1960 Ken Wharton Memorial Driving Tests

NORTHERN IRELAND WIN FOR THE SECOND YEAR RUNNING

This report is reproduced from Autsport magazine December 23, 1960, kindly sourced by Joe Duggan.

IN memory of their friend and associate the late Ken Wharton, perhaps the greatest “all rounder” in motor sport, the Hagley & District Light Car Club promote annually a series of driving tests for a trophy named after him, to be competed for by regional teams.

This year, the chosen site was at the premises of Dunsley Caravans, at Kinver, Staffordshire, where the sport took place on a large open square with a varied surface which included hard tarmacadam, loose grit, hard ash with loose grit on top, and hard ash, all made slightly more playful by the remains of a night’s snow!

As usual, the event was televised, the B.B.C. using no fewer than three cameras during nearly two hours of broadcasting,

Now for the teams, each comprising three cars: a special, a sports and a saloon:

• Northern Ireland chose Dr. Thompson Glass (Hayrake Special), Paddy Hopkirk (Sprite) and Robert Woodside (VW).
• The Midlands, Tony Marsh (T.M.S.1.), Frank Livingston (TR3) and Harry Livingston (Mini).
• The South, Peter Cooper (Ford Special), Ian Mantle (Berkeley) and David de Souza (Mini).
• Scotland had Frank Inglis (Sprite), James Hall (Sprite) and Freddie Stang (Dauphine).
• The North, Tom Gold (Sprite), Arthur Whatmough (Sprite) and Derick Smith (N.S.U. Prinz).
• The West were represented by Jeremy Cottrell (Lotus), Barry Jones (Sprite) and V. Corbin (Austin 7) and lastly
• The South West who fielded Don Holley (R.D.H. Special), David Warren (Sprite) and Alan Penhale (Austin 7).

Now for the tests:

Test A – From a standing start to cross a baulk line with all four wheels, reverse to clear, forward again around a pylon then forward in to the first of two garages sited back to back and measuring 18 feet by 9 feet. Then a reverse into the second garage and forward to finish in a guarded box.

At the end of this, mainly due to a storming run by Thompson Glass, Northern Ireland led by four points from the South with the Midlands a further two in arrears.

Test B – Five baulk lines sited in a star formation had to be crossed, the first in reverse, the second forwards and so on to finish in the box. Here terrific performances by the entire Northern Ireland team gained them a total majority of 21 clear points over Scotland. Mention must be made of two grand runs by Midiand’s Harry Livingston, and South’s David de Souza, both in Minis.

Test C – Four garages back to back in the shape of a square came next; these could be entered in any order and from either direction, most people choosing reverse, forward, reverse, etc., with Tony Marsh making fastest time for the Midlands with a run in 34.4 secs. The first car to run in an unorthodox fashion, Robert Woodside the Northern Ireland No. three chose forward runs and was promptly (and incorrectly) penalized 40 points for an incorrect run! Luckily for all concerned, a correction was made before the test finished so all was well. The score board now Showed:

1. Northern Ireland 312.7;
2. South 333.9;
3. Midlands 334.3
4. Scotland 339.4
5. North 340.8
6. South West 351.9
7. Wales 356.6

Test D – This consisted of weaving through five pylons to be taken alternately right, left, right to finish in the usual box. Fast runs here were made by Tony Marsh (Midlands), 21.9 secs. Paddy Hopkirk (N. Ireland), 23 secs. and de Souza {South), 23.9 secs. Still Northern Ireland led by 20 points from the South, with the Midlands third two more behind.

Test E – Usually the piece de resistance, competitors had to enter a large box measuring some 33 feet by 29 feet with an entrance and exit only 9 feet wide; this, to be effective, required a 90 degree spin which would avoid a reverse, then round a pylon to the box. The trouble was that the surface was too loose and cut up to help much. Quite a few made the spin, but cars dragged badly in the effort. Fastest time went to de Souza in the Mini with a run in 18.3 secs., but Northern Ireland made no mistakes and with runs in 19 secs., 21.5 secs. and 22.7 secs. retained an easy lead to win from the South. with the Midlands third.

Individual top scorers were: Specials – Dr. Thompson Glass; Sports – Paddy Hopkirk; Saloons – David de Souza,

Organization was super; plus the scene-shifters working like beavers, the whole lot timed to a split second, so here’s to the next time. Let’s see if the trophy for once can stay over here!

FRANCIS PENN,