Pease Success at Weymouth
Page 48
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DRIVING an immaculate Foden eight-whecled sugar tanker, H. Manning, of Pease Transport, Ltd., was all-out winner of the Weymouth round of the Lorry Driver of the Year Competition last Saturday. He incurred 52 penalty points. He also won Class D for the second successive year.
G. L. D. Davis, of British Road Services, Salisbury, the Class E champion in a Bristol, narrowly missed the supreme title with 54 penalty points.
R. R. White (South Western Stone Co., Ltd.), driving a Leyland, was, in a sense, even more unfortunate. His score of 55 penalty marks was 29 fewer than that of the winner of Class C, but, because he was second to Davis in his class (E), he will not be able to compete in the final. J. Sleep (South Western Tar Distilleries, Ltd.), who normally drives his polished aluminium Foden tanker in the Portsmouth competition, was another runnerup (Class D) who lost fewer marks (74) than the class winners, except Manning and Davis, but cannot go to Baginton this year. Pease Transport also carried off the prize for the best-maintained vehicle with an A.E.C. driven by D. Howlett, beating Manning's Foden by only mark. Two-thirds of the entry of 59 took part in the maintenance competition organized by Maj. H. J. Cozens, of Dorset County Council, whose workshops at Charminster were used for the purpose. An observed route of nearly 15 miles was followed from Charminster to Weymouth, where the Highway Code and maneeuvring tests were conducted.
The best performance on the road was put up by R. H. Kenner (Post Office) in a Morris. with a loss of one mark, followed by L. King (Guy Toone, Ltd., Commer)—Class A champion—with two marks, and F. C, Pragnell (ownerdriver of a Thames) with three marks.
Clean sheets were awarded in the Highway Code test to Cpl. K. Thorne (578 [H. and D.] Const. Sqn. R.E., TA), in a Bedford, W. Lake (T. B. Lock and Sons, Bedford)—last year's champion at Weymouth—Davis, White, and W. C. Ward (Arthur Hughes and Sons [Haulage], Ltd.) in a Bedford " artic."
The manoeuvring tests consisted of kerbside parking, width estimation and reversing at right angles from a 22-ft.
wide road into a " box " 10 ft. wide, coming to rest as near as possible to the rear barrier and parallel with it. Unfortunately, the rules in the width-estimation test were misinterpreted and its purpose was defeated. Instead of contestants being required to judge by eye tbe minimum• Width between two pylons through which they thought they could drive forward and in reverse, they were asked how many inches tolerance they needed over the known width of their vehicles. They still had to use skill, but the object of the test was changed.
It was found impossible for Class E vehicles to reverse into the "garage," so the road was widened to 30 ft. and the box to 12 ft For Class 0the road was reduced to 25 ft. and the box restored to 10 ft. After that, everything went well.
Perfect performances in kerbside parking were put up by R. English (Tilleys, Ltd., Morris), who did well last year, Pragnell, Sgt. McKergo (Army M.T. School, Bedford), Sleep, Manning, Davis and White. Star performers in the width test were W. R. Meech (owner-driver of an Austin) and S. Portsmouth (Southern Electricity Board, Morris). White lost fewest marks (six) in the garage" test, followed by Cpl. Thorne (eight)—he was Class I champion last year—and Meech and R. J. Tribe (W. H. Christopher, Bedford) with 10 each.
The general standard of driving was not high and the stars shone with added brilliance.
CLASS WINNERS CLASS A—Up to 15 ft.: L. King (Guy Toone,. Ltd.), Commer. 113 penalty points. CLASS 11-1.5-19 ftil W. R. Meech (ownei-driver),, Austin, 98.
CLASS C-19-22 R. J. Tribe (W. H. Christopher), Redford, 84.
CLASS D-1245 ft.: H, Manning (Pease 'transport, Ltd.). Foden, 52.
CLASS E—Over 25 ft.: C. L. D. Davis (British Road Services), Bristol, 54.
CLASS F Hi—Articulated outfits. tractor under 3 tons, semi-trailer under 22 ft.: E. 11. Cherrett (Sherry and Haycock, Ltd.), Thames. 103%.
CLASS F (2)—Articulated outfits, tractor under 3 tons. serni-trailer 22-27 ft.! W. C. Ward (Arthur Hughes and Sons (Haulage), Ltd.). Bedford, 162.
CLASS G—Articulated outfits, tractor S tons or over! H. Gondry (British Road Sci-eices). Leyland, 152% (bye).
CIAKS I—Standard Army Vehicles. 19-22 ft.: Spr, Howard (578 (H. and D.) Constr.
T.A.), Bedford, Ill.
Best-maintained Vehicle—Is. Howlett (Peas' Transport, 1.10 .), A