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Only 14 Points Dropped By Southend Winner
Page 77
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DRIVING a Thames van, E. Harris (S.P,D., Ltd.) lost only 14 points in the Southend round of the _.orry Driver of the Year Competition ast Sunday, and won not only Class D mt also the day's honours.
The runners-up in this class, C. Ball Tate and Lyle, Ltd., Foden) and R. 3eadman (Shell-Mex and B.P., Ltd., AL.E.C.), also had remarkably low scores,' is did W. Bridge (Tate and Lyle, Ltd.,
Many other competitors might have lone as well overall had not the first nanceuvring test, involving width-judging, lroved to be a Becher's Brook. Even Harris dropped 11 of his marks underaking this test, an endeavour beaten only ly Ball, who forfeited eight, and J. Rawlingson (A. I. Brush, Ltd., Foden) who lost 10.
Width-judging Difficult
P. Sword (Tower Transport Co. [South2nd-on-Sea] Ltd., Bedford) was probably the class winner hardest hit by the first test relative to his aggregate score. He was deprived here of 45 marks out of his total penalty of 50.
This at first placed him second to A. Smith (Essex Carriers, Ltd., Bedford) in Class E(1), but when Smith's vehicle was found to be 11 in. short of 22 ft., Sword was pronounced Class E(1) winner and Smith top of Class C, displacing R. Last (Tate and Lyle, Ltd., Bedford).
Seven of the 11 class winners lost no marks on the Highway Code questionnaire, and six suffered no penalty on the road section. Three winners incurred no loss in both these sections: one was Sword, who was also unpenalized in the parking test.
The road-safety section of the local
police attended the event in 'full force, and The Commercial Motor representative was told that the standard of competitors' knowledge of the Code showed an improvement upon last year. In fact, some 40 drivers out of the field of .100 lost no marks in this examination, conducted by five officers.
Thirty-six competitors went through the road section with a clean sheet, and the parking test was completed without penalty by 23 drivers, of whom four emerged as class winners. The third test. reversing into an imaginary loading bay, did not have as destructive an effect on contestants' chances as the first, although it was more selective in this respect than the parking test.
Eight class winners of previous years competed on Sunday, but only Sword repeated his success, although Ball nearly achieved it. V. Priest (Byford Bros., Ltd., Morris), competing in Class B, muffed the reversing test, and P. Ebbs (Pattens Transport.. Ltd., Albion), in • Class D, fell victim to the width-judging test, where he lost 90 of his 95 marks. Likewise, M. Draper (Drapers Transport, Ltd., Bedford), also in Class D. dropped 35 of his 38 points at the same hurdle. C. Ball (Tate and Lyle, Ltd., Foden), who won Class D at Southend in 1959, again. competed on Sunday and came second with the bass of only 22 points, the best score of the day bar that of the outright Winner.
The entry in the round was slightly smaller than last year and included British Road Services representation for the first time. Thern team prize was won by Express Dairies, Ltd.
The organizers were faced with a question of interpreting one of the marking rules. For certain driving errors, the regulations call for the imposition of " 100 penalty marks in excess of the worst correct performance." Did this mean, the worst correct performance in the whole contest, or only in the class in which the driver concerned was
competing? • • It was decided to take the worst correct performance in the class.
RESULTS .
Clots A—Up to 15 ft.: 1, L. Farrant (Garons. Ltd.), Austin, 40 penalty points; 2, E. Butler (EVreSS Dairies, Ltd.). Morris. 49; 3; A. Starkey (Garons, Ltd.), Austin, 78.
Class B-15-19 ft.: 1, C. Turner (A. J. Brush. Ltd.), Thames, 44; 2, R. Duines (A. J. Brush. Ltd.), Thames, 47; 3, R. Buckle (A. J. )3rush, Ltd.). Thames, 50.
Class C-19-22 It.: I, A. Smith (Essex Carriers, Ltd.), Bedford, 45; 2, R. Last (Tate and Lyle. Ltd.), Bedford, 59; 3. EL Cackett (HM. Dockyard. Chatham), Bedford, 75.
Class D-22-25 ft.: I, E. Harris (S.P,D., litanies. 14; 2, C. Ball (Tate and Lyle. Ltd.). Foden, 22; 3, R, Dustman (Shell-hfex and B.F., Ltd.), A.E.C., 28.
Class E (I)--Over 25 et., Iwo axles: 1. B. SwMd (Tower Transport Co. [Southend-on-Seal. Bedford, 50; 2, H. Drury (Tower Transport Co. (Southend-on-Seal, Ltd.), Bedford, 54; 3. T. Lewis !Drapers Transport, Ltd.), Dodge, 65.
Class E (2)—Over 25 ft., more than two axles: r,
W. Bridge (Tate and Lyle, Ltd.). A.E.C., 27. 2, A. Dcnnis (Express Dairies. Ltd.), A.E.C., 42; I. M. Cornish (Charringtons, Ltd.), A.E.C., 50.
Class F (1)—Articahtted. tractor ander 3 tons, ,4eati-traller ander 22 Mt 1, K. Tomlinson (Express Dairies, Ltd.), Bedford, 36; 2. L. Smith (Shell-Mes and B.P., Ltd.). Bedford, 41; 3, S. Reeves. (Tate md Lyle. Ltd.), Bedford, 94.
Class F (2)—Articu1aied. tractor under 3 tons, semi-frailty 2247 ft.: I, E. Watford (Tate and Lyle, Ltd.), Bedford, 184 (sole entrant).
Class G—Articalated, tractor over 3 tons, semitrailer up. to 27 ft.: I, C. Fuller (Saell-Mex and 13.E.. Ltd.), Scammell, 96; 2, A. Perry (Tare and Lyle, Ltd.), Cot-tuner, 109; 3, R. Bessant (Shell-Met and B.P., Ltd.), Seamtneli, 111.
Class R—Articulated„ tractor SPY weight, semitrailer more than 27 ff.: I. L. Bridge (Tate and Lyle. Ltd.), rodeo, 34 (sole entrant).
Class 8—Standard rigid military toad carriers. 19-22 ft.: 1, Sgt. Gooderham (161 inf. Wksp. R.E.M.E.), Bedford. 78; 2. Cpl. Dale (161 •tnf. Witty. R.E.M.E.), Bedford, 80; 3, Sat. Minkel! (161 Inf. Wksp, R.E.M.E.), Bedford. 104.