First round sets high
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by Bob Holliday • Effects of the newly introduced method of "charging" heavier penalties for touching kerbs, marker posts, pylons, etc, in the Lorry Driver of the Year eliminating contests were seen on Sunday when the first of the 1972 series of rounds was held by the Isle of Man Centre in Douglas. The average score of the class winners was 367! Last year the figure was 235.
Another cause of the higher markings was the increased severity of the manoeuvring tests, especially Test 1 (reversing into a loading bay) the new arrangement of which appears to present greater problems for the drivers of rigid vehicles than for the artic men. Only two drivers in the former category, Class A winner M. Wotherspoon (BMC) and E. D. L. Christian (Ford), succeeded in entering the bay without knocking over a marker cone.
Lowest scorer in the rigid section was 1971 overall winner R. E. Gelling (Leyland) with a total of 316 penalties. This year's best score was made by Dodge artic driver Manxman K. Squires, a 25-year-old newcomer to the contest who logged 234 points.
Another new "hazard" was the inclusion of "surprise" questions. Drivers were stopped on a gentle incline on the 15-mile road route and were required to state the date of expiry of their driving licences and to answer queries concerning stopping distances. Restarting technique was then observed and marked.