the Home Straight. The positions never changed and Hadley won at 67:17 m.p.h., Fletcher second and Wilson third. Towards the end the M.G. snaked most fearfully under braking. Noble’s took a very high path at the Banking

bend, Monkhouse’s M.G. fell sick, retiring, Smith’s M.G. fell out and Miss Turner’s M.G. was lapped at the end. Another 5-lap Campbell circuit race followed, in which Pane, as limit-man, with the sports led from Brooke’s. Brooke-Special and Dodson’s Delahaye after one lap. A. P. Ashby’s Alfa-Romeo was reaching a very high speed along the Railway Straight and, although cornered slowly, was playing with the field, moving from sixth to second place in 2 laps, so that on the fourth lap Fane just led from Ashby with Dodson third. The final lap left no doubt and Ashby came out ahead to win at 69.16 m.p.h. from Beadle’s new 2-litre Alta and Cuddon-Fletcher’s

M.G. Lord Avebury’s Alta was early in trouble, Vicentini was slow in his red. Monza Alfa, and Fletcher’s M.G. actually overhauled the Delahaye again along the Railway Straight after being passed.

Another race of this nature saw Michael May’s old Alvis leading comfortably from Nichols’s M.G. Midget after one lap,. with Gammon’s fully-equipped 2-litre sports Alta third. Gerard spun round at the Aerodrome Bend with the T.T. Delage and Staniland’s Multi-Union had got well away from Howe’s E.R.A., which was not any too well. Another lap and the E.R.A. was out, while Fay Taylour’s 2.3-litre G.P. Bugatti was in. third position. Gigi Plate’s old TalbotPlate seemed lacking in gee-gees, and May gave way to Nichols for the lead after 4 laps, with Charlie Martin in Watson’s.

2-litre Bugatti running third. Staniland’s brakes seemed to be locking and on the final lap Nichols won a closelyfought race at 65.6 m.p.h., from Hadley’s Austin and Martin’s Bugatti, though the Bug. had pulled away from the Austin down the Railway Straight. On one lap Plate baulked Staniland at a corner while the flag marshal just looked on. Thus we came to the last race, the 10lap 23-mile Scratch Race for the big cars,. run just as heavy rain commenced to fall,. so that the Track was soon extremely slippery. Thirty-one cars were lined up in two rows before the Paddock and set to dash round the hairpin into the road

course. Previously some drivers had.

expressed the opinion that the race should be run in heats and a final, as a fast car in the front row would score a considerable advantage over one in the back row-we believe positions were drawn from a hat. In any case, the congestion that resulted at the first, hairpin corner was not only pathetically circuslike, but it eliminated ” Bira,” Berg and Beadle-fortunately without personal injury of a serious nature, though ” Bira ” had to have his head stitched. He had led everyone in the 3-litre Ma.serati and turned left to find Berg’s Yfaserati going straight on-doubtless Berg is accustomed to arrows indicating the location of corners. Berg’s car struck the tail of ” Bira’s ” and the bigger Maserati spun. in the ensuing scuffle Beadle’s Alta smote the barriers and Ashby managed to hold a

series of tail slides. ” Bira’s ” car was very badly damaged about the tail and Berg’s had the off front suspension wrecked. ” Bira ” walked disconcertedly in. . . At first Staniland’s Multi-Union led, with Mays’s 2-litre E.R.A. in pursuit and Arthur Dobson’s white E.R.A. third. As the rain got really bad Staniland was seen to be having a tussle with his car, and was not helped by a locking brake. After four laps Mays led, though giving way politely to Chris before passing. Wakefield was third and by the close of lap 5 was second, with Staniland next, sliding wildly, Dobson fourth, Dreyfus (Delahaye) fifth, Aitken (E.R.A.) sixth, and Martin’s Bugatti seventh. Ashby’s Alfa also slid noticeably. Dobson passed Staniland on lap six and then Wakefield actually passed Mays, to lead. But almost at once Mays’s bigger E.R.A. repassed. So the order remained to the very dismal finish, save that with two laps to go Dreyfus also out-placed Staniland. The rain had affected the average, which

was 64.77 m.p.h. Again Gerard spun round at the Aerodrome bend and this time the Delage left the road.

