1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140 
FLYING IN, PERHAPS, LORRY
Page 40
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
DRIVER OF THE YEAR...
. . . and this is the array of trophies for LDOY-Day
By 1A1N SHERR1FF NEXT weekend all roads—and some air routes!—will lead to Bramcote. From Cornwall and Devon, the South East, Midlands, North East, North West, Ireland and Scotland, 240 drivers will be heading for Gamecock Barracks and the Lorry Driver of the Year final on September 10.
This competition does not have the glamour of a Grand Prix. Bramcote is no Brands Hatch. But it is expected that almost 4,000 spectators will be present on Sunday.
The event—now, of course, sponsored by COMMERCIAL MOTOR—is designed to improve driving standards among the professionals. In this, its 15th year, it has attracted well over 2,000 competitors and several new qualifying centres are expected to open next year.
Drivers must win their class in a local eliminating round to qualify for the final. To do so they have to answer Highway Code questions, cover a road route of not less than six miles and then negotiate three manoeuvre tests. They must also have an accident-free record for 12 months prior to the qualifying event. This rule also applies to the final and this year two competitors who have qualified have had to withdraw because of accidents.
Well-known drivels
There will be many well-known drivers seeking honours. Among them—Mr. L. T. Phesse, of GPO telephones, a seven-times qualifier who has never won the major award.
A new name will appear on the supreme award trophy this year in any case—for no previous champion has qualified. The name may well be that of the 1965 runnerup Mr. R. Pearson, of SPD Ltd., in his fourth final this year. From Scotland, Mr. F. J. Burke and Mr. W. Delaney make their third appearance in the finals and from Ireland comes Mr. J. A. Lawley (1963 Class H winner) to make it four in a row. A sixth-timer is Mr. S. B. Howard, of North Shields.
Many first-timers
But Final Day also features many firsttimers, with the spotlight on Mrs. J. Clough, first woman finalist.
She qualified at Leeds as a WVS • entrant and is already assured of at least one trophy—as the sole female entrant. She also competes though, on September 10 as a Services entrant (WVS is a section of Civil Defence).
This may well prove the toughest final yet.
The tests are not new: all have been used in recent years and therefore it is expected that marks in the class section will be close.
But the final run-off to find the champion has been planned to be more difficult than ever. Ford Motor Co. has supplied four different vehicles for this. In Section 1 the contestants will drive a vehicle from Class A or B and in the second section a vehicle from Class C or D.
Man or boy?
The snooker test will be negotiated with a six-wheeled platform lorry and for the kerb parking the committee has nominated a D1000 artic. As a competitor says: "This will separate the men from the boys".
In sponsoring the competition COMMERCIAL MOTOR is obviously thinking of driver training. Doubly welcome, therefore, is this year's principal guest— Mr. K. C. Turner, chairman of the Road Transport Industry Training Board.
And on another aspect, Prince Philip, as president of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, says in a message to this year's finalists: "I have no doubt that this competition has made a most valuable contribution to road safety during the last 14 years".
SMMT chairman Sir George Harrison and other representatives of trade and industry will also be at Bramcote—marking the importance that attaches to this event.
Intriguing Spectators will have more than driving skill to intrigue them: British Ropes Ltd. is sponsoring a sheeting and roping contest open to all-corners.
One's brakes can be tested by Small and Parkes (Triangle) Ltd. There's a refreshment marquee. And Foden Motor Works Band —British, national and international brass band champions—will play during the lunch interval.
By 4.30pm on Final Day the name of the Lorry Driver of the Year should be known.
Then? 1968! Already there are tentative inquiries from Eire and France about next year and the LDOY national committee has been asked to assist organizers in Nairobi and Rhodesia....