1964 Brian Foley’s Report from Eire – January.

This report by Brian Foley appeared in Autosport Magazine dated January 31, 1964.

UNFORTUNATELY, as in 1963, the 1964 calendar sees several clashes of dates between Northern Ireland and Eire events.

The Limerick Motor Club hope to hold a race meeting over a 1.2 mile, “round-the-houses” circuit on 30th May. This interesting course has yet to pass final inspection by the R.I.A.C., but if it is turned down the Limerick men have an alternative. Racing enthusiasts all over Ireland are keeping their fingers crossed that the Limerick M.C. will be successful in their efforts to bring motor racing to the south-west again.

Dublin University Club have found a new hill for their event on 6th June, their Mount Venus venue being no longer available. Missing from the 1964 Calendar are the much talked about race meetings at Tramore and Clonmel. Must we now assume that these were only pipe-dreams? Ulster Automobile Club have three restricted race meetings listed for this year, and presumably they will be held at Bishopscourt.

Rumour has it that the Ulster Club may obtain Nutt’s Corner Airport for racing; certainly some racing cars were seen and heard recently at Nutt’s Corner. Their Craigantlet Hill-Climb on 15th August is, once again, a British Hill-Climb Championship event. The 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland will probably hold their annual Ford Championship of Ireland Race at their 23rd May Kirkistown Meeting.

1964 Racing Plans

AFTER a good innings, Formula Junior racing is definitely completely finished in Ireland. Malcolm Templeton went Formule Libre last season when he put a 1.6 Lotus-Ford twin-cam engine into his Lotus 22. This year Tommy Reid will be seen in Formule Libre racing with his Lotus 22; he is once again being sponsored by Mick Mooney.

The 1.5 Ford push-rod engine used by Reid in a Lotus 18 has been put into the Lotus 22 and with this car Reid will attack most of the Southern hill-climb records as well. If the push-rod engine is not sufficiently powerful, it is on the cards that the Lotus 22 will be powered by a 1.6 Lotus-Ford motor.

John Pollock has sold his F.J. Gemini Mk. 4 and has joined the Lotus 22 brigade. Pollock, too, will probably go for a 1.5-litre engine for this car. Charles Eyre-Maunsell has sold his Lotus 18, and Gerry Kinnane has also sold his Cooper-Ford; they will drive Crossle sports-racing cars this year. Both of these rear-engined, Irish-built cars will be powered by 1.6 Lotus-Ford engines.

Kinnane and Fred Smith are carrying out extensive modifications on their Crossle, fitting a Hewland five-speed gearbox, Brabham wheels, and bringing the car up to sports-racing car specification by fitting faired-in lights, tail and stop lights, etc. The inboard rear discs will also probably be moved outboard. When completed, the Kinnane car should look very businesslike and Kinnane hopes to race the Crossle extensively in England this season.

Walter Kinnear has at last forsaken his little 500 c.c. J.P.-Norton—this car was once raced by Kinnane and Reid. Walter has bought Mick Mooney’s Lotus 18 and will race this car in Ulster Ford events, with an 1,172 c.c., side-valve engine. Saloon car racing should be even more popular in Ireland this year; Tommy Reid will drive a very hot Mini-Cooper S in races and hill-climbs, as well as his Lotus; Cecil Vard will also drive a Mini-Cooper S in speed events.

Le Fanu Cup Trial.

AS usual the Leinster M.C. had a great turnout for their Le Fanu Cup Trial on St. Stephen’s Day, 26th December. Driving his Austin-Cooper S, Leslie Vard won the Premier with 168.3 marks.

First-class awards were won by:

1. Seamus Griffin (Griffin-Ford), 172.4;
2. Stephen Griffin (G.T.S.), 174;
3. Noel Smith (Austin-Cooper S), 176.4; and
4. Larry Mooney (Volkswagen), 180.

Second-class awards went to:

1. Alan Peterson (Austin Seven), 180.9;
2. Johnny Moore (Austin-Cooper S), 181;
3. Des Cullen (M.G. Midget s/c), 181.8; and
4. John Hayes (Austin-Cooper) 182.1.

The Novice Class was won by J. Byrne (Volkswagen), 194.5 from K. Redmile-Garner (Austin Seven), 206.5 and G. Annsley (N.S.U. Prinz 4), 209.9.

P. Cooney Memorial Cup Trial

SEAMUS GRIFFIN won the last Eire event of 1964, the Carrick-on-Suir M.C.’s P. Cooney Memorial Cup Trial on 29th December. First 10 in this Hewison qualifying event were:

1. Seamus Griffin, (Griffin-Ford), 305;
2. Brian Cullen (Austin-Cooper), 311.5;
3. Peter Jenkins (G.T.S.), 313.5;
4. Reggie Redmond (M.M.3), 315.8;
5. Des Cullen, 315.8;
6. Paul O’Flynn (Morris-Cooper), 316.1;
7. Jack Fildes (Austin Seven), 318.2;
8. Tom Burke (Austin-Cooper), 319.9;
9. Leslie Fitzpatrick (M.G. Midget), 321.6; and
10. Terry Power (Morris-Cooper), 324.5.

Seamus Griffin was the only driver to complete his four Hewison qualifications at Carrick, and he now joins his younger brother Stephen, Brendan Kenna, Dermot Carnegie, Larry Mooney, and Leslie Vard in the line-up for the Hewison final in March. Brian Cullen, of Limerick, displayed tremendous form by finishing second overall, only 64 marks behind Griffin. Several established experts were placed well down the field and it was noticeable that Brian Kehoe and Leslie Vard were 12th and 13th respectively, while Des Bradley was 21st, Noel Smith was 24th, and John Hayes was 26th.

