Austin Harris

The Southport Hundred

Goodacre's Austin Proves Once Again That Reliability Plus Speed is Better Than Much More Speed and Less Reliability in Long-distance Sand Racing

Once again a 750cc Austin collected the Southport 100-mile Trophy, and thoroughly deserved its win.

It was not that the handicapping was all in its favour, for it was practically caught by the scratch car at about 80 miles and had not actually been in the lead at any part of the race; its win was just that it went well all the time and seemed to be running just as happily after 90 miles as it did after 10. And this cannot be said of bigger and faster cars, for they just did not manage to stay the 100-mile course.

Everything favoured the meeting last Saturday. The sands were better almost than they have ever been: the course selected was quite near Southport, too, and that long trek down the shore to Ainsdale was avoided.

Improved Arrangements

Apart from length there was width also, and wide, sweeping turns were possible. Arrangements generally had been tuned up. The pits were enclosed and shut off by screens from the great crowd, so that unauthorised could not wander at will among the cars and stumble over bags of tools and boxes of spares.

At the bends there was ample space, plus a "safety area" between the course and the crowd to give drivers a loophole if things went all wrong in coming out of the turn.

The handicapping followed the usual Southport method of crediting or adding laps to the 50 laps which made the 100-mile distance, this being based on the various classes, with modifications resulting upon the known performances of the cars individually. Thus two un-supercharged Austins had only 49 laps to do, while R. O. Shuttleworth's 2,300c.c. supercharged Bugatti was faced with 57.5 laps, and there were all sorts of variations in between.

All start at once, and those with credit laps have them put on the lap score board at the start, while those with additional laps to do do not really begin to score until their plus laps are worked off. Thus the first to reach "50" on the board is the winner - a good scheme when worked efficiently, and on this occasion everybody concerned earned full marks.

Austin predominance

Shuttleworth (2,300 Bugatti) took the lead at once and settled don to eliminating his "plus" laps. Of course, his actual position, as of several others behind him, was false, and needed checking against the score board. He, T. V. G. Selby (1,900 Bugatti), T. Simister (746 M.G. "S"), and W. Esplen (747 M.G. "S") were leading the field, but at the end of he first 10 laps C. H. Fish (747 Austin "S"), W. G. S. Wike (747 Austin), and C. L. Goodacre (747 Austin "S") were one, tow and three, and all running very nicely, although Fish was bounced like a pea in a pan on one rather loose patch of sand.

Two supercharged Mercedes were early in trouble. A. M. Conan Doyle's petered out at the turn at the end of lap one, while R. M. W. Arbutnot's engine developed a serious misfire that brought a haggard look to the driver's face, while after three laps Warburton allowed his Vauxhall to coast up to the side of the course, and there and then abandoned it.

Things were getting settled. Those with no chance had either retired or were touring sedately around the outer fringes of the bends - notably J. W. Burnaud's weird - looking 1,090cc J.W.B., with its radiator projected forward of the bonnet, and its enormously lengthy tail. Those with laps to catch up were going for all they were worth and were indulging in a little broadsiding, particularly A. Tinker (1,496 Fraser Nash) - with a most helpful and acrobatic passenger - H. D. Penchöen (1,089 Riley) and T. V. G. Selby (1,990 Bugatti).

At the Twentieth Lap

Simister (746 M.G. "S") was engaging in a losing battle with the Austins, and eventually retired, while Esplen, also driving an M.G., succeeded in keeping ahead of Goodacre's Austin once he had got in front. At the twentieth lap, therefore, the order was Esplen (M.G.), Goodacre (Austin), and J. F. Gee (1,089 Riley), the latter having worked his way up by good driving and watchfulness for for opportunities. As an example, when H. J. P. Williams' Magnette misfired during a gear change, Gee immediately turned inside him and thus jumped a place.

R. O. Shuttleworth was urging his Bugatti along to a good tune, however, and at thirty laps had displaced Gee, being in third position to Esplen and Goodacre, who, were level pegging, almost. Shuttleworth was lapping at over 72mph, so it seemed that he must win.

The Mercedes were going again fitfully, but they were a vain hope, Then "things began to happen." H. Hodgson's Riley went "dead" on the Southport turn, and at the same place a dull thud came from somewhere underneath Shuttleworth's Bugatti. It did not seem to worry him, but thereafter he grew slower and slower, and the probability of his overhauling Esplen and Goodacre grew less certain.

Now it was between those two. The M.G. appeared to be the faster car, but it faltered during the last few laps, and the Austin was unchallenged at the end. A really good race!

Results

Finishing order;

C. L . Goodacre (747 Austin "S"), 97m 2s

W. Esplen (747 M.G. "S"), 99m 46s

J. Walker (1,493 Bugatti "S") 100m 28s

J. F. Gee (1,089 Riley) 102m 34s

C. H. Fish (747 Austin "S") 105m 18s

H. D. Pencheön (1,089 Riley) 111m 26s

Winner's speed 63.07mph

"S" indicates supercharged