Austin Harris

C. S. Staniland Breaks the Lap Record: Depleted Fields and no Accidents

Holiday spirits were the order of the day at Donington last Saturday. It was one of those pleasantly informal meetings that send spectators away with no definite memory of thrills and excitement, but with a general sense of an afternoon well spent. When one says that there were no outstanding thrills possibly one does not do justice to that brilliant driver, Christopher Staniland, who at his first appearance at Donington broke the lap record and also the ten-lap race record. Yet so unobtrusive was his method, so well judged his cornering, that one could but applaud skills that brought no sensation. In addition to these two records one other was broken. There were no accidents.

As the green park basked in the sunshine on Saturday morning, as the echoes of the last pratice died away among the sleepy trees, it was easy to realise that it was August. Even the paddock seemed more somnolent than usual, with three hours to go before the first race. Some Donington habitués had just returned from holidays, many were still away, others were just off. Here one found a little group talking over the Alpine Trial, there another knot discussed their chance in the coming Tourist Trophy. August is an unsettled month, a month of looking forward and looking backward, but a month in which, in holiday spirit, no one cares to worry about the present. So the fields for the various races were smaller than usual, non-starters were frequent, and the crowd was not quite so numerous.

F.C. Craner, secretary of the Derby and District Club, was full of energy, however. He has great plans for a loop road parallel with the long straight at the back of the course, forming a closed circuit about two miles in length where manufacturers and others may test their machines any day of the week in private, by night or day. It is hoped that work will be started on the new section in the autumn, so that extra circuit should be ready for next season. He was looking forward, too, to the International Race at Donington in October, but that is a tale yet to be told.

Flt.-Lt. C. S. Staniland, however was one who had urgent affairs of the moment to occupy his attention. Trouble had developed during practice in the supercharger of the T. A. S. O. Mathieson's Bugatti, which he was to drive, and spare parts were being rushed from London. As soon as they arrived mechanics set to work feverishly to enable the fastest machine present to run.

In the first event, for 850 c.c. cars, non-supercharged machines received sixty seconds start over five laps, but it was soon evident that both Everitt. with the record-breaking M.G., and Turner, with his Austin, could trifle with such a handicap, which Everitt demolished in three laps and Turner in four. Both Turner and the peak of his crash helmet, hung on grimly, the former striving vainly to catch the flying M.G., the latter, blown into a vertical position, endeavouring with more success to remain fixed to its helmet. Hutton-Potts drove well in his unblown M.G. at his first Donington race, to finish third.

J. W. Lucas had been working all night at Portsmouth on his single-seater Riley, and had arrived just in time to qualify, but it was Maclure , in another Riley, who led the second event, a scratch race for 1,100 c.c. cars. For some time Richardson created a false illusion that he was leading the race, for he came round in front of Lucas; but actually he was a lap behind, having skidded round and stopped awhile at Starkey Corner on the first lap. Amazing speed and clever driving won second place for T. C. Harrison's Ford, which, with the cylinder capacity increased to 1,080 c.c., has a chromium-plated crankshaft, and can now administer prodigious shocks to drivers who thought their own cars were fast.

The third event was one of the now popular 25-mile handicap races, over ten laps. It had been intended, with twenty three entries, to run two heats, but there so many non-starters that this became unnecessary, and eventually twelve cars came out, augmented to a baker's dozen by the sudden arrival of Staniland's Bugatti, which shot out of the paddock, the repairs completed, just as the cars were being despatched.

Hodges' Singer had 2 min. 20 sec. from the four scratch machines, Martin's and Staniland's Bugattis, Austin Dobson's Alfa-Romeo - an ex-Ferrari 2,600 c.c. Monza type - and Sir Ronal Gunter's Maserati. Hodges led for two and a half laps, till as he slowed to take the Starkey hairpin the car wavered, bumped on to the grass, and came to a stop. The track rod had come adrift! It was a lucky escape, and Hodges pushed his car safely out of harm's way.

