1963 November Report from Eire

This article by Brian Foley is reproduced from Autosport Magazine November 8, 1963

Trials Season Starts

The Eire speed season is well and truly over for yet another year, and the whine of open exhausts is now replaced by the howls of tortured rubber and the gnashing of gears as the trials season accelerates into full swing.

On 8th September, Paul O’Flynn won the Carrick-on-Suir M.C.’s Comeragh Cup Trial in his Morris-Cooper. Terry Power in a similar car took second spot, ahead of Larry Mooney (VW) and Noel Smith (N.S.U.).

The Irish Motor Racing Club held a handicap Autocross on the following Saturday. Classes were won by Cecil Vard (Austin-Cooper), Frank Gavin (VW), Des Cullen (M.G. Midget s/c), and Bob Beattie (M.G.A). Vard beat Cullen by three seconds for B.T.D. The course was extremely bumpy and during the afternoon a Mini and a VW were rolled.

Best prize of the day went to Frank Gavin, who drew the winning ticket in a raffle, for no fewer than 52 dozen bottles of beer. Frank is retiring from trials, not on account of all that bitter, but because he has sold his VW and he will not be talked into dicing his brand new Alfa Romeo Giulia.

The M.G. Club’s Jackson Trophy Trial on 21st September was based on a handicap system. The Premier Award went to Dennis Flanagan in a Mark 1 Sprite. Classes were won by David Glover (Austin-Cooper), Peter Jenkins (G.T.S.), and Mrs. Edna Guthrie (VW). The M.G. Award went to Alex Poole in a Midget.

The Tipperary Club’s Autumn Trial on 29th September was won by Terry Power. Pat O’Callaghan was
second in a Volkswagen, and third in his recently acquired M.G. Midget was Des Bradley. A Renault Gordini was stood on the lid. Who said that trials and autocross were the least expensive forms of motor sport today?

On Friday, 4th October, Seamus Griffin in his Griffin-Ford, won the Leinster Motor Club’s Vigzol Cup Night Trial. The Vard brothers, Leslie and Cecil, were second and third in Austin-Coopers, and fourth was Stee Griffin in his G.T.S. Two tests were held in Dunboyne Village, the home of the annual Leinster-Martell races.

Last season several rallies were cancelled due to bad weather and lack of support. It is therefore nice to record that the Limerick Motor Club had a good entry for their Thomond Rally on Sunday, 6th October. This event was formerly called the Circuit of Clare. The winner was Larry Mooney in his white Volkswagen, which is more familiar to driving tests than to rallying. Mooney was navigated by Miss Sheila O’Cleary. Terry Power/Jim Cullen were second, Pat O’Callaghan/Rickie Foote were third, and Des Bradley/Jack Fildes were fourth.

John Hayes drove his Austin-Cooper to victory in the Motor Enthusiasts’ Club’s Rhodes Cup Trial on 12th October. Leslie and Cecil Vard were again second and third, followed by Larry Mooney, Stephen Griffin, Leslie Fitzpatrick, Johnny Moore and Brendan Kenna (Austin-Coopers), and Des Bradley and Des Cullen. Seamus Griffin won the Rhodes Cup several times in the past but retired on this occasion when the c.w. & p. packed up on the sixth test.

Waterford Tyresoles Cup Trial

The first Hewison qualifying round of the current season was the Waterford M.C.’s Tyresoles Cup Trial on Sunday, 13th October. The Waterford men were perhaps over zealous in their anxiety to provide driving tests worthy of an event carrying Hewison status. Some tests were far too tight and rather over complicated. There was also a general air of dissatisfaction over the running of some tests, and quite a few drivers had differences of opinion with the organizers as regards the various manner in which tests could be executed. The Premier Award went to a comparatively unknown driver from Cork, Pat McCarthy, in an Austin-Cooper.

Results:

1. Pat McCarthy, 242.9 marks;
2. Terry Power, 247.1 marks;
3. Paul O’Flynn, 248.1;
4. Leslie Fitzpatrick, 252.9;
5. Tom Burke, (Austin-Cooper), 255.1;
6. John Hayes, 255.9;
7. Brendan Kenna, 257.6;
8. Cecil Vard, 260.3;
9. Dermot Carnegie (Austin Seven), 261.5;
10. Des Cullen, 270.4.

Such experts as Seamus Griffin, Larry Mooney and Leslie Vard failed to get into the first ten. Competing in a new Volkswagen was Brian Kehoe, who announced very definitely some months ago that he was retiring from the sport!

Kilkenny Winter Trial

Over the years the Kilkenny Motor Club have earned an enviable reputation for staging first-class, no-nonsense, tests trials. Their Winter Trial on Sunday, 20th October, was voted the best trial of the year. Tommy Connolly came up with nine interesting driving tests which were fair game for all types of competing cars. Last season, Johnny Moore had a fantastic run of successes and is off to a good start again this season by winning the Premier Award at Kilkenny. John Hayes and Des Cullen were second and third, and Jack Fildes was fourth overall in his standard Austin Seven.

