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A nerve-racking business
by Gibb Grace
• I was surprised to find when I arrived at the London LDoY eliminator at Hayes on Sunday that the traditional running order, Class A through to Class H had been reversed and what I considered the last, Class H. had already been decided. N. Wright of the Express Dairy, driving his 41ft 11in, Ford artic had incurred only 40 Highway Code penalties in his total of 106 to take the class.
The change in order did not worry Mr Wright, in fact he welcomed it; he said it was always a nerve-racking business and he was glad to be finished so earl-.---it was much better that to have to sit fretting in a hot cab. Although officially a driver, Mr Wright helps so is constantly practising his Highway Code.
This year he will be making his third appearance in the National Finals and he hopes to better the third place he managed in 1966. Mr Wright's nerves suffered badly because he had achieved 59.5 per cent improvement on his class and knew he was in the running for the overall winner. An extremely low score in the Class A of 57 must have had him worried but such was the standard of this class that it represented only a 55.5 percent improvement and so Mr Wright also collected the best driver trophy to make all that worrying worth while.
NCL drivers must do more reversing than most, or so it seems, for they are very good at it. Very low marks scored in manoeuvrability tests two and three helped them to win Classes E and F. NCL, in fact, took all three places in Class E.
A very competitive Class A was won by Reg Oldham with 57 points. Reg won the class here in 1969 so he has a good deal of LDoY experience. His amazing score included 40 penalties on the set questions section three on the road test, and 10, nil and four respectively in the three manoeuvrability tests.
The Highway Code section caused many entrants trouble, as always, but many were penalized less than 100, and one remarkable entrant, W. Fasham of Schweppes, actually got through without losing a penalty; he would undoubtedly have won Class B but for running up the kerb in test three.
Reg Oldham together with his team-mates Cyril Topping and Carrol Roye, second and fourth respectively in Class B, took the team price for the GPO London Postal Region, EC1.
Rigid Vehicles
Class A: up to 20ft and over 1 ton unladen: 1, R. Oldham (London Postal Region) Morris, 57 points: 2. E. Oakley (Rank Film Laboratories) Morris, 80: 3, P. Burns (Rank Xerox Ltd) Ford, 108. Class 13: over 20ft to 24ft; 1. M. Tame (Schweppes Ltd) Bedford. 66: 2, C. Topping (London Postal Region) Bedford, 108; 3, A. Summer (Schweppes Ltd, Sidcupl Bedford, 115.
Class C: over 24ft to 28ft: 1, D. Crute (Hall Aggregates) AEC, 138; 2, P. Ingerfield (Conoco Ltd) Seddon, 166; 3, R. Phillips (Rank Xerox Ltd, Denham) Ford, 174.
Class D: over 28ft: 1, E. Louth (Rank Xerox Ltd, Denham) Ford, 116; 2, R. Ramshaw {Schweppes Ltd, NW10) Atkinson, 153;3.J. Howard (Schweppes Ltd, NW10) Atkinson. 194.
Attics
Class E: flat or sided or drop-frame, up to 40ft: 1, R. Nicholls (National Carriers Ltd, NW1) Ford, 134; 2, M. Ryan (National Carriers Ltd, NW11 Bedford, 172; 3, J. Foster (National Carriers Ltd, NW1) Ford, 180.
Class F: box or tank to 40ft: 1, D. Churcher (National Carriers Ltd, NW1) Ford, 203; 2, M. Turner (Conoco Ltd, Langley) Leyland. 214; 3, R. Wood (DOK) Leyland, 248.
Class G: flat or sided, flat or drop-frame. over 40ft: t L Barnett {Rockware Glass, Greenford) Ford, 192; 2, R. Williams {AEC Ltd, Southall) AEC, 210: 3, S. Grubb (Cisme Plastics Ltd) Ford, 238.
Class H: box or tank over 40ft: 1, N. Wright {Express Dairy Co, Ruislip) Ford, 106: 2, D: Brown (Conoco Ltd, Langley) AEC, 148; 3, B. Sadler {Freightliners Ltd, E15) Guy, 256.
Overall winner: N. Wright, Team award: London Postal Region (C. Topping, C. Roye and R. Oldham).