Smarten it up, please
Page 61
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ALTHOUGH at 86 the number of entrants ri in York LDOY competition round was slightly less than last year's, a very wide spread of vehicle types, including low loaders and waste-disposal vehicles, took part. There was a pleasing proportion of A and B licensed hauliers. Geoff. Baker, who won class D with 31 penalty points, is an owner-driver with a highly professional approach to his job.
Some of the driving was excellent and classes D, E(1) and E(2) and G were keen contests with relatively little between the first three. It was a pity that there were no entrants to class F(1) and only one, from Regent Oil Company, in class F(2). J. Wilkinson, overall winner, deserved competition in his class.
The LDOY contest owes much to regular entrants and I liked the idea of the organizing committee in awarding a cup to the artic driver with the most consistently good results since the York contests started. This was won by A. Green, of Rookes Transport (Tadcaster) Ltd.-a popular result.
The old RAF aerodrome at Rufforth is no longer in commission and the organizers had to provide tents for refreshments and toilets; compared with other eliminating rounds where there are permanent buildings the task of organization at York must be more complicated.
Even so, in some directions I feel the organization should be smartened up. Several appeals were made over the loud-speakers for the crowd to keep behind the barriers in the test areas; crowd control was certainly not adequate and after lunch there was a broadcast appeal to marshals to proceed to test bays where drivers were waiting. Avoidable delays of this kind slow down the tempo of the event unnecessarily.
One or two contestants queried the accuracy of the marking of tests and I can vouch for the embarrassment this caused in the control vehicle. It looked at one time as if there would be no results available at all on Sunday; some results had to be re-checked while the Lord Mayor of York, Alderman W. E. Hargrave, waited to present the prizes-with heavy rain threatening any longer wait would have been a most unwelcome anti-climax to an otherwise enjoyable contest. In the event, only one correction had to be made to a previously published result.
A SECRETARY REGRETS ...
MR. R. G. NEVVMAN, secretary of the Bristol LDOY eliminating round has reluctantly had to withdraw his centre from this year's competition because a venue could not be found in time. The Bristol committee is already preparing for the 1968 event. YORK R ESULTS
Class A-up to 16 ft. and from 20 cwt.: 1. A. K. Blaydon-Hill (Universal Tyre Co.), Morris, 65 penalty points; 2. D. Smith (J. Terry and Sons Ltd.), Bedford, 83; 3. G. 11. King (York Civil Defence), Morris, 98.
Class B-16 to 19 ft.: I. D. Hudson (J. and E. Bertram Ltd.), Bedford, 82; 2. J. Flanagan (J. and E. Bartram Ltd.), Bedford, 124; 3. J. Barker (J. and E Bartram Ltd.), Bedford, 145.
Class C-19 to 22 ft.: I. B. Kirkham (Schweppes (Home) Ltd.), Bedford, 77; 2. F. Kirkham (Schweppes (Home) Ltd.), Bedford, 98; 3. D. Warriner (J.. Terry and Sons Ltd.), Bedford, 110.
Class D-22 to 25 ft.: 1. G. Baker (Geoff. Baker), Commer, 31; 2. J. Willis (Mechplant Ltd.), Bedford, 54; 3. T. Steel (J. Terry and Sons Ltd.), Bedford, 64.
Class E (1)-over 25 ft., two axles: I. J. Walton (Mechplant Ltd.), Bedford, 43; 2. A. Pullon (J. and E. Bartram Ltd.), Bedford, 63; 3. C. B. Upton (ohn Smith's Tadcaster Brewery Ltd.), Atkinson, 72.
Class E (21-over 25 ft., more than two axles: 1. R. J. Hodgson (J. H. Trotter), Commer, 59; 2. R. Brown (Ernest Maeer Ltd.), Albion, 66; 3. B. Watt (B. Watt (Transport) Ltd.), ABC, 71.
Class F (1)-flat or sided semi-trailer with flat or drop frame including and up to 33 ft.: No entrants.
Class F (2)-box or tank semi-trailer with flat or drop frame up to and including 33 ft. train length: I. J. Wilkinson (Regent Oil Company Ltd.), Bedford, 149, only one entrant.
Class G-fiat or sided semi-trailer with flat or drop frame over 33 ft. train length: 1. P. Hopwood (Rookes Transport Ltd.), Leyland, 128; 2. L. Sharratt (S.A. Bell Ltd.), Scammell, 141; 3. A. Prentice (Geo. A. Moore and Co. Ltd.), Austin, 147.
Class H-box or tanker semi-trailer wills flat or drop frame over 33 ft. train length: 1. E. Dodsworth (George A. Moore and Co. Ltd.), Morris, 379; only entrant.
Champion Driver: J. Wilkinson (Regent Oil Company Ltd.).
Team Award: J. Terry and Sons Ltd.