'Pompey' men chase
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another title by lain Sherriff • It was fitting that the last elimigating round of this year's competition should be held at Portsmouth—particularly so that it was at Royal Marine Barracks, Eastney. The Portsmouth centre is the second oldest in the , country having been started 15 years ago, one year after Coventry. This experience, added to the precision thinking of the Marines, produced an event of the highest order.
The road route of 10 miles through crowded Saturday traffic was a test in itself. At one point the examiners were awarding credit points instead of debiting points and this caused some confusion later. However, all's well that ends well and it all ended well.
The best score of the day was recorded in class A with R. Briars riturning only 63 points. In the next five classes the winners all clocked no more than 90 points.
What a pity there had to be a loser in class E2, where two men each with three previous final appearances fought it out. In the end A. Tynan of Shell-Max and BP Ltd., Hamble, beat J. Haskett of the Southern Gas Board by eight points.
A. Lasseau of BR Sundries division. Ports mouth, won the champion's award and tasted the fruit of victory by being invited to the Lord Mayor's reception in the evening. Portsmouth attracts entries from as far away as London and Croydon, which brought this years entry to almost 80 per cent above last year's. This was also due to some extremely hard work by the acting secretary Bob Parker and QMS White who rustled up a Service entry of 17.
It was at the kerb parking that the Servicemen came to grief when both the lock and the mirrors on their vehicles proved inadequate. It appears that only the RAF is issued with vehicles which compare in these respects with those in use in civilian life. Driving for the RAF in class C a civilian, R. J. Vincent won with only 65 points.
The team prize went to SPD Ltd., Southampton, with an aggregate score of 334.
With 27 rounds completed and 3,250 having competed we now await the final. On September 8, 270 drivers will converge on Bramcote to battle for the supreme title of Lorry Driver of the Year and the city which produced Sir Alec Rose will be well in the running if Saturday's show is any guide.