CLOSE FINISH IN 'E & S' RALLY
Tony Fisher, of Barnt Green, Birmingham, tried hard on Saturday night to retain the silver rose bowl which is the premier award for the annual Express and Star night navigation rally but he lost it by only a minute.
The new holder of the award, its replica, together with £25 for, himself and £15 for his navigator, is Bill Bengry, of Leominster, who, with Peter Roberts and their new Simca Montlhery saloon, finished the rally without loss of marks.
The Bengry-Roberts Simca was the only car to finish on time. Clean sheets at the end of this rally were not expected by Harry Morgan of Stafford, clerk of the course, who picked the route competitors had to take.
The rally, organising committee of Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Car Club and sponsored by the Expreses and Star, attracted 81 entrants from various parts of Britain.
GOLD STAR HOPE
Next year it is hoped that this will be a "Gold Star" event in the British Trials and Rally Drivers Association.
On Saturday night cars and their crews started from Wolverhampton, Oxford, Liverpool, Nottingham and Hereford, and converged on Control "X" at Church Stretton.
At midnight, from Church Stretton, competitors were dispatched at one-minute intervals on a 196-mile circular route on minor roads in south Shropshire and north Herefordshire, passing through 29 time controls in the process.
Lateness at any control, judged by sealed watches provided by the Ingersoll company and carried by each competitor, was penalised to the extent of ten marks per minute.
Tony Fisher (A35) lost his vital minute in the early stages of the rally and so was down ten marks but he gained the £15 second prize, together with another award for being, with Bill Bengry, a member of the winning team.
CAME TO GRIEF
Two of the rally's four women entrants came to grief.
Mrs. Val Harper of Cannock, a fancied winner of the women's award, retired before she reached Church Stetton. Her Standard saloon broke a spring.
Then, during the timed section, Pauline Brock, from Cheltenham, had her Renault Dauphine, plunge through a, hedge and turn over twice in a field. She and her navigator escaped injury.
Best performance by a woman driver was that of Miss S. Harms-Cooke (Triumph TR3), a member of the Midland Automobile Club, who lost 250 marks.
PRACTISED TEAM
The S. W. Fletcher memorial trophy for the best performance by a member of the Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Car Club went to the practised team of Arthur Winzor, Bushbury newsagent, and Norman Jones in their Wolsley 1500. They lost 150 marks.
Third best performance in the general classification of the rally was that of John Casewell, a member of the Severn Valley Car Club; who took his Austin 105 round the tortuous course, losing 120 marks for 12 minutes lateness.
Other winners were:
First Class Awards, up to 1,500 c.c. open cars: J. R, Kirkham (Austin Healev Sprite) lost 130; closed cars, D: H. Holland (Minor 1000), lost 140. Over 1,500 c.c. open cars: Miss S. Harms-Cooke; closed cars: B. P. Odini (Ford Zephyr), 260 marks.
Driving test awards, open cars: J. M. Jones (Triumph TR2); closed cars, Kenneth Piper, (Messerschmitt).