Three More Lorry Driver Eliminators . .
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Leicester Makes a Fine Start
by P. A. C. Brockington
xy/INNER of Leicester's first leg of the VY Lorry Driver of the Year Competition on points, C. Campbell of the Ketton Portland Cement Co., Ltd., qualified for the first Premier Award, his lead over other competitors being so substantial that the "mystery clause" of the local regulations was not applied. The details of this clause were not divulged; in the programme it was stated that three Premier Awards had been allotted by the executive committee for presentation to those drivers who, according to the decision of the Clerk of the Course and Stewards, achieved the highest standards
in the competition. The best C drivers on points would not necessarily have qualified for the three awards. In the work-out they qualified in the same order. Clerk of the Course, Mr. W. B. Hercock of the Leicester Car Club, could not be persuaded to make known the factors that could have transcended the points classification.
Driving a Leyland eight-wheeler in his first competition, Campbell won Class E (2) with 85 penalty marks of which 53 were lost in the points-consuming diagonal width-judging test. Second Premier Award winner, P. East, drove a Thames in Class C for S.P.D., Ltd., to win the class with the loss of 109 points and was one of the three drivers who gained the team award for his company. Placed third in the Premier Award event, A, Coulson of Thomas Haley and Co.,
Ltd., won Class D, with 112 penalty points.
A total of 93 competitors took part in the round which was held at a disused airfield at Husbands Bosworth, near Market Harborough, Leicester. Cups were presented by Mr. C. R. Hodgson, the East Midland Licensing Authority.
The reversing test again caused some confusion. In general the drivers concluded that they were not allowed to reverse into a bay opposite the first barrier as a preliminary to moving forward into the opposite lane in line with the second barrier. Although the regulations did not debar it, the closely spaced arrows on the plan could have indicated that it would incur a penalty. The few that adopted the manceuvre made light work of the test and earned the praise of the marshals. The width between the curb lines was increased by 2 ft. for the two competitors in Class H.
Contrasting with Campbell's 24-point lead over East, the event was remarkable for the closeness of the marks in the case of the other leading drivers, 19 penalty points separating East from the eighth man, R. Ward of Bees Transport, Ltd., who won Class E (1) in an Atkinson with the loss of 128 marks. At the other end of the scale, H. Thornley of the J. E. Chettle Co., Ltd., won Class F (1) in a Thames with 401 penalty points, and runner-up, T. Carpenter (Sketchley, Ltd.) also, in a Thames, lost 549 points.
RESULTS
CLASS A—Up to 15 ft.: E.1. Racket: (SketchIcy. Ltd.). Thames, 191. 1; W. J. Freakley (John Bull Rubber Co.. Ltd.). Austin, 331, 2 (Two entrants.) CLASS B-15-19 ft.: D. Chamberlain (S.P.D.. Ltcl.), Austin, 122, I; R. Cassidy (Thomas Bell and Son. Ltd.). Bedford, 123. 2: J. Ambler (Thomas Bell and Son. Ltd), Bedford 144, 3.
CLASS C-19-22 ft.: P. East (S.P.D., Ltd.).. Thames, 109, 1; G. Martin (SE. Spilsbury. Ltd.). Morris. 164, 2; F. A. Ward (John Bull Rubber Co.. Ltd.). Bedford, 165. 3.
CLASS D-22-25 ft.: A. Coulson (Thomas Hedley and Co.. Ltd.). Austin. 112. 1; G. H. King (Petrofina (Great Britain). Ltd.). Austin, 119. 2; D. J. Cole (Whitworths Holdings. Ltd.). Thames. 122. 3.
CLASS E (11--Over 25 ft. with 2 axlem R. Ward (Bees Transport. Ltd.), Atkinson, 128, 1; D. Windley, (Thomas Bell and Son. Ltd.), A.E.C.. 135, 2; A. Orchard (Thomas Bell and Son. Ltd.). A.E.C., 136. 3.
CLASS E (21—Over 2311. with more than 2 Wes: C. Campbell (Ketton Portland Cement Co., Ltd.). Leyland. 85. 1; C. it. Box (E. J. Hollingworth and Sans). Rowe. 147. 2; J. A. Knight (Federated Road Transport Services), Atkinson, 166, 3.
CLASS F (1)—Senti-trailer under 22 ft.: H. Thornley (J. E. Comic Co.. Ltd.). Thames. 401, 1: T. Carpenter (Sketchley, Ltd.). Thames, 549, 2. (Two entrants.) CLASS F (2)—SemFtrailer 22-27 ft.. tractor unit under 3 tons: G. Worthington (I. E. Chettle Co.. Lid.), Thames. 18). 1; A. Wright (J. E. Cheule Co., Ltd.). Thames, 232. 2; E. Smith (Tubes. Ltd.), Bcdrord. 314, 3.
CLASS G—Senti-ttsifler up to 27 ft. overall, tractor unit 3 tons or over: L. F. Wilson (Shell-Met and BP.. Ltd.), Leyland. 196, I; W. R. Ring (B.R.S.), Leyland. 234: 2. J. E. Hanson (Shell-Mex and B.P.. Ltd.), Scammell, 311. 3.
CLASS 11—Any tape semi-traller over 27 ft., tractor unit any unladen weight: J. Robinson (Tubes. Ltd.). Leyland. 174. 1; J. Thompson (Brush Elec(rical Co., Ltd.), Leyland, 249. 2. (Two entrants.) PREMIER AWARDS: C. Campbell. P. East, A. Coulson.
TEAM: S.P.D., Ltd. ID Chamberlain. P. East, A. Hollingsuh ort.),