Beautiful weather, at times unbearably hot, especially at the main spectator vantage point of the shadeless Fork enclosure, favoured the MCC's Third Annual Race Meeting at Brooklands on Saturday, July 8th. A large crowd of spectators had turned up, the principal attraction being Jake de Rosier's world record attempts later in the day.
The first two events on the race card were for touring machines. Both were over three laps and were handicaps. The first of these was for up to 560 cc machines and was won by E. A. Colliver (31/2 hp Zenith-Gradua-JAP) at 50.69 mph. A. W. Brittain (499 Rudge) who ran into second place, was disqualified for not using mudguards. The second touring event was for machines of from 400 to 1000 cc. There was only two starters, C. Percival (6 hp Zenith-Gradua�JAP) winning by three-hundred yards after a good race. He averaged 45.92 mph.
The next race, for single-cylinder machines not exceeding 560 cc, was over three laps and was open to any member of the Motor Cycling Club (MCC). Frank McNab (492 Trump-JAP) looked like an easy winner in the early stages, but towards the end of the last lap his belt rim picked up a stone and his driving belt jumped off, putting paid to his chances. This gave the race to A. Baker White on a similar machine of 488 cc. Like all other events at this meeting, this race had a start and finish at the Fork.
The fifth race on the programme was intended to be an Oxford versus Cambridge match race, but unfortunately no Oxonians were present. A two-lap scrap was therefore staged between a dozen Cambridge men. This scratch race was won by A. E. Sheppard at 52.60 mph.
Sidney Tessier (580 BAT-JAP) was scratch man in the solo handi�cap over four laps, for MCC members riding machines in the 40~ 1000 cc category. He easily beat J. P. Le Grand (580 Rex) and V. Olsson (986 Oxted-JAP), the only other starters, to win at the very fine average of 74 mph.
The ten-lap MCC Championship for the "Harry Smith" Gold Challenge Cup, open to ordinary touring machines, attracted twenty-two starters.
B. M. Marians (21/2 hp P & M), Oliver De Lissa and Jack Holroyd (both on 21/2 hp Motosacoches) were given a generous start, and went a considerable distance before the bulk of the field had even started. At the end of lap one, De Lissa was just leading Marians, but a lap later both Motosacoches had dropped out of the race.
N. D. Slatter (2 hp Alcyon) went very well, but the lap-and-a-half that he conceded to Marians was more than he could pick up. Fifteen minutes after the limit men had departed, a large bunch of single-cylinder machines were sent off. Of these A. W. Brittain (499 Rudge) was easily the fastest. The scratch man, Arthur Moorhouse (994 Indian), who was giving some minutes' start to Sidney Tessier (580 BAT-JAP), got into his stride immediately and was soon overhauling places galore. He finished an easy winner and was able to ease off considerably towards the end. Result:
MCC CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP FOR "HARRY SMITH" CUP.
A handicap over 10 laps. Fork start and finish.
1. A. Moorhouse (994 Indian) scratch 59.3 mph
2. B. M. Marians (2t hp P & M) 19 min 30 sec
3. L. A. Baddeley (3t hp Brown) 5 min 40 sec
Brittain ran into third place, but was again disqualified, this time on a technical point. Breakdowns were extremely common and barely half the competitors who had started completed the distance.
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