Jubilee LDoY: the biggest yet
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'HE STAGE is set for the liggest and best CM Lorry Myer of the Year competiion national finals at Cranield Airfield, Bedfordshire, in September 3.
A record crowd of 20,000 s anticipated to attend this :oiliest, now in its jubilee ear, and besides the finals here will be more going on rushing the event a transport lay and a family day.
Already 60 organisations ave booked space for side dislays and competitions, backed p by a large self-service ffreshment marquee, hot-dog rid icecream stalls and several ars.
The side shows will include 're changing contests and vents for all the family to latch.
Divers and transport nanagers, on production of a :urrent hgv driver's licence, will be able to try at least 10 makes of vehicles on a course nearly two miles long.
So far 10 main agents will each be supplying up to three vehicles each.
The agents are.
T.G.B. Motors, Clitheroe, Lancs, ERF1 Ford & Slater, Aylesbury, Bucks, Leyland; Brookside Garages Ltd, Chrysler; Davenport Vernon Ltd, Mercedes; Charles King Ltd, Ford; Tricentrol Trucks (A5) Ltd, Ford; John R. Billows Ltd, Kettering, Northants, Volvo; Chepping Motors Ltd, DAF; Foden Agents' Association, Fodens; Scantruck Ltd, Scania.
For the finals of the LDoY competition, sponsored by Commercial Motor to encourage and improve driving skills as a contribution towards road safety, three former champions are among the 311 potential finalists who won through from 3,100 drivers competing at 39 centres, including two in Northern Ireland and one in Guernsey. For the winner and two runners-up prizes amounting involve to a total of £2,500 will be awarded.
The champs are last year's winner, Roy Withers, from Birmingham, who drives for a Midlands BRS; C. G. O'Reilly (West Yorks) of Petrofina, Leeds; and Colin Burrows (London) of Esso Petroleum, Stanwell, Middlesex.
But the busiest driver this year could be young Stuart Davidson, of Skene, Aberdeenshire. Besides entering the main competition he is in a separate event; the Young HGV Drivers' Competition. So if he has a good day he could be driving in the finals.
The three champs are among the 19, who have accepted invitations to attend a jubilee dinner at Cranfield on the preceding evening for 200 guests. Sir Dan Pettit, president of the LDoY Association, will preside.
Cranfield is such an excellent venue that representatives at the site meeting were, to quote a Michelin representative, knocked out".
There is no shortage of parking accommodation, and for a small charge competitors are offered overnight security for their lorries.
On Sunday the first competitor will set out on a road route at 7 am. There are separate road routes for rigid and artic vehicles, each with half a dozen marshals' observation points. At 8.30am the first drivers to return from the road routes move on to a test on the Highway Code, legal responsibilities and technical knowledge, which takes place in two doubledecker buses lent by United Counties.
The technical knowledge questions are new this year and are based broadly on what a driver is required to know in order to obtain in hgv licence. There are 15 questions in total to answer by means of ticking one of four replies. Competitors should note that the Highway Code questions are based on the Code issued in March this year.
The manoeuvring tests are laid out in four lanes — but, and this is an improvement, all in straight lines, on the apron in front of the airfield's hangers.
The national class championship are schemed to finish at lunchtime, leaving the afternoon free for the eight class champions to compete in a series of manoeuvring tests in four different vehicles, supplied by Vauxhall Motors Ltd. The vehicles are CF 250 panel van, 2.46 tons gvw, 2.3-litre petrol engine, 106in wheelbase; TK 1260 Hawson /Garner boxvan, 12.35 tons gvw, 126bhp 500 diesel, 167in wheelbase; TM 2600 Anthony /Carrimore steel dropside body, 6x2, 24 tons gvw, 150.8bhp 500 diesel,' 200in wheelbase; TM 3250 tractive unit, York fifth-wheel, 32 tons gtw, 220bhp Detroit Diesel, 11 Bin wheelbase. Each driver takes each vehicle through four manoeuvring tests.
• The whole competition should be over by teatime with the championship and ancillary awards presented by last year's championship at around 5.30pm. The class awards will have been presented during the lunch interval.
Eddie Barber, formerly with the Road Haulage Association, who has provided a broadcast commentary at the finals for 14 years, will be absent this year since he has emigrated to Canada. However, his son, R. Barber, will be at the microphone this year, sharing the commentary duties with David Sells, the South Ruislip's area secretary. During the day they will also be announcing lucky programme prize winners. Visitors can also listen to two bands during the day — they are the BOC Concert Band and the Leyland Vehicles Band.
Other things to see will include the Telma demonstration on a runway, and, weather permitting, an ascent by the DAF hot-air balloon.