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).
The 1934 R.A.C. Tourist Trophy Race on the Ards circuit and the Ulster Automobile Club Rally.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\1\ Scan050 | |
| Date | 4th September 1934 | |
| PAGE 1 of 2: The Motor, 202, September 4, 1934. THE R.A.C. TOURIST TROPHY RACE—Contd. SHORTS FROM THE COURSE THE special trip to Belfast organized by The Motor provided the most convenient method of seeing the T.T. Every 'ticker' was sold and the total number carried (limited by the number of berths) was 419. Over 200 applications had to be returned. The trip comprised first-class rail travel to dining cars, berth on board the M.V. 'Ulster Prince,' four meals, transport by motor coach from the quay at Belfast to the course and all gratuities. The cost ranged from £2 15s. from Manchester to four guineas from London. Many people were loud in their praises of the trip, and were particularly struck by the excellence of the cuisine throughout. Charlie Dodson made a characteristically modest little speech at the end over the microphone. He said he had thoroughly enjoyed the race, thanked George Eyston for the chance of driving in his Magnette team, and said he had been afraid Hall would catch him during those last exciting laps. It was, he said, all very exciting. Lord Craigavon, Premier of Northern Ireland, took a run round the course bareheaded during the race in a Bentley similar to Hall's, driven by Sir Algernon Guinness. They touched 90 m.p.h. down to Comber, at which his Lordship expressed himself as duly impressed. The Hon. Peter Mitchell-Thomson and N. A.{Mr Adams} Berry (Frazer-Nashes) had a private scrap throughout the race, and argued earnestly at the end as to the winner, until the official results awarded that particular distinction to the former. Dodson had at least one moment of intense concentration. He swept round a bend right on top of a slower car which was too much in the middle of the road. There was just room for the Magnette to pass. The winning Magnette is a replica of the N-type model described recently in this journal by 'Grande Vitesse.' The only differences were a neat, streamlined two-seater body, slightly larger carburetters, the use of supplementary hydraulic shock absorbers on the front axle—and a certain care in the initial assembly of the engine. The engine was touching 6,500 r.p.m. on the gears and about five-five on top. While A.{Mr Adams} H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Langley (Singer) was at the pit investigating trouble, the loudspeakers broadcast a touching rendering of 'The Lost Chord.' Possibly Langley found it. p22 THE ARDS CIRCUIT A sketch map of the 13½ miles circuit on the outskirts of Belfast, which has now been lapped at over 80 m.p.h. by an unsupercharged car. One driver was reputed to have used 28 plugs in 11 laps before he retired. Good for trade. The three Lagondas were fitted with little racks for six pieces of chewing-gum on the instrument boards. John Cobb said he proposed to eat one every five laps as a lap-scoring device. Incidentally, the tonneau covers of these cars also formed the hoods. Hall's petrol funnel—a gigantic square affair with complicated baffle plates—must have been the biggest used in the race. Contrary to all accounts, Prestwich's mechanic was not hurt in the Quarry Corner crash. One good reason was that he was then in the pit. The start was one of the most uninspiring things ever witnessed. But the finish, . . . ! There are more ways of crossing Newtownards Square than driving straight across. Ask any T.T. driver. When the first cars tore round Quarry Corner after the start, a woman in the crowd fainted with excitement. What she must have done when Lewis and Hall were fighting it out defeats the imagination Image Caption: Quarry Corner again. N. A.{Mr Adams} Berry (Frazer-Nash) leads the Hon. Peter Mitchell-Thomson (Frazer-Nash), A.{Mr Adams} H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Langley (li-litre Singer), J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} R.{Sir Henry Royce} H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Baker (li-litre Singer) and T. A.{Mr Adams} W. Thorpe (six-cylinder Frazer-Nash) in the early stages of the race. It was suggested that this corner's other name—Kill Corner—might well be changed to Thrill Corner in future. PAGE 2 of 2: September 4, 1934. 203 The Motor THE R.A.C. TOURIST TROPHY RACE—Contd. Image Caption: Quarry Corner on the first lap. A woman spectator fainted with excitement when the horde of snarling M.G.s swept in a string into the corner. In front is W. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} Everitt, in the car Nuvolari should have been driving, followed by George Eyston, W. L. Handley and the ultimate winner, Charles Dodson. It is interesting to note that when 'Ebby' worked out the handicaps for the race six months before it was held, he set the estimated finishing time at 6 hrs. 13 mins. 26 secs. Dodson actually took 6 hrs. 13 mins. 24 secs. Good for 'Ebby.' Cree Hill not being a Silent Zone, Hall made good use of his horn in removing slower cars from his path when Lewis was on his trail. The weather remained practically ideal throughout, except for a short but violent thunderstorm over Comber during the last hour. There was little wind, and the overcast sky prevented any trying sun glare. R.