Liverpool Beats Manchester's Best
Page 67
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BY a handsome win from the rest of the Class 13 drivers, W. A. McDonnell (Louis C. Edwards and Sons (Manchester), Ltd.), in a Ford, last Sunday became Manchester's Lorry Driver of the Year. Pease Transport, Ltd., from Liverpool took the team trophy.
In the final reckoning at Manchester the overall winner is the driver whose performance exceeds his class standard by the highest margin, this standard being the average of the top 25 markings in the class. A total of I40 vehicles participated in the contest.
Manchester had the advantage of ideal weather conditions, so that the routine moved smoothly throughout the day. This is one of those centres that is certain of a capacity entry despite the fact that not more than three vehicles are accepted from any one operator. In addition to local competitors, there were the Liverpool cup-holders from last year who, it had been decreed, should be given the opportunity to defend their holdings since, again this year, rather surprisingly, the anticipated Merseyside round has not materialized.
An 18-mile road circuit in an industrial area on a Sunday morning does not on the face of things sound a very exacting test of driving behaviour, but as the years roll on the organizers of these contests • have become more alive to the value of introducing some of the less obvious hazards, calculated to catch the unwary, so that it takes a good man to escape with even modest penalty marks. Despite the lessons of the past, few rounds are entirely free from individuals who exhibit a know-it-all attitude as soon as they get on the open road, and Manchester was no exception.
The Highway Code was a searching test in which only five competitors were free from penalty. They were R. Adams (Fred Dawes (Service), Ltd.), Austin, from Class A; J. Grice (Norman Evans and Rais, Ltd:), Austin, and V. Nottingham (Petrofina (Great Britain), Ltd.), Bedford, from Class D; R. E. Kyte (Wilsons Brewery, Ltd.), E.R.F., from Class El; and N. Shield (Pye Transport), Atkinson. from Class G.
Only two drivers emerged faultless from the road circuit, one of them being Kyle, who thus started the driving tests with a clean sheet. D. Bailey (MeVitie and Price, Ltd.), Austin, also was" clean" on the road but had dropped 10 points on his Code examination. Runner-up at the commencement of the driving tests was Shield, who up to that time had lost only three points. Heaviest penalties on the circuit arose at a wide roundabout which bisects a dual carriageway and has an obscured approach from one of the minor roads.
Heaviest Penalties The tests were not timed, as they were last year, but there were, of course, debits for failing to maintain continuity of movement or exceeding a permitted number of shunts. The second test, the width-judging, produced the heaviest penalties, although the three were almost equally severe. Quite a number of fresh entrants figured in the lists and on occasions officials found it necessary to caution spectators against giving signals to the participants in the tests.
An outstanding performer in Class El was B. R. Lewin (British Oxygen Co., Ltd.), with a long-wheelbase four-wheel Bedford. McDonnell was consistently good in the tests and in a class of 20 drivers was 42 marks in front of his nearest rival. There were close finishes in some categories, notably in Class D which, with a total of 29. was the hest supported. Observation of some of Sunday's performances suggests that the relationship between the width of vehicle and the width of the " roads " for the tests alight profitably be given some examination.
RESULTS CLASS A—Up to 15 ft.: R. Adams (Fred Dawes (Service), Ltd.), Austin, 100 penalty points. 1: E. Mellor (Fred Dawes (Service), Ltd.), Austin. 150, 2; J. Wallace (N. Kilvert and Sons, Ltd.), Austin, 152. 3.
CLASS B-15-19 ft.: W. A. McDonnell (Louis C. Edwards and Sons (Manchester). Ltd.), Ford, 101, I; F. Coley (Manchester Corporation Surveyor's Dept.), Karricr Bantam. 143, 2: M. Jackson (Manchester Corporation Surveyor's Dept.). Ct.mmer Bantam, 146, 3.
CLASS C-19-22 ft.: R. Colbert (Pecsi-(ola Bottling Co., Ltd.), Karrier. 132, 1: R. Whitehead (B.R.S. (Contracts), Ltd.). Austin. 143, 2; J. Eli's (Stretford Corporation), Dennis, 177. 3.
CLASS D—Over 22 and up to 25 R.: It. Burns (Ministry of Works), B.M.C.. 112, 1: S. Isaac (Pease Transport. Ltd.), Albion, 116, 2; F. Phillips (British Oxygen Co., Ltd.), Albion, 127, 3.
CLASS El—Over 25 ft. with two axles: II R. Lewin (British Oxygen Co., Ltd.). Bedford. 11)1. R. EKYLC (Wilsons Brewery, Ltd.). EL.F., 150, 2; R. Lea (British Oxygen Co.. Ltdr,), Albion. 152, 3.
CLASS E2—Over 25 ft. Illbre than two nitlest A. J. Monks (Petrofina (Great Britain), Ltd.), A.E.C., 121. 1; A. J. Cook (Pease Transport, Ltd.), Foden, 137, 2; H. Bancks (Cloughfiekl Transport Co.. Ltd.), Seddon, 151, 3.
CLASS El—Semi-trailers snider 22 ft.—tractors under 3 tons: ft. Beaman (B.R.S.). B.M.C.. 153, I; D. Bailey (McVitic and Price, Ltd.), Austin, 166, 2; L. Shaw (McVitic and Price, Ltd.), Austin. 169, 3.
CLASS F2—Senti-trailers 22-27 IN.—tractors under 3 loon W. Ward (Pease Transport, Ltd.), Bedford, 169, 1; T. Iball CF. Wall 'and Son, Ltd.), Bedford. 187, 2; J. Brown (F. Roper and Sins, Ltd.), Thames, 241, 3.
CLASS G—Semi•trailers up to 27 ft.—tmetor: over 3 tons: II. J. Bramwell (Pease Transport, Lid.), Foden, 166, 1; S. Bowman (Lloyds Transport and Warehousing Co. (Manchester), Ltd.), ELF., 181, 2; F. Vanden (Shell Chemical ('o., Ltd.). Scanlon:11, 198, 3.
CLASS H—Semi.trailers over 27 ft.—tractors tiny weight: W. J. Griffiths (De Havilland Aircraft Co., Ltd.), Morris, 168, I; F. Porter (R.A.F.). Bedford. 178, 2: L. R. Parry (R.A.F.), Bedford, 188, 3.
Best overall performance: W. A. McDonnell (Louis C. FAJwards and Sons (Manchesp.er).
Ford, 101.
Best C-licence Driven R. Adams (Fred Dawes (Service), Ltd.). Austin, 100.
Rest Diesel Driven B. R. Lewin (British Oxygen Co., lad.), Bedford, 101.
Best Team: Pease Transport. Ltd., Liverpool, 4114