LONDONDERRY LDOY COMPETITION By lain Sherriff
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Luck of the Irish?
PTIHERE looks like being a strong Irish
I challenge at the LDOY final this year. Whereas formerly many qualifiers felt the expense of travelling could not be justified, so keen are the drivers this year that employers are sitting up and taking notice. On Saturday at Londonderry the entry not only increased by 48 per cent over last year but there was a large audience-and three protests! They are all signs of increasing enthusiasm.
The 18-mile road route was checked at 10 points and the scoring was so severe that the individual markings are much higher than they would have been at other centres. The town and country roads route proved a taxing preliminary to the manoeuvre tests.
The three tests were laid out along the quayside with plenty of room for spectators. As at other rounds the greatest spectator interest was at the loading bay. Skill displayed here by the heavy class drivers was exceptional. Particularly impressive were the drivers of T. Gallagher and Son. Although they did not feature in the prize-list they gave an almost faultless display on test 3, stopping within inches of the rear barrier.
Northern Ireland Carriers Ltd., and the GPO postal and telephones have all added to their Belfast successes with another good day at Londonderry. The overall champion was from the telephone engineers' department and the team award went to the postal department.
Mr. J. Stirling, chairman of the competition at Londonderry, called on all employers to support the finals. The national committee has offered to find vehicles from Coventry
for the Irish competitors and it was suggested on Saturday that one of the ferry companies might offer them an assisted passage. The chairman's wish that "English silverware will come to Ulster" may come about on September 10!
BRISTOL LDOY NOW ON JULY 22
BRISTOL round of the Lorry Driver of the Year contest will now be held on July 22-at Hengrove Park, Bristol, instead of July 8.
Mr. C. B. Hastings, of The Polley, Tiffiekl, Towcester, Northants, has been elected Northampton LDOY honorary organizing secretary.