{Sir Henry Royce} Morgan (Singer Nine) was the only non-starter. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Eyston drove instead of Lace in the Invicta, and Charles Brackenbury took the wheel of Dixon's Riley, as the latter is still not fully recovered from his Donington smash. A petition was signed by over 30 drivers after the second day's practice asking the R.A.C. to authorize the removal of wings. The drivers pointed out that in such a long race tyre wear was going to be an important factor, and that without wings they would be able to see how the tyres were standing up. The R.A.C. replied that after careful consideration they had decided that the pit chiefs would be able to see this as the cars passed and could signal their men accordingly. RETIREMENTS H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} B. Prestwich (Riley Nine), after 2 laps. Crashed at Quarry Corner. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} S. Baines (Riley Nine), after 5 laps, Oil leak. S. Jones (Riley Nine), after 6 laps, Water leak. W. M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Montgomery (Singer), after 8 laps, Engine trouble. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Barnes (Singer Nine), after 9 laps, Engine trouble. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} R.{Sir Henry Royce} H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Baker (li-litre Singer), after 10 laps. A.{Mr Adams} H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Langley (li-litre Singer), after 10 laps. N. Black (M.G. Magnette), after 10 laps, Engine trouble at Quarry Corner. Wheel trouble at Dundonald. Norman Black (M.G. Magnette), after 11 laps, Oil pressure trouble. F.{Mr Friese} R.{Sir Henry Royce} G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} Spikins (Singer Nine), after 12 laps. W. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} B. Scott (Singer Nine), after 13 laps. Engine trouble. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Eyston (Invicta), after 13 laps. Broken piston. C. M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} S. Gardner (M.G. Magnette), after 18 laps, Engine trouble. A.{Mr Adams} Powys-Lybbe (2-litre Alvis), after 18 laps. Engine trouble. W. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} Everitt (M.G. Magnette), after 21 laps, Engine trouble at Quarry Corner. F.{Mr Friese} S. Barnes (Singer Nine), after 22 laps, Engine trouble. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} Paul (Riley Nine), after 22 laps. Engine trouble. C. Brackenbury (Riley Nine), after 22 laps, Engine trouble at Comber. E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Hall (1½-litre Riley), after 24 laps, Engine trouble at Dundonald. N. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} Signey (M.G. Magna), after 24 laps. Engine trouble. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} T. Eyston (M.G. Magnette), after 30 laps. Engine trouble at Bradshaw's Brae. This year the circuit was in finer condition and less bumpy than ever, although here and there were sections where wheels seemed to travel more in thin air than on terra firma. The first half of the race revealed great reliability among the field, but during the concluding hours car after car cracked up until 17 derelicts were strewn round the course or parked sadly in the 'Cemetery.' Tyres suffered severely throughout the race, particularly on the bigger cars, due no doubt to the excellent non-skid but somewhat abrasive qualities of the specially treated road surface all round the course. ULSTER AUTOMOBILE CLUB RALLY THE Rally organized by the Ulster Automobile Club, which concluded at Bangor on Tuesday afternoon of the T.T. week, proved a complete success. There were 90 entrants in all, a larger number than last year, and of these 16 started from Dublin, five from London and 68 from Belfast. The routes were 750 miles long in each case, to be covered at 24 m.p.h., including a regularity section, a braking test, and a reversing and acceleration test. The following results were announced after the finish. (1) (£100): W. Jones (10 h.p. Standard), from Dublin. (2) (£50): W. M.{Mr Moon / Mr Moore} D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} Montgomery (Singer Nine), Belfast. (3) (£20): D.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} McMullan (12 h.p. M.G.), Dublin. (4) L. J.{Mr Johnson W.M.} Ross (10 h.p. Standard), Belfast. (5) A.{Mr Adams} R.{Sir Henry Royce} Finlay (M.G. Magna), Belfast. (6) T. F.{Mr Friese} Clow (M.G. Magna), Dublin. Ladies' Cup: Miss E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} Astbury (13 h.p. (Singer), London. Team Prize: The Standard team. It was announced at the prize distribution at Bangor, on the evening of Thursday, August 30, that a protest lodged by Miss Astbury had been upheld by the stewards, with the result that Miss Astbury was awarded third place. This reconsideration of Miss Astbury's marks also won for her the Visitors' Cup, in addition to the Ladies' Prize. It was announced during the function that there may be a Round-the-Houses race at Bangor in 1935. p23 | ||