nry Driver finals at Bra mcote on Sunday BY THE EDITOR . ank Cousins to esent trophies
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0Y Sunday evening (September 11) the title of Lorry Driver of the Year will le been settled for 1966. It could be any of the 251 contestants who will start lying at the Bramcote, nr. Nuneaton, me from early that morning onwards.
Only one thing can be said for certain. It I not be last year's winner, J. Hudson, of press Dairy. He failed to head his class his eliminating centre this year, and only al class winners come forward to the tional finals.
There are, however, four of last year's gists competing again. Will T. Jeffrey, Pearson, R. Harrington or A. Warner n sufficient advantage from last year's :nt to lift the title this year? Might it be, for instance, A. Semple, who was third in the 1964 run-off? He, too, has previous experience behind him. So has G. McMullen—he was runner-up in 1963, and also the best articulated driver that year. But Semple and McMullen cannot both go forward since they are this year competing in the same class—F(2)—and only the national class winner can compete in the final run-off.
An old, old friend of the competition is B. A. Absalom—an Oxford stalwart for years and one of the haulage entrants: will he add a haulage name to the roll of honour? Or may L. T. Phesse come out on top? Another consistent performer, he won the chairman's award of merit in 1963.
Whoever is the 1966 Lorry Driver of the Year, he will have topped the biggest-ever entry. This year saw no less than 25 eliminating centres in England, Scotland and North
em Ireland; a record_ More than 2,600 drivers took part in these rounds.
This year the test procedure for the finals has been considerably streamlined. For the first time the finalists will have to drive against the clock; they will undertake One continuous test instead of four separate ones, as previously.
All members of the public are welcome. Full lunch and all-day refreshment facilities are available. There will be film shows, a rally of historic commercial vehicles, and other entertainments.
The finals are being held at the Junior Leaders Regiment (RA), Gamecock Barracks, Bramcote, nr. Nuneaton. The presentation of trophies, at about 5 p.m., will be made by Mr. Frank Cousins, MP, general secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union.