1965 August Sport in the South

MOTOR SPORT IN THE SOUTH by DES BRADLEY

These snippets are reproduced from Ulster Motorist Magazine, August 1965.

Are there too many events on the Calendar at this time of the year? Over the last few weeks there have been ten, not counting the number of Veteran runs traditionally held in June. Even the latter enthusiasts are complaining that they are getting too many events close together and there is a resulting loss of top quality entries all round.

The Motor Enthusiasts’ Club had an Autocross over a new course at Kilmacud and got 37 entries, but with a short course and a late start these 37 only got two timed runs as well as their practice. The Galway Autocross at Loughrea on the following day was poorly supported and I heard Conor Linehan complaining about a lack of opposition from Dublin. The Trials’ Drivers’ Club had an entry of 25 for their Novice Rally on a Friday night date although the event deserved much better support whilst on the following day a Monaghan Economy Run had only 9 starters.

The Sunday of that weekend saw two events — the Corkscrew Hill-climb and the Rally (with cash prizes} at Sligo; both events had only 27 starters. The Tostal Rally followed and a Carlow Autocross, and then came the MG Jackson event with the Galway Hillclimb close behind.

I have heard that specialisation is going too far and that the sport is dividing into four types of competitors — Hillclimbers, Racers, Trials drivers, and Rallyists. This may be so, but I’m afraid it is becoming very obvious that there are not enough competitors to go round the current programming and very soon organisers are going to realise that it is not worth the effort they put into their various events for such comparatively small entries.

A fall-off in organisational standards will inevitably appear, as it must do where events just seem to “happen,” and where all the effort is left to two or three diehards.

The large number of clubs in existence is another hobby horse of mine and from this point of view, I think that the new RIAC fee of 2 gns to have an event inscribed on the calendar may be a very good thing.

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PROBABLY the biggest news of the month was the inclusion of the “Beer Rally”, organised by the Connacht Club, as part of the Sligo Festival. One of the breweries sponsored the short 45 mile event to the tune of £100 (with some of the money going to a Treasure Hunt run at the same time).

It seemed to me that this was an excellent example of ill-advised sponsorship, for surely a 45 mile rally does not warrant a Premier Award of £30 — especially with only 27 entries? The event started and finished in Sligo and went through 17 very vague grid references and many incorrect directions of approach. No penalties were specified for wrong approaches and so that aspect was scrapped.

Rightly or wrongly, many people think that sponsorship is a bad thing in trials – and I agree. If events are going to have huge prize funds there will be little chance for the many clubs who run very good events but who could never hope to attract a sponsor.

Ronnie McCartney, driving a 1097 Cooper had best time of the day on five of the six tests, and despite losing 50 marks on the road section, won the event by 14.5 marks. Larry Mooney (VW) was 2nd, in front of Harold Hagan (MG) end Mervyn Johnson (Austin Cooper S).

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I heard strange reports from the Corkscrew Hillclimb which was held on the same day. The timing apparatus arrived late on the course and failed to work when it was erected,

The RIAC Steward stopped the meeting due to lack of Flag and Course Marshals and when it got under way the timing was done visually from the drop of the flag at the start to a hand-stop-watch at the top. Frank Keane set a new record under these conditions. He had a very good and well-judged climb in his Alfa-engined Lotus and on the timings as recorded he knocked three seconds off the Tommy Reid record.

It hardly seems right that competitors should drive very long distances to the Corkscrew in the most inaccessible part of Co. Clare to be timed in such a way. Many ‘climbs have been won and lost on fractions of a second and I doubt if a manual system like this could sort out a tight struggle fairly.

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In the County Monaghan Economy run on the previous day, Eamon Brady got around the course with a consumption of 81.7 mpg in a Mini Minor and Shea Boylan (Vauxhall Viva) returned 56.7 mpg. But Edwin Finnegan (Vauxhall Victor) did 152.5 mpg! Club officials said that they could find nothing wrong, there were no protests and the result stood.

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The Trials’ Drivers’ Club put a lot of work into their Novice Night Rally and the navigation was not so difficult. Several crews reached the finish clean and the results were based then on the two simple driving tests held at Devil Elbow.

