Northamptonshire 'Secret' road
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route by John Darker
• The Northamptonshire LDoY round at the new Kettering cattle market attracted 129 entrants from an area encompassing Hendon, Oxford, Cambridge, Wisbech and Leicester. There were 36 team entries. The Oxford contingent comprised a team of Cartransport (BRS) Ltd drivers who were not quite up to the competition in Class G, won by T. Randall, son of the chairman of the Northamptonshire centre organizing committee.
Many competitors prefer the Northamptonshire contest to others for its friendly efficiency and this year despite drizzle and a heavy shower during the prize-giving, the competitors remained cheerful. Interest was prolonged by the keen competition for overall
winner. On-the-course "bets" that C. W. Page (88 penalty points), M. Willmott (62), T.
Randall (60) each deserved to win were frustrated by I. G. Kerr, with a score of 56. Kerr, a very competent tanker driver, easily won Class H.
Only one driver, C. W. Page, lost no points in the Highway Code test; 16 other class winners lost 90 or more points, which suggests that transport managers concerned for insurance premiums should arrange regular Highway Code revision seminars.
The 10-mile road test—too long in the view of Mr J. H. Alban, the honorary organizing secretary—took in many unfamiliar town streets so that local drivers gained no advantage. At some centres, I gather, road test routes are sent out in advance, giving advantage to local drivers practising before event. At Kettering, all competitors received their route map at the starting point, the old cattle market.
Rigid Vehicles Class A: up to 20ft and over 1 ton unladen: 1, G. Wakefield (Painton and Co Ltd) Ford, 146
points: 2, R. Dunkley (T. H. Higgins Ltd) BMC.
162; 3, D. Fisher (Painton and Co Ltd) Ford, 162. Class B: over 20ft to 24ft: 1, C. W. Page
(Cadbury-Schweppes Ltd, Hendon) Bedford, 124; 2, D. Wilson (Cadbury-Schweppes Ltd, Hendon) Bedford, 128; 3, G. Boehm (Smedley's Ltd) Ford. 134.
Class C: over 24ft to 28ft: 1, D. Watford (Cadbury-Schweppes Ltd, Hendon) Bedford, 82;
2, B. Johnson (A. and W. Alibone Ltd) Commer, 114; 3, J. Bird (A. and W. Alibone Ltd) Commer, 178.
Class 8: over 28ft; 1, R. Woolley IShell-Mex and BP Ltd, Royston) AEC, 200: 2, 0. Simons (C. Butt Ltd) Leyland, 204; 3, J. McDonnell (ShellMex and BP Ltd, Northampton) Leyland, 206. Arks
Class E: flat or sided or drop-frame, up to 40ft: 1, P. Barker (Lockwood Foods Ltd) Bedford, 206; 2, K. W. Magee (NCL, Peterborough) Karrier, 224: 3. A. W. G. Knight (BRS, Northampton), 236.
Class F: box or tank to 40ft: 1, M. Willmott (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd. Royston) Scammell, 146;
2, B. Tromans (Shall-Max and BP Ltd, Northampton) AEC, 152: 3, H. G. Esson {NCL, Peterborough) Bedford, 234.
Class G: flat or sided, flat or drop-frame, over 40ft; 1, T. Randall (F. W. Randall and Sons Ltd) Leyland, 190; 2, P. M. Clark (Clarke's Transport) Guy, 196; 3, S. Richardson (Monkton Motors Ltd) Mercedes, 228.
Class H; box or tank over 40ft: 1, I. G. Kerr (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd, Northampton) Leyland, 122:2. K. Driver (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd, Royston) Scammell, 170; 3, B. R. Watling (CadburySchweppes (Foods) Ltd, Histon) Scammell, 176. Overall winner: I. G. Kerr.
Team award: Cadbury-Schweppes (Foods) Ltd, Hendon.