To his cost, Hayes found that the back of his Austin-Cooper came off worse in an argument with a wall. Corkman Pat McCarthy, who was a surprise winner of the Waterford M.C.’s Hewison event last October, was placed 22nd in his Austin Seven.

Grafton Cup Trial

SEAMUS GRIFFIN won the first Eire event of 1964, the Dublin University Club’s Grafton Cup Trial on 4th January. He finished with 238.4 marks.

First-class award winners were:

Stephen Griffin, 238.7;
Johnny Moore, 241.4;
Leslie Vard, 244.4.

Second-class awards were won by:

Des Cullen, 245.1;
Larry Mooney, 248.4; and
Alan Peterson, 248.5.

Mrs. Edna Guthrie won the Ladies’ award with 278.9 marks.

Munster Relic Cup Trial

The Munster Club had 16 tests, eight before lunch and eight after, in their Hewison qualifying event on Sth January. Local man Paul O’Flynn beat Leslie Vard by 0.4 sec. for the Premier award, their marks being 470.0, and 470.4. Terry Power was third with 497 marks, followed by Dermot Carnegie (505.8), Tom Burke (506), E. P. Cotter (507.8), Noel Smith (509), Paddy O’Callaghan (Volkswagen, 510.4), Larry Mooney (511), and C. D. Linehan (Austin-Cooper, 511.6).

Cotter had the gearbox pack up on his Austin-Cooper in the last test, and he was given a re-run in a borrowed car. This is seemingly not permitted in a Hewison event and if Cotter is disqualified, Des Bradley will take 10th place. Bradley finished 11th with 519 marks in his M.G. Midget. If Bradley gets 10th place, he will thus qualify for the Hewison final.

Terry Power qualified at Cork. Charlie Gunn made a very welcome return to driving tests, and finished 13th in his new Austin-Cooper S. Brian Cullen, who did so well at Carrick-on-Suir, dropped to 14th position on this occasion.

Competition is so intensely keen nowadays in Eire driving tests, that even one minor error in a test can result in the loss of several places, while knocking a pylon or incurring a line failure is absolutely disastrous. There are times when one wonders if this driving tests business is being take rather too seriously.

Double Diamond Rally

The Irish Motor Racing Club held their Double Diamond Rally on 11th-12th January 1964. This Hewison event was formerly known as the Night and Day Rally. It is now sponsored by Irish Ale Breweries, brewers of Double Diamond beer. Start and finish were at Dundalk. Last year Brian Kehoe and Ed. Pearson won in a Volkswagen after an epic drive over snow and ice-covered roads.

Good weather and completely dry roads made this year’s rally a less strenuous and a less interesting event. Within a few miles of the start Noel Smith and Ed. Pearson left the road in rather a big way. Smith’s Austin-Cooper S was reported to be badly damaged, and rumour has it that Smith and Pearson went off in an ambulance with two expectant mothers! Navigator Pearson turned up at the Naas supper stop to report that he and his companion were both quite well.

A Northern Ireland crew filled the first place, Ronnie McCartney and Terry Harryman winning in a Ford Cortina G.T. Jack Fildes/Sheila O’Cleary were second in a super-charged M.G. 1100.

A more detailed report on the Double Diamond Rally, including many previously unseen photographs can be found here ===> 1964 Double Diamond

RESULTS

Premier Award: R. McCartney/T. Harryman (Ford Cortina G.T.), 392.4 marks,

1,000 c.c, saloons:

P. Johnson (Austin-Cooper), 452.7;
D. Glover (Austin-Cooper), 468.2;
B. Kenna (Austin-Cooper), 586.6.

Over 1,000 c.c. saloons:

J. Fildes (M.G. 1100 s/c), 399.4;
C. Vard (Austin-Cooper), 410.5;
W. B. Kehoe (Volkswagen), 469.4.

Open cars:

A. Reid (M.G. Midget), 487.5:
J. W. Pryor (Triumph Spitfire), 585.1;
W. D. Bradley (M.G. Midget), 613.3.

Navigators’ awards:

Miss S. O’Cleary, F. F. Main, and T, W. Harryman.

Novices’ award: J. W. Pryor.
Team award: Irish Motor Racing Club (Fildes, Vard, Glover).
Harp Lager Trophy: (decided over three Rallies this season): Northern Team.
First 10 drivers were:

1. McCartney (392.4),
2. Fildes (399.4),
3. Cecil Vard (410.5),
4. Johnson (452.7),
5. David Glover (468.2),
6. Brian Kehoe (469.4),
7. Archie Reid (487.5),
8. Michael Ivis (506.3),
9. Larry Mooney (556.5), and
10. Billy Kilroy (569.3).

Cecil Vard, Jack Fildes, and Brian Kehoe have now qualified for the Hewison final.

TAILPIECE:

Writing of the recent Omagh M.C. Driving Tests in the 10th January Autosport, Beatty Crawford stated that: “Once again Robert Woodside proved that he is the leading exponent of the art in Ireland.” Robert Woodside is indeed a very fine driver, but has Mr. Crawford ever heard of Paddy Hopkirk, the Griffin and Vard brothers, etc.?

Arguments as to who is the best driving tests exponent in Ireland are continually being waged. Surely, the time is now ripe for a North v. South Driving Tests meeting, with 12 cars in each team, i.e. three cars from each of the recognized classes — small and large saloons, sports cars, and specials. This event could be run on the lines of the Ken Wharton Driving Tests, with electronic timing. I have suggested this before to several drivers and they were all enthusiastic about the idea.