Whirlwind
Page 30
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by John Durant • Dip into LDOY scoresheets and it's surprising what's to be learned. At Maidstone on Sunday I found that six drivers were wrong in their ideas as to the maximum number of hours in 24 which they may spend at the wheel during their work. A clutch of industrial coelacanths in the trawl, in fact!
However, before feeding into a computer the, fact that 4.6 per cent of drivers don't know the regulation, it's as well to remember the effects of tension on the day. For the Kent drivers returned remarkably good performances, and the important factor here is not what Frank Cousins may think of their attitude, but that it cost penalty points....
Anyway, with the first vehicle away at 8 a.m. they were able to appreciate the appropriately whirlwind organizing of secretary F. H. Woodward (a helicopter pilot besides his road transport qualifications) and his colleagues, which enabled a finish long before their 11 hours was up.
And during the break for lunch one official looked up (from his CM no less, not a Sunday paper in sight), to tell me that after having no Kent competition last year they were well satisfied with their 128 entrants. Neither was the 1967 interruption likely to be repeated in the foreseeable future, he said.
K. W. Flisher (Fremlins Ltd.), driving a Bedford, dropped only 69 points to win class D-a fine performance. And this year he will be joined in the final by his runner-up, F. Adams, who qualified as a box or tanker driver.
Another Fremlins driver, B. Emery, topped class Fl with 90 penalty points. So it's good to know that Kent's esteemed local brew is in such good hands.
By 4.30 p.m. the Contest was over-and awards were presented by the Mayor of Maidstone, CIIr. P. J. Robinson.
MAIDSTONE RESULTS Class A: Up to 16ft: 1, J. Hughes (Express Dairies Ltd.) BMC, 114pts; 2, F. J. Harris (F. Boufne and Son Ltd.) Austin, 149; 3, Smith (F. Bourne and Son Ltd.) Austin, 246.
Class B: 16 tol9ft: 1,3. Strickland laeta bake (Kent) Ltd.) Commer, 119; 2, L. Read (Betabake (Kent} Ltd.) Commer, 155; 3, Furlong (F. Bourne and Son Ltd.) Austin, 157. Class C: 19 to 22ft: 1, White (F. Bourne and Son Ltd.) Austin 91; 2, R. B. Waller (Hall and Co. Ltd.} Commer, 110; 3, B. Jones (Shell-Mex Dover} Leyland, 113.
Class D: 22 to 25ft: 1, K. Flisher (Fremlins Ltd.) Bedford, 69; 2, F. Adams (S. E. Thomas and Son) Bedford, 82; 3, B. M. Love (S. E. Thomas and Son) Bedford, 85, Class El: 25ft with two axles: 1, C. Richman (Richman Removals Ltd.) Bedford, 71; 2, M. Burrows (Richman Removals Ltd.) Bedford, 71; 3, K. Batchelor (Aylward Bros.) AEC, 94.
Class E2: Over 25ft with more than two axles: 1, C. Joseph iShell-Mex Aylesford) Leyland, 61; 2, K. West (Pilkington Bros.) Atkinson, 65; 3, J. tegrove ;Berry Wiggins and Co.) Guy, 102.
Class Fl: Flat or sided semi-trailers with flat or drop-frame, up to and including 33ft overall length: 1, B. Emery (Fremlins Ltd.) Bedford, 90; 2, I. Baalam (London Rly. Rd. Serv.) Bedford. 98; 3. J. Hills (London Rly. Rd. Sent.) Bedford, 127.
Class F2: BOIL or tank semi-trailers with flat or dropframe, up to and including 33f1 overall length: 1, J. Frost (Fine Fare) Ford, 173; 2, F. Lee (Fine Fare) Ford, 185;3, G. Reynolds (Fremlins Ltd.) Bedford, 207.
Class G: Flat or sided semi-trailers with flat or dropframes, over 33ft: 1, L. M. Norman (GPO Supplies) Albion, 112:2, O. Hollis (Reed Transport Ltd.) Foden, 129; 3, C. E. King (Reed Transport Ltd.) Foden, 149.
Class H: Box or tank semi-trailers with flat or dropframe over 33ft: 1, H. White (S. E. Thomas and Son) Bedford, 89; 2, L H. Bridge (Tate and Lyle Ltd.) Foden, 156: 3,3. Bloomfield (Fine Fare) Ford, 183.
Best team: S. E. Thomas and Sons Ltd.
Overall champion: H. White.