THE SOUTH PORT 100 MILES RACE

THE SOUTHPORT 100 MILES RACE Premier Sand Racing Event won by T. Simister (M.G.).

THE Southport ‘: Hundred,” held on Birkdale Sands on August 12th, was’ a success from every point of view. The event attracted a large and varied entry, and nearly half the cars were running at the end. Of these it is notable that all but 2 were 750 c.c. cars. The handicapping was good, only 4 minutes separating the first four cars. The weather was warm without glaring sunshine, and 30,000 spectators were said to have attended.

ENTRIF,S.

No. 1 D. Blackburne (746 c.c. M.G.), 8 credit laps. 4 B. G. Bailey (747 c.c. Austin, S), 5 W. L. Thomson (747 c.c. Austin 8) 6 T. Simister (746 M.G., S) 7 L. Fontes (746 M.G., S) 8 C. H. Fish (747 Austin, 8) 9 P. Stephenson 6

credit laps. (747 Austin, S) 10 C. D. Parish (747 Austin, 8)

12 F. W. Dixon (1,089 Riley), 5 credit laps.

14 J. H. Bartlett (1,087 Bartlett Salmson, S), 2 credit laps.

15 B L . Byrom (1,096 Amilear,S).

16 J. H. Lafone (1,086 M.G. Magnette, S).

18 J. Walker (1,493 Bugatti, S), I credit lap.

19 G. A. ivlangoletsi (1,496 Lea Itrtruids, 8).

22 T. V. G. Selby (1,990 Bugatti), scratch.

23 S. R bodes (1,996 Bugatti,.

24 C. T. Rhodes (1,996 Bugatti).

’25 A. Sedgwick (3,000 Fronty Ford).

28 A. M. Conan Doyle (1,993 Delage, 8), plus one lap. 29 Noel Carr (1,990 Bugatti, S.) 30 E.Cowan (1,998 Lagonda, S.)

31 J. W. Whalley (3,840 Ford).

33 Jack Field (2,300 Bugatti, S), plus 2 laps.

34 G. J. Jackson (2,973 Sunbeam, S).

35 W. Esplen (3,398 Bentley, 8). 36 D. P. S. Conan Doyle (6,740 Mercedds-Benz, S.) The course was the usual mile stretch with a narrow flagged strip between the tracks, which were joined at each end by an acute hairpin bend. The pits were in

the centre of the shoreward straight. The sand was in excellent condition.

The start took place near the north end of the course and the cars were arranged abreast according to capacity, the less fortunate ones being in the second row. When the flag dropped nearly all got. away well, Field, Carr and Jackson being in the lead. Selby, who was in the second row, was held back somewhat by the slower cars in front of him. Byrom’s Amilcar was slow in getting

away and the Ii`ronty Ford stayed behind firing on 2 cylinders. The Conan Doyles arrived at the start half a lap after the flag dropped but joined in the chase. The Delage spat back a good deal and was withdrawn after 3 laps.

For the first 5 laps the cars were well bunched, and some exciting cornering was seen. Field and Selby were noticably good while Noel Carr was much wilder and lost appreciably at each haipin. Jackson seemed to have difficulty with the eight cylinder Sunbeam, taking the corners wide and spinning his wheels furiously. Taking the North hairpin on his third lap he did this once too often, and the driving wheels dug themselves in, leaving the car stalled right in the path of the other cars. Esplen amongst others nearly came into collision with

him, but after every one had found out about this new hazard on the course, they negotiated the stationary car without much trouble. Marshals panted and heaved and eventually got the car restarted. Field was driving at a great pace, determined to make up Cart’s credit lap. He clipped the corners each time round and on two ocasions went over the flags, Jackson too was hurrying all he knew, trying to make up for lost time. He

seemed unhappy on the corners, on one occasion almost running over Stephenson’s Austin. He retired on his 6th lap with gearbox trouble. Before leaving the bigger cars one must mention Esplen’s immaculate black Bentley, which had an outside gear-lever. It was very well handled, though of course not able to corner like the Bugattis.

By virtue of their 6 lap start, the supercharged 750’s were leading the field.

Simister (M.G.), Stephenson and Parish (Austins) were on their 20th lap together, then Bailey with 19 and Blackburne on an unblowu M.G. 18 laps. Thomson who was second in the race last year and leader for a time in this race retired on his 13th lap. A hose clip had come adrift and all the cooling water escaped, causing engine seizure. Noel Carr stopped at the pits for a long time with cooling trouble and retired. Walker’s Bugatti had water in the carburetter,

while S. Rhodes’s 2 litre threw a stream of scalding water over the pit personnel when the radiator cap was removed. Water, in fact, was the cry everywhere, but there was none to be had, though there were plenty of other liquids. The Lea Francis retired with a blown

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gasket, and the Bentley was withdrawn with low oil pressure. Conan Doyle’s Mercedes had a burst tyre after 28 laps of fast going, but not having a spare the driver was unable to continue. Order at 30 laps :—

Sit/lister (M.G.), 30 laps. Parish (Austin), 30 laps. Stephenson (Austin), 29 laps. Selby (Bugatti), 26 laps. Field (Bugatti), 25 laps.

These figures include credit laps.

The race continued rather uneventfully, the steady cornering of Field and Selby contrasting with the ” sandstorm” methods of J. Walker whose Bugatti had an car-splitting exhaust note.

The small cars all cornered close in without much broadsidiug, and skimmed theqine of flags as they sped up the course. Taking some lap-times towards the end of the race, Field was found to be going round in 2 min. 4 sec., Selby in 1 min. 50 sec., while the M.G. was putting up the very creditable time of 1 min. 54 sec.

With only five laps to go, there was no chance of a change of leadership, and just over an hour and a half after the start, Sitnister was given the checkered flag. Selby finished 3i minutes afterwards, with Stephenson a further minute behind. Nothing more remained except to present the very handsome trophies, which

was done about three times in order to satisfy the desires of the news reel photographers. Thus ended an afternoon of first class racing.

RESULTS.

1. T. Simister (746 M.G., S), 75.72 m.p.h. 44 laps In 1h. 31m. 30s.

2. T. V. G. Selby (1,990 Bugatti), 63.74 m.p.h.

3. P. Stephenson (747 Austin, S), 55.46 m.p.h.

4. Jack Field (2,300 Bugatti, 5), 65.24 m.p.h.

5. D. Blackburne (746 M.G.), 49.03 m.p.h.

6. B. G. Bailey (747 Austin, S), 50.69 m.p.h.

7. C. D. Parish (747 Austin, S), 50.16 m.p.h.

8. C. H. Fish (747 Austin, S), 48.12 m.p.h.

J. Walker (Bugatti) and S. Rhodes (Bugatti) were still running and had completed respectively 46 and 38 laps, when the race was stopped.