Interest was evenly divided between Cyril Paul's "Dixon" Riley, which led after Hodge's retirement, and the efforts of Raymond Mays, whose white supercharged Riley had received half a minute start from the scratch men, Martin and Staniland, to catch up. Mays, by the way, had only just risen from a bed of sickness, and was feeling none to well. Everitt was holding second place, while on the fifth lap Mays came up to third. Meanwhile Martin chased Maclure's Riley, and Staniland chased them both, gaining about four seconds a lap on the rival Bugatti. On the ninth lap Staniland was was in front of both, in fourth place, and on the tenth lap Mays fell right back, misfiring which had been troubling the Riley becoming acute, while Martin passed Maclure, so that Staniland was third and Martin fourth. Paul had driven fast and well, his winning time being only 1.4 sec slow er than Staniland's. The latter seemed troubled at times with loose rear shock absorbers.

After this race the facetious "Mike-1" McEvoy, who provided much amusement over the loud speakers throughout the afternoon - as a matter of fact his name rally is Michael - gave out that Turner was looking underneath his Austin and had pronounced that two of something were broken. These broken somethings were two of the bolts of the built-up crankshaft, so the exciting Austin driver was seen no more.

Maclure again led the fourth scratch race, over five laps, throughout, enjoying himself immensely as he swept down the perilous hill past the paddock, and a titanic struggle went on betwen Richardson's Riley and Harrison's Ford, culminating each lap at Starkey's Corner. Harrison led for two laps, but Richardson passed him on the straight, then Harrison passed at Starkey, but Richardson got ahead once more and in spite of Harrison's efforts held the latter off to the finish.

In the fifth race there was only one finisher, Everitt's M.G., even Hutchison, once holder of the lap record, having to retire after two laps with his new supercharged Bugatti, while the sizth race had only three starters, and in spite of Staniland's fine driving - he broke the lap record at 69.3 m.p.h. on his third lap - he could not catch Paul and Everritt.

The last race of the day was another 25-mile handicap, some cars receiving a credit lap as well as a time allowance, which somewhat complicated the following of the leaders. Even the astute McEvoy became a little involved over the loud speakers, but it was plain that Staniland on scratch was out for blood, and on his sixth lap he increased his own record to 69.51 m.p.h., so that after eight laps he passed Paul and took the lead. Martin, too, came up well, driving very steadily, and took third place. Staniland's speed constituted a record for the ten-lap distance. B. P W. T.

Results ("S" denotes supercharged)

Event One (5 laps), 850 c.c.

1. W. G. Everitt (M. G. "S"), 66.22 m.p.h.

2. R. F. Turner (Austin "S")

3. J Hutton-Potts (M. G.) rec. 60s

Event Two (5 laps), 1,100 c.c.

1. P. Mclure (Riley), 61.48 m.p.h.

2. T. C. Harrison (Ford)

3. E. Hodges (Singer)

Event Three (25-mile Handicap)

1. C. Paul (Riley) 0m 45s., 66.32 m.p.h.

2. W. G. Everitt (M.G. "S") 1m 0s

3. C. S. Staniland (Bugatti "S") scr.

Event Four (5 laps), 1,500 c.c. non-supercharged

1. P. Maclure (Riley) 61.56 m.p.h.

2. C. A. Richardson (Riley)

3. T. C. Harrison (Ford)

Event Five (5 laps), 1,500 c.c.

1. W. G. Everitt (M. G. "S") 57.78 m.p.h

Event Six (5 laps), 3,000 c.c.

1. C. Paul (Riley). re. 30s., 65.48 m.p.h.

2. W. G. Everitt (M.G. "S") re, 30s

3. C. S. Staniland (Bugatti "S")

Event Seven (25-mile Handicap)

1. C. S. Staniland (Bugatti "S"), scr. 68.79 m.p.h.

2. C. Paul (Riley) 0m 15s

3. C. E. C. Martin (Bugatti "S") 0m 15s