The Premier Award went to Richie Heeley driving Bill Pryor’s Austin Cooper S with Bill navigating. Second was Alan Park (Morris 1100) and third J. E. Mills, navigated by Dave Glover (Austin).

There were quite a few genuine Novices in the Novice Class proper which was won by M. Murray/P. Dunne (NSU}, followed by K. Elliott/N. Leonard (VW) and Miss J. Wynn/P. Gleeson of the Telefis Eireann Club, in a Triumph.

Steve Griffin took Fastest Time of the Day in the MEC Autocross at Kilmacud by beating Larry Mooney (VW) after the track dried out following rain in the morning. He was driving his GTS s/c.

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FOR the first time in eight years I missed the Tostal Trial, or rather the Dun Laoghaire Car Trial organised by the M.E.C. but I hear that the entry of 65 came from North, East and West, and Conor Linehan proved that the West was awake by routing the field in his Cooper 1275 S over 13 tests, a hillclimb at Altidore and an Autocross at Firhouse. At the finish in Dun Laoghaire he had 22 marks in hand over Leslie Vard (1275 Cooper) and Shea Griffin (Griffin) who tied for second place. Linehan won four of the tests and was fastest up Altidore. Next best on Altidore was Ken Fildes (1275 Cooper], and Steve Griffin (GTS) beat Des Cullen (MG) in the Autocross.

Class winners were Dave Glover (Austin), G. R. Cree (Austin Cooper), Lelie Vard (Austin Cooper S). Brian Kehoe (Ford Corsair). Shea Griffin (Griffin), Des Cullen (MG), Eric Bradshaw (TR2). The visitor’s award went to J. Fitzsimmons (Imp). G. Wilkinson (Morris Cooper S) was best Novice.

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Galway’s Hillclimb at Ballyvaughan was the 8th of the season and the longest. This year’s course was even longer than last year and gave its share of excitement. Frank Keane has his 4th btd despite “running on three” for most of one climb and spinning out on another. His time was 129.3s. Stan Ryan having his first outing in the Cosworth twin cam 1500 Crosslé, was only a second behind whilst Robin Rennicks was right on the limit to return 135s in the Cooper-ised Austin. Robin gave us a scare when he spun right around on one of the esses and hit a wall.

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THE Leinster Motor Club secured a top-quality entry of 88 for the Leinster Trophy meeting at Dunboyne. The list for the 100 mile Leinster Trophy scratch race was filled at the time of writing and included no less than seven V8s! Last year’s winner Jackie Pearce was down to drive a 4.7 litre V8 Kincraft whilst Sparrow intended to bring his ex-works Cobra. Brian Gubby, Chris Sommers, and Victor Wilson are all now in various Lotus V8s, with Jock Russell (V8 Russell Ford) and John Pringle (Cooper-Oldsmobile}.

Other big names in the race are Adam Wylie (Brabham), T. David in Pearce’s last year’s car, Mark Rigg (Lotus Maserati), Malcolm Templeton (Brabham), Tommy Reid (Lotus), Stan Ryan (Crossié), John Fennin and Red Banting (Lotus), Jack Epstein (Brabham), Tinu Littler (Cooper). Incidentally, the only lady in the entry is Mrs. Jean Denton (Cooper). All the Irish drivers will be in action too of course, Frank Keane (Lotus Alfa), Dick Heeley (Lotus), Brian Cullen (Lotus), and Reg Armstrong (Lotus}. Sydney Taylor will drive the Brabham V8 that won the Tourist Trophy.

The Dunboyne and Holmpatrick Trophy handicaps will be run over 72 and 48 miles respectively. Practising is due to take place on the two preceding nights. The roads close on Saturday (17th) from 2pm to 6.30pm and racing will start at 2.40pm. From the entire entry of 88, 24 will come from England and as we go to Press negotiations were still going on with Peter Clarke (GTO Ferrari) and George Drummond (250 LM Ferrari).

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The IMRC Phoenix Park meeting will be held on Saturday 24th and it seems likely that most of the visitors will be in action there also.