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).
Race report from 'The Autocar' magazine detailing the 1934 T.T. race.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\1\ Scan041 | |
| Date | 7th September 1934 | |
| September 7th, 1934. The Autocar 429 The Bentley-Lagonda duel, which kept the spectators on tip-toe for several laps. It terminated when Brian Lewis, his tyres showing the white danger lines, drew in to his pit to change wheels. five laps the two fastest cars in the race fought one another till Lewis' tyres began to show the white danger strip— he had stopped only once for wheels, whereas Hall already had his new tyres. At the same time Hall's pit found that in spite of the excitement their man was actually slower than when running alone and promptly signalled him. Hall replied with a final record lap, this being the fifth occasion he had broken his class record, at 81.15 m.p.h., 15 sec. slower than Sir Henry Birkin's lap at 83.20 m.p.h. in 1932 with his Alfa-Romeo, which still stands as the course record. Rain Over Comber This time it was the green that came by in front of the red, and Lewis signalled to his pit that he was coming in. But, though Hall was travelling very fast, and by the 31st lap was close on Fotheringham's heels, about to take second place on distance behind Dodson, the handicap leaders at 4.30 were Dodson, Hall, Lewis, Fotheringham, Hindmarsh, and Driscoll. As a further blow to the Bentley hopes, dark clouds gathered over towards Comber, and soon a violent thunder shower descended, though at the stands it was still fine. Thus Hall was unable to make full use of his superior speed, and at the 32nd lap was 1 min. 42 sec. behind Dodson. At the 33rd lap the gap was 1 min. 20 sec., and now at last Lewis came in to his pit, and four wheels were changed in a time that seemed amazingly long, though actually only 2 min. 13 sec. At the 34th lap, with only one more round to go, Dodson led by 52 sec. from Hall, with Fotheringham third; Driscoll in fourth place came in and changed his rear wheels in 47 sec., and Hindmarsh, who had got ahead of Lewis owing to the latter's stop, also came in for tyres. Then came Lewis, sixth on distance, and Penn-Hughes, seventh. But all interest was now in the fight between Dodson and Hall. Could the Bentley make up 52 sec. in a single lap? It scarcely seemed possible. At the Moate corner the gap was 35 sec., at Comber it had narrowed to 31 sec. At Ballystockart only 26 sec. separated the two cars, at Dundonald only 22 sec.! This was going to be the closest finish ever witnessed in a T.T. race, but it was only a little over a mile from Dundonald to the finish, and Dodson's M.G. it was which flashed across the line, now a mere 17 sec. in front of the green Bentley! Such a thrill at the finish has not been seen since Borzacchini closed up on Crabtree in 1931 to snatch second place by 5 sec. The remaining places were not in doubt, but after Fotheringham, who worthily secured third place for Aston Martin, came Lewis, who had got back much of his lost time with a fast final lap, Hindmarsh, Driscoll, and Penn-Hughes, these last two rounding off a successful day for Aston Martins by winning, with Fotheringham, the team prize. Lagondas coming a close second, for Cobb finished eighth, twelve minutes behind Penn-Hughes. Four 1,100 c.c. Rileys finished, but Von der Becke's fastest lap at 71.89 m.p.h. was much slower than Dixon's 77.69 m.p.h. last year. Both the Talbots came in, and the two four-cylinder Frazer Nashes, but McCalla's Ford was just outside the time limit, and was flagged off. The 1934 T.T. had been a race of thrills, with a fine entry, a fiercely contested struggle throughout, and, above all, a fine finish, to send the spectators in their thousands back to Belfast with the memory of a day well spent. B. P. W. T. SUSPENSE! WHEN a driver has victory almost within his grasp his pit staff is naturally keyed up to a very high state of nervous tension. Their man's car, and any others dangerously near, are being timed on every lap, and it is known exactly how the situation is changing and how the lead is being increased or decreased. Indeed, the pit staffs, naturally, know more of the race than do the drivers themselves. This was the state of affairs in Hall's pit throughout the race, for from our G 21 | ||