IN AID OF CHARITY
IN AID OF CHARITY
It was a pleasant idea on the part of the West Hants L.C.C. to organise speed trials in the beautiful park at Poole, and to hand the whole of the gate-money to the Cornelia Hospital, Poole. Beautiful weather graced the event. The course was about 680 yards in length, with a good tarmac surface and several exciting bends, with wide grass verges for the benefit of wandering motors.
The 6,000-7,000 spectators enjoyed a running commentary by two announcers on the Shelsley ” change-over ” system. and a meeting run off so promptly that it finished well ahead of programme time. Timing was by Bachelier electrical apparatus loaned by the Cambridge University A.C.
Fastest time of the day was established by G. R. Hartwell, driving the M.G. Magn.ette which E. R. Hall used to pilot. His best time was 22.82 secs., an average of over 60 m.p.h.-and remember those bends !
S. E. Cummings was probably the most popular driver present and the noisy Vauxhill-Villiers gave lots of people a thrill when it skidded badly on approaching the finish, narrowly missed the timing set and those operating it, and ended up in a bush. A time of 22.92 secs. was recorded, the best until Hartwell made that excellent last run in 22.82 secs. Maclachlan got his now-famous black Austin along the course in 23.48 secs., and Harrocks did some good work with a blown M.G., winning the Iflitre supersports class in 27.26 secs., albeit by a narrow margin from Maclean’s blown car
of the same marque. Michael May’s Alvis took the 3-litre sports class, beating Viscount Curzon’s Alfa-Romeo, and in the unlimited class, F. R. G. Spikins ran his Spikins-Hudson-Special against the Alfa and Lyeette’s 8-litre Bentley and beat them both by quite a handsome margin.
H. G. Dobbs had brought along the offset, monoplace, white Riley 2-litre, which returned a time of 23.17 secs. M.G. and Frazer-Nash cars were noticeably popular and effective in the sports classes. Sumner was a well-watched exponent of the spidery Special, but his blown SumnerJ.A.P., in spite of much noise, broke its chains when the time came. Altogether Poole provided more excitement than most sprint meetings this year. Cummings was doing 85-90 m.p.h. when his skids commenced and he pulled up on one occasion four feet or so from the spectators, who had remained to watch. Forrest Lycette had a few exciting moments with some couple of tons of Bentley, and J. A. Elliott, driving a rapid, fully-streamlined Austin Seven, once had to avoid a dog, while Hartwell was almost broad-side on away from the
line on his record run. But all’s well that ends well and the Cornelia Hospital will benefit considerably.
RESULTS
Sports-Cars
Up to 850 c.c. : 1, B. Cree (847 c.c. M.G.) 31.53s. Up to 1,100 0.0. : 1, B. Cree (847 c.c. M.G.) 31.25s. Up to 1,500 c.o.: 1, T. J. B. Law (1,496 c.c.
Frazer-Nash) 27.54s.; 2, G. R.. Hartwell (1,498 c.c.
Singer) 29.86s.
Up to 3,000 c.c.: 1, T. j. B. Law (1,496 c.c. Frazer-Nash) 27.34s.; 2, G. Bagratouni (1,287 0.0. M.G.) 27.98s. Unlimited: 1, G. Bagrat,ouni (1,287 c.c. M.G.) 27.40g.; 2, R. D. Poore (3,622 c.c. Ford) 28.30s. Super-sports Cars
Up to 1,500 c.c. : 1, S. M. Harrocks (939 c.c. M.G., S.) 27.26s.; 2, D. Maclean (1,287 c.c. M.G., S.) 27.83s.
Up to 3,000 0.0. :1, M. W. B. May (1,991 c.c. Alvis) 26.6s.; 2, Viscount Curzon (2,300 c.c. Alfa-Romeo) 27.05s.
Unlimited : 1, F. It. G. Spiking (4,168 c.c. Spiking Hudson Special, S.) , 2, F. Lycette (7,063 Bentley) 25.71s.
Racing-Cars to c.c. Uns. : E. P. Huxham c.c.
Up to 1,100 c.c. Uns. : 1, E. P. Huxham (1,098 c.c. Morgan) 31.85s.
Up to 1,500 c.c. Uns. and 750 c.c. 8.: 1, A. N. L. Maclachlan (747 c.c. Austin, S.) 25.18s.
Up to 2,000 nc. Uns. and 1,100 0.0. S. : 1, A. N. I,. Maclachlan (747 c.c. Austin, S.) 23.65g.; 2, H. G. Dobbs (1,986 c.o. Riley) 24.16s. Up to 4,000 0.0. Uns and up to 1,500 0.0. S.: 1, G. It. Hartwell (1,287 c.c. M.G. Special, S.) 23.13s.;
2, H. G. Dobbs (1,986 c.c. Riley) 23.37s.; 3, A. N. L. Maclachlan (747 c.c. Austin, S.) 23.48g.
Unlimited Uns. and up to 3,000 c.c. 8.: 1, G. It. Hartwell (1,287 c.c. M.G. Special, S.) 22.82s. (best time of day) ; 2,8. E. Cummings (2,996 c.c. VauxhallVilliers, S.) 22.92s.; 3, H. G. Dobbs (1,986 c.c. Riley) 23.17s.