Last eliminating round next stop Bramcote
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• The last eliminating event in the 1973 Lorry Driver of the Year competition was held at York on Sunday and now almost 300 drivers from places as far apart as Guernsey, Aberdeen, Londonderry and Norwich are eagerly awaiting their final instructions for September 9 when the Finals will be held at the Junior Leaders' Training Regiment, Gamecock Barracks, Bramcote, near Nuneaton.
Despite the fact that the events at Carlisle and Northampton had to be unavoidably cancelled at the last minute, there were only 62 fewer entries compared with the 1972 event; 14 centres increased their entry over 1972.
For only the third time in 20 years a woman will appear in the Finals. Mrs Lydia Adkin, who has 18 years' driving experience, qualified by winning Class A at the Leicester centre. She is the first female non-service entry to qualify; the two previous female finalists came from the WVS and WRAF.
Early interest will be centred on Reg Tooze, of Texaco, 1967 champion; Norman Singer, of Shell (Scotland) Ltd, 1971 champion, and Lloyd Richards, of Heavy Transport, the reigning champion. Other
notable finalists whose previous number of appearances are shown in parentheses are E. A. Oakley (4), B. Pullinger (4), J. Campbell (4), B. Ridout (4), C. E. Sharpies (4), D. H. Read (3), J. A. McQuillan (3), J. W. Fahy (4), D. Brown (4), N. Thistleweight (4) and Norman Squire who was runner-up in 1969.
The Post Office, NCL and the oil companies are as usual strongly represented but a unique distinction falls to British Road Services who are represented by at least one driver in every class. They have 18 men throughout the eight classes.
This year the competitors will report to the Hawker Siddeley factory at Bitteswell and take part in a 12-mile road route to the manoeuvring area at Bramcote. This is the first time a road route has been included in the final event.
The competition, which is sponsored by Commercial Motor, is the only one of its kind in Europe but a number of events have been modelled on it in Australia. The organizers anticipate that once again more than 20,000 spectators will attend this year's Finals. Some companies are making the Finals their staff outing.
YORK
Rigida Class A: up to 20ft; over 1 ton and up to 30cwt unladen: 1. J. Williams (Post Office) Austin Morris, 170 penalty points: 2. J. S. Kitchen (Post Office) Austin Morris, 244; 3. M. T. Irving (DoE, Leeds) Bedford, 251.
Class B: up to 24ft; over 30cwt unladen: 1. M. K. Smurthwaite (Post Office) Austin, 186; 2. T. F. Leighton (NCL) Commer, 191; 3. F. W. Mottram (Post Office) Austin, 208.
Class C: over 24ft; up to 28ft: 1. T. N. Atkinson (British Oxygen) Albion, 170; 2. F. D. Smith 1.J. and
E. Bar-tram) Bedford. 297: 3. K. Phillips (Express Dairies) Commer, 315.
Class D: over 28ft: S. Bailey (Shell-Mex and BP) ERF, 293; 2. R. R. Smith (BRS) Albion, 327: 3. R. Fowler (Conoco) AEC, 357.
Artics Class E: up to 40ft; flat or sided or dropframe: 1. B. Temple (NCL) Ford, 196; 2. Cpl Hill (40 ACT. Catterick) Bedford, 280: 3. J. F. Webster (NCL) Ford, 330.
Class F: up to 40ft; box or tank body: 1. R. Hutchinson (Shell-Mex and BP) Bedford, 128; 2. T. D. Brown (British Oxygen) Atkinson, 142; 3. C. C. Thomas (Post Office) Ford, 222.
Class G: over 40ft; flat or sided body, flat or drop frame: 1. G. Lister (J. F. Greenbank) Volvo, 293: 2. H. Issatt (John Smith's Breweries) Leyland, 360: 3. R. Greenbank (J. F. Greenbank) Volvo, 436. Class H: over 40ft; box or tank body: 1.
F. Bottomley (Esso Petroleum) Leyland, 170; 2. P. Mitchell (Esso Petroleum) Leyland, 214; 3. G. Bishop (Petrofina (UK)) Leyland, 216.
Overall winner: Sidney Bailey (Shell-Max and BP). Team award: Esso Petroleum Co.