From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Magazine article from 'The Autocar' reporting on the T.T. motor race.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\1\ Scan071 | |
| Date | 13th September 1935 | |
| September 13th, 1935. The Autocar 461 Freddie Dixon at speed with his Riley. tyres, and this was to handicap them throughout the race. Lewis' clutch trouble on the Bugatti became more serious, and the driver paid periodic visits to his pit, driving off quietly with a cigarette in his mouth. These pit stops put Dixon back into the lead, and Hall was now second on handicap, and also on distance covered. After fourteen laps Hall had made up his 6m. 38s. starting-time deficit, and passed Dixon to take the lead on distance. He still had to make up the credit lap, however, which the Riley driver had received at the start. Dramatic things were happening in the small class. Langley's Singer was reported missing. His pit control grew anxious, and heard that the car had crashed on Bradshaw's Brae. A steering arm had broken! Langley was not hurt, however, and was picked up by the official car and brought back to the pits. Then ffrench-Davis' Fiat, which had begun to sound fluffy, stopped at its pit, changed four plugs, the two rear wheels, and refuelled. This left A.{Mr Adams} C. Dobson as the Fiat hope, some way behind the Singers of Davis and Black. Langley's withdrawal meant that there were now only two teams left in the race, the three works Aston Martins, and the three Fiats. The Aston Martins of Brackenbury and Penn-Hughes had been lapping with splendid consistency, rarely more than fifty yards apart, lying seventh and eighth at fifteen laps on distance covered, and fifth and sixth on handicap. Rose-Richards with the third Aston had had some bother, and was fourteenth on distance, but was going well and picking up rapidly. Charles Martin, on the fourth official Aston, had experienced trouble with oil pipes, but he, too, was now going well. The half-distance pit stops, of all-important significance, were approaching. Penn-Hughes was one of the first to stop, and took a bare minute over the refuel—no wheels being changed. A great cheer greeted Powys-Lybbe's arrival with the Alvis, for the crowd appreciated this amateur sportsman's fine effort. His car was still going very well indeed, and now his crew fell to with a will, changing four wheels and refuelling with 25 gallons of petrol, as well as water and oil, in 2m. 24s. Hall and Dixon Stop Brackenbury's mechanics got his Aston away with 14 gallons of petrol in 40 sec., and K.{Mr Kilner} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Evans took 1 min. 20 sec. for a refuel and change of two wheels. The Lagondas did not have to stop at this stage, having already refuelled, but all eyes were on Hall when he brought the Beatley in. On the previous lap he had passed the stands 1 min. 43 sec. ahead of Dixon on distance covered, though actually, of course, he was about three-quarters of a lap behind the Riley on the handicap. On Hall's nineteenth lap he came in, changed all four wheels, refuelled and was about to start off when 2 min. 12 sec. later Dixon arrived and made for his pit also, which was quite close to Hall's. A collision was narrowly averted as Hall pulled out across his bows, and Dixon's Riley Wins the T.T. Dixon's mechanics fell to in such style that, with a change of two wheels and a refuel, the Riley had picked up 45 sec. from the Bentley when it restarted. Paul, however, lying third on handicap, was twice delayed by a punctured float, completing one lap by turning the petrol off and on. After the turmoil of the pit stops, one could again note the score board with the handicap leaders at 2.30 p.m. :— m.p.h. 1. F.{Mr Friese} W. Dixon (Riley) ........ 77.54 2. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Hall (Bentley) ........ 77.15 3. C. Paul (Riley) .............. 76.28 4. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} S. Hindmarsh (Lagonda) ... 76.96 5. C. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} P. Dodson (Lagonda) .... 79.03 6. C. Brackenbury (Aston Martin) 75.31 But another sensation occurred immediately. Norman Black was descending Bradshaw's Brae and had just passed his colleague Langley's wrecked car when he, too, found his Singer out of control! Skidding wildly, he crashed into the bank, but scrambled out unhurt. He went to the front of the car. He picked up a dangling steering arm. He threw it down and turned away. Meanwhile Hindmarsh now led the race on distance covered, and at three o'clock was second on handicap, Hall's stop having dropped him to third place. Before 3.30 p.m. another blow befell the Singers. S. C. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Davis, passing the wrecked cars of his team mates on Bradshaw's Brae lap after lap, wondered what had put them out. Then as he came down the winding hill on his twenty-sixth lap his car, like the others had done, failed to answer to the helm. Up the bank the car went, up above Black's car, and overturning, toppled over right on top of the other Singer! Davis tumbled out, unhurt, his movements accelerated by acid dropping from the battery, and with a glance at the steering gear the problem was answered. Now the Singer control were left in no doubt. Stanley Barnes and his crew stood in the road at their pit and frantically waved down his brother in the remaining car, while Clouds of smoke issue from the bonnet of “Bira’s” Aston Martin. The scavenge oil pump has failed. C 13 | ||