EXPRESS DAIRY DRIVER WINS
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THE title of Lorry Driver of the Year for 1963 goes to 30-year-old Express Dairy driver Joe Dakin, of Pinner. A class winner at the eliminating round at Northampton in June, Mr. Dakinput up an excellent show in the class competitions at Coventry on Sunday. having only 120 penalty points awarded against him in the tests. When the final run-off, on demonstration vehicles supplied by Leyland Motors, was commenced Dakin was strongly tipped to win the title.
Runner-up to the title was driver G. McMullen, of Fisher and Ludlow Ltd., Birmingham, who had won his way through to Coventry at the Cheltenham eliminator, where he was the overall winner. Third in the national final was a Petrofina driver, D. W. Bradshaw, of Stafford, who was the winner of class E(2) at Stoke in July.
By a surprising turn of events at the end of a long day of sunshine at Coventry, R.A.F. Corporal D. M. Readman—who for two years running has captured the coveted Lorry Driver of the Year title-lost the chance of taking part in the final run-off, although the stewards had announced that he had won his class, as the result of protests by other competitors.
Some time after all the vehicles in Class S had completed the course and Readman was shown on the score sheets as winner with a total of 273 marks against him, protests were lodged by. I understand, other servicemen taking part B30 that in test 1 (kerb parking) and test 3 (width judgment) Readman had failed to maintain continuous movement in accordance with the rules. It was alleged that during test 1 Readman had momentarily stopped whilst reversing.
The competition was brought to a cornplete standstill by the clerk of the course, Mr. Gerald Aston, while the marshals on the disputed tests were called in and questioned by Sergeant Hale (senior national steward) and fellow stewards, who decided to uphold the protest in connection with test 1. The objection in respect of test 3 was, however, dismissed. With an additional 50 penalty points awarded against him Readman was placed well down the list in his class and Corporal E. Berry (R.A.S.C.), with 294 penalties, was allowed to compete in the final run-off. This is 'the first time in the 11-year history of the event that a final:st has been downgraded as the result of protests.
The fact that there was loud applause in some quarters when Readman's elimination from the run-off was announced. and that cheers went up when, earlier in the contest, he failed to dislodge one of the coloured balls in the " snooker " test. confirmed my own strong impression that there was a most unsportsmanlike feeling against the R.A.F. corporal among some of the drivers present. I personally heard, the expression " after Readman's blood" used by some competitors—not, 1 may say, servicemen—and all this supports the opinion. which I have expressed before about the disturbing trend which has crept into this event. That is, that it is being taken too seriously as a result, no doubt, of the inducements being offered by some companies to their drivers for winning events.
This trend is most unfortunate and clearly many spectators, like me, deplored the way in which a section of those present showed their feelings, All of which is. of course, quite distinct from the legitimate protests which are the right of every competitor.
Until the Readman incident, which delayed proceedings considerably, things had gone smoothly enough, thanks to the good organization on the part of Mervyn Miles and his helpers. This year 20 elim:nating centres were represented and the 200-odd vehicles competing were the survivors of over 1.700 competitors taking part all over the country. No wonder, then, that the driving was excellent.
The many awards and prizes were distributed by Mr. Stanley M a rkland. managing director of Standard-Triumph International and deputy managing director of Leyland Motors Ltd., and as an indicat:on of the mounting interest being shown in the event, no fewer than three Lord Mayors, one deputy Lord Mayor and five Mayors attended during the day to watch the event.