It had been a most excellent meeting, for which gratitude is due to Dunlops, especially from those who were so lavishly entertained in the special marquee. We hope the handicappers may be a little more lenient next year on the big outercircuit cars, which now go so very rapidly and have a devil of a job passing other cars, yet which win so seldom. Staniland lapped at about 134 m.p,h. to win at over 127 m.p.h., but Bertram, lapping at over 143 m.p.h., very close to the absolute lap record, could do no better than fourth.

RESULTS

First Dunlop Outer Circuit Handicap (about 9 miles): 1, C. S. Staniland (2,946 c.c. Multi-Union S.), won by 3s. at 127.77 m.p.h., h’eap 17s.; 2, W. E. Humphreys (747 e.e. M.(.. S.), h’eap 43s. ;

3, C. Follett (4,108 e.e. Railton), Weal) 64s.

Second Dunlop Outer Circuit Handicap (about miles) • 1, V. H. Tuson (1,090 c.c. Fiat) won by IR. at 89.07 m.p.h., h’eap 67s.; 2, C. G. H. Dunham (2,511 c.c. Alvis), scratch ; 3, E. 0. Russell-Roberts (1,287 c.c. M.G.), h’eap 30s.

Dunlop Jubilee Cup Race (about SO miles) : 1, W. M. Conner (3,377 c.c. Talbot), won by p. at 119.88 m.p.h., Weep 70s.; 2, C. 3. P. Dodson (3,557 c.c. Delahaye), h’cap 89s. ; 3, F. E. Elgood (4,487 c.c. Bentley), h’cap 98s. Third Dunlop Outer Circuit Handicap (about 9 miles) : 1, C. T. Baker-Carr (6,597 c.c. BentleyJackson), won by is. at 119.70 m.p.h., limp 98.; 2, W. M. Cooper (3,377 c.c. Talbot), h’eap 25s.; 3, F. Courtney (1,093 c.e. Amilear), h’eap 67s. First Dunlop Road Handicap (11.33 miles) : 1, J. P. Wakefield (1,486 c.c. E.R.A., S.), won by

81s. at 71.59 m.p.h., h’cap 15s. ; 2, Hon. P. Aitken (1,494 c.c. Maserati, S.), h’cap 42s.; 3, It. L. Hanson (3,494 c.c. Maserati, S.), h’cap 37s.

Second Dunlop Road Handicap (1L33 miles) : 3, A. H. B. Hurst (1,087 c.c. M.G.), won by 12s. at 61.83 m.p.h., Wean 25s.; 2, M. S. Soa.mes (1,496 c.c. Bugatti), temp 198. ; 3, V. H. Ttl$011 (1,090 c.c. Fiat), lecap 30s. First Dunlop Jubilee Trophy Race (about 23 miles) : 1, II. L. Hadley (744 c.c. Austin, S.), won by 130. at 67.17 m.p.h.; 2, A. Ouddon-Fletcher (1,387 c.c. M.G., S.) ; 3, N. G. Wilson (1,090 c.c. E.R.A.,

Third Dunlop Road Handicap (11.33 miles) : 1, A. F. Ashby (2,992 c.c. Alla-Romeo, S.), won by 41s. at 69.16 m.p.h., h’eap 31s.; 2, A. H. Beadle (1,960 ex. Alta. S.), h’eap 22a.; 3, A. CuddonFleteher (1.357 c.c. M.G., S.), h’cap 388. Fourth Dunlop Road Handicap (11.33 miles) : 1, 1. H. Nickols (747 c.c. M.G., S.), won by 2s. at

85.60 ; 2, H. L. Hadley (744 c.c. Austin, S.), h’cap 23s.; 3, C. E. C. Martin (1,990 c.c. Bugatti, S.), Weep 32s.

Second Dunlop Jubilee Trophy Race (about 23 miles) : I, R. Mays (1,980 c.c. E.R.A., S.), won by 80. at 64.77 m.p.h.; 2, J. P. Wakefield (1,488 c.c. E.R.A., S.); 3, A. C. J)obson (1,488 c.e. E.R.A.,S.).