Brian Kehoe was the man of the day finishing fifth overall and heading his class in his new Volkswagen on only his second outing for some months. Larry Mooney earned the admiration of all by his handling of a rather large Vauxhall, and he was rewarded by finishing third in the large saloon class. Seamus Griffin again had cruel luck, retiring his Griffin-Ford on the very first test with back-axle trouble.

RESULTS

Premier Award: J. Moore (Austin-Cooper), 314.2 marks.

1,000 c.c. saloons:

1. J. Hayes (Austin-Cooper), 317.3;
2. J. Fildes (Austin Seven),330.4;
3. T. Power (Morris-Cooper), 333.2.

Over 1,000 c.c.:

1. B. Kehoe (Volkswagen), 331.2;
2. P. O’Callaghan (Volkswagen), 369.1;
3. L. Mooney (Vauxhall), 434.4.

Sports Cars:

1. D. Cullen (M.G. Midget s/c), 326.1;
2. L. Fitzpatrick (M.G. Midget), 337.2;
3. D. Bradley (M.G. Midget), 340.0.

Novice Award:

D. Kearns (Austin-Cooper), 412.3.

Double Feature at Slane

The huge Roadstone Quarry at Slane, Co. Meath, was the scene of the Boyne Valley M.C.’s double feature on Sunday, 27th October. Starting at 11 a.m. the first event was the Boyne Valley M.C. Committee Cup Trial, a Hewison Qualifying event. The Premier Award went to John Hayes in an Austin-Cooper, who had 4.6 marks to spare over Cecil Vard, who drove his bored-out Austin-Cooper. Shay Griffin in his Griffin-Ford was seven marks behind Hayes, in third place.

This was the second Premier Award won by Hayes this season. Drivers must finish in the top ten placings in four Hewison events this season, in order to qualify for the Hewison Final next March. All the award winners at Slane finished in the top ten, with the exception of Brian Kehoe. Des Bradley (M.G. Midget) did not figure in the awards but he tied with Brendan Kenna for eighth position overall.

By reason of having a bigger engine in his Austin-Cooper, Cecil Vard won the over 1,000 c.c. saloon class. This class usually draws a number of regular Volkswagen drivers, and it seems rather unfair to place them in direct competition with the more powerful, smaller, and more manoeuvrable, bored-out Mini-Coopers and Mini-Cooper S models. The Carrick-on-Suir Club class cars according to wheelbase, which is a much more satisfactory procedure in driving tests events.

RESULTS

Premier Award: J. Hayes (Austin-Cooper), 330.2 marks.

1,000 c.c. Saloons:

1. L. Vard (Austin-Cooper), 346.4;
2. B. Kenna (Austin-Cooper), 349.7;
3. T. Power (Morris-Cooper), 350.2.

Over 1,000 c.c.:

1. C. Vard (Austin-Cooper), 334.8:
2. L. Mooney (Volkswagen), 348.6 3,
3. B. Kehoe (Volkswagen), 362.1.

Sports and Specials:

1. Seamus Griffin (Griffin-Ford), 339.2;
2. D. Cullen (M.G. Midget s/c), 342.6;
3. Stephen Griffin (G.T.S.), 344.2.

An Autocross was held in the afternoon and B.T.D. was made by Cecil Vard at 1 min. 20 secs. Cecil drove Michael Ivis’s Austin-Cooper, as well as his own model and with less power in the borrowed car he was faster than in his own car. Ivis was faster in Vard’s car!

The Boyne Valley Club must have had a profitable day, with 29 entries in the trial and 55 in the autocross, at one pound per head and no reductions for competing in both events. Other clubs can run trials and give good awards for as little as 7s. 6d. per entry!

RESULTS

1,000 c.c. Saloons:

1. C. Vard (Austin-Cooper) 1 m. 20.0 s.;
2. J. Hayes (Austin-Cooper), 1 m. 21.6 s.;
3. L. Vard (Austin-Cooper), 1 m. 22.8 s.

Over 1,000 c.c.:

1. M. Ivis (Austin-Cooper), 1 m. 22.7 s.;
2. L. Mooney (Volkswagen), 1 m. 24.5 s.;
3. B. Kehoe (Volkswagen), 1 m. 26.0 s.

Sports and Specials:

1. D. Cullen (M.G. Midget s/c), 1 m, 20.8 s.;
2. G. Reid (M.G, Midget), 1 m. 24.2 s.;
3. D. Bradley (M.G. Midget), 1 m. 26.0 s.

General Handicap:

1. E. Wyer (Renault 4L), 1 m. 16.2 s. (H’cap. 18s.);
2. C. Gunn (Ford Cortina), 1 m. 17s. (7 s.);
3. G. Windrum (Sunbeam Rapier), 1 m. 18s. (8 s.).