Who'll be the Champion?
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September 12 is the day when 310 men and one lady compete for the CM LDoY championship
!UST after Easter, 3,100 !rivers with high hopes )egan competing for the title Lorry Driver of the Year. rhe last qualifying round of he CM LDoY is now over and he 311 finalists are known Ind the build-up to the final
m September 12 is on, but his year, with a difference. Finalists will not know the ests until they arrive at Bram:ote, so there will be no ipportunity for private practice in a simulated course before the ig day.
This could lead to high ienalty scores and produce a urprise winner from a small ompany, which would make a hange.
The LDoY regulations ub-committee has been trying, or years, to make the final fair Dr all competitors, interesting if ot spectacular, and a real test 1 skill. This year's tests are nown to only a handful of leople who are almost under ath to observe a vow of silence. leptember 12 should be quite a lay.
Last year's champion will be ,ack at Bramcote on finals day t the invitation of the commit
but not to compete. George Allott failed to qualify, but the committee had already asked him along to present the awards.
Handshakes
He could find himself shaking hands with a previous champion on the winner's rostrum: Colin Burrows, Esso Petroleum (1975), Lloyd Richards, English China Clays (1972 and 1974) and Norman Singer, BP Oils (1971) have all qualified. Norman and Colin clash in Class F, while Lloyd, who qualified at Torbay, competes in Class E.
Not that the West country man will get a walkover into the final. He is almost bound to meet a strong challenge from Duncan Canning of Aberdeen. The NCL man has been at every final since 1969 and reckons, on the law of averages, he must lift the championship one day soon. This could be his year.
The same argument could be used by Tom Cunningham, of the South of Scotland Electricity Board. He has been at Bramcote six times since 1971 and Harry Littlejohn, of BOC Edinburgh, is another regular. Les Eyre, who drives for BP Oil at Uttoxeter, will be at Bramcote for the third time. He competes in Class F with the two former champions. It could be that this class will produce the 1977 and 24th champion.
Nothing can be certain at CMLDoY final. But Mrs Gloria Bottfield, from Newcastle under Lyme, is clear favourite to win the ladies trophy. She competes in Class D and is the only competitor to claim to be a female! Mrs Bottfield is not guaranteed to win the ladies trophy, however, because she has to get to Bramcote accident-free. This applies to all 311.
One of the exacting rules ot CMLDoY is that drivers must be accident-free for 12 months up to the day of the event. About 16 years ago, drivers on their way to the final were involved in an accident and failed to qualify.
Smaller incidents have marred the event in the past. On one occasion, an Aberdeen finalist failed to produce his driving licence and was eliminated without turning a wheel.
It is the pattern of things that classes at the final are invariably won on knowledge of the highway code or lost on the lack of it. With all drivers going into the arena on equal terms the code is essential reading.
There is some doubt about the road route section for this year's final. This was introduced a few years ago to test skills and avoid congestion on the narrow lanes leading to Bramcote. The Bitteswell assembly area is not available on September 12, so unless an alternative can be found, this year's final may all take place inside Bramcote.
More than likely, next year's final — which marks the Silver Jubilee of the event — will be at a new venue. After 24 years, CMLDoY has outgrown the facilities which have, themselves, contracted in that time.
There will be ample parking space again this year, though, and the event, which has become something of a company outing, as usual, will house attractions for all ag.e groups. "Supporters Clubs", and companies who intend to arrive by coach should let the National Secretary know as soon as possible. He is in Room 719, Dorset House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9LU.
The BRS group must almost be believing that this is their company outing. They have a record entry of 45 finalists.