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The Ulster Tourist Trophy
Lea Francis, driven by
Kaye Don, scores its first big win in race packed with
excitement.
Published in "Motor Sport", August
1928
AUGUST 18th, 1928, is a date that should rank high
in the history of Motor Car Racing for, as everyone
knows, it marked the revival of that one and only British
Road Race, the Tourist Trophy.
The entries were, considering the circumstances, large,
but the withdrawal of the Bentley team was a disappointment
to many, especially when one considers the very good
chance they had of winning the race, despite the handicap.
The withdrawal of the Salmson team caused a certain
amount of sorrow to other manufacturers of cars of this
size; the Riley people, in particular, were very interested
to see how their cars would compare with the French
1,100 c.c. products. For this reason the absence of
Scott's Amikar was regretted. However, from an entry
list of 57, 44 starters cannot be considered bad.
At Io o'clock the road was closed to traffic, and, amid
the gentle noise of warming of engines, K. Lee-Guinness
started off, with a " Road Closed" notice
back and front, to lap the course. A full five minutes
before ir a.m. drivers and mechanics had started to
line up on the other side of the road opposite their
cars. "One minute! " " 30 seconds! "
" Go! " Drivers and mechanics rushed for their
cars and, amid the clicking of hood catches, an engine
broke out with a roar ; then -another and another, till
the whole air was filled. Off streaked the Bentleys
and with them Campbell, in his 2261 c.c. supercharged
Bugatti ; close behind were the Austro-Daimlers and
Alvises ; Thistlethwayte (Mercedes) was also in the
fore. When the crowd had disappeared, the dust cleared
and revealed Aldington still endeavouring to start his
Frazer Nash saloon. He worked quickly but calmly ; at
last, after losing nearly five minutes, the engine sprung
into life and the car got away. Shortly after this we
heard that Cook (Bentley) led at Newtonards, and that
the Mercedes had stopped at Bradshaw's Brae. Phmket
Green also had trouble on the Newtonards straight, causing
him some seven minutes' delay. By this time the excitement
in the pits was increasing, and one realised that it
was now a good 12 minutes since the start. Who would
be round first ? This question was soon answered by
Birkin, who roared past the pits 12 min. 35 secs. after
a standing start, an average of over 65 m.p.h. Close
behind was Curzon (Bugatti), followed by Cook (Bentley).
A first F.W.D. Alvis followed, driven by Purdy. Then
came Campbell (Bugatti) ; close behind him were Kaye
Don (Lea Francis) and Harvey (Alvis). Cars were still
flashing past the stands when Thistlethwayte shot into
his pit ; he had outlapped many of the smaller cars
in spite of his stop. Great excitement was caused by
Aldington, who, despite his very bad stop, overtook
Barnes' Austin Seven just past the pits. In under 25
minutes Birkin came round on his second lap, let his
hood down in one movement, and was off again in a flash
; after him came Curzon, Cook and Puxdy. Then came a
Bugatti (49), followed by a large sheet of flame. It
was Campbell! Out jumped Villa, his mechanic, and started
to detach the hood fastener, apparently regardless of
the danger ; Large fire extinguishers were brought in
numbers, but from the first the task of saving the vehicle
looked hopeless. Gallons of liquid were pumped over
the tail of the Bugatti. Dense tetrachloride fumes drove
the near-by spectators back. Soon the air was black.
By this time Birkin was round again, scattering Campbell's
helpers as he roared through the dense black cloud.
Car after car followed, and many a driver must have
had an exciting moment passing the blaze. The car was
later dragged away to the competitors' enclosure, where
it burnt itself out. During this excitement most of
the drivers had slid into the pits unnoticed, taken
down their hoods and shot off on their third lap. W.
N. G. Phillips, with the Riley Monaco Saloon, had the
misfortune to burst a cylinder head gasket, but with
grim determination got down to the job of fitting another.
After a delay of a little more than an hour, however,
he continued. Maclure (Riley) skidded into a bank, broke
his back axle casing, and was forced to retire.
Early Troubles
Baron d'Erlanger came into the pits with a broken rocker.
The Tracta, the French front wheel drive hope, retired
with engine trouble, having run two laps. J. Martin
was also another early retirement with his Salmson ;
this was due to damage sustained as a result of a skid
in Comber. At the end of the fourth lap everyone was
surprised to see Birkin slow clown and stop at his pit—a
broken oil pipe was his trouble: certainly bad luck.
With great skill he quickly fitted a piece of "
flex " tubing and roared off once more. Barnes'
Austin was reported to be boiling at Dundonald ; shortly
after this he turned over, and, in spite of slight injuries,
continued ; this action gained him a cheer as he passed
the grand stands. The Stutz, driven by Watney, which
had been going well, caused a certain amount of excitement
at Ballystockart by climbing a hedge. At this point
Hayward, on the P.N., returned to the pits with a broken
valve spring and cotter and was forced to retire. Wilday,
on an Alvis, burst a tyre, changed his wheel on the
course, and returned to the pits at the end of the lap
to collect another spare. Next to draw into the pits
was Cook, with his Bentley ; he had suffered the same
trouble as Birkin, his oil pipe having broken. Luckily
he had a spare, so that the delay caused was small.
The repair was effected and replenishment of oil made
in four minutes.
No sooner had this Bentley left than Birkin slid in
again with the other one, his second stop ; this time
to tie up a front lamp which was dropping off. Thistlethwayte
now stopped at Dundonald to adjust a shock absorber.
In one way and another the big cars seemed to be having
trouble. Harvey, who was now running fourth, came into
the pits to replenish with oil, petrol and water ; this
cost him two places, but that did not matter when hardly
a third of the race had been run. Staniland was the
next to fall out ; he was leading, and had completed
nine laps on his Riley when his oil filler cap sprung
open and a stream of oil gushed out ; his engine ran
dry and seized before he reached the pits. V. Balls
(Amilcar) then slipped up to first place until he was
overtaken by Gallop. Another retirement was registered
by G. C. Strachan, whose Gwynne returned to the pits
with engine trouble. Wilday made another journey to
the pits to change his plugs, as did Plunket Green with
his Frazer Nash, complaining at the same time of an
absence of third gear chain. At ten laps Gallop was
maintaining the lead from V. Balls (Amilcar) by only
12 seconds. The positions were:
1. Gallop (Riley).
2. V. Balls (Arnhem).
3. Davis (Riley).
4. Noble (Riley).
5. Peacock (Riley).
6. Harvey (Alvis).
The race was certainly looking well for Rileys, although
the bigger cars were gradually working their way up
through the handicapping. It was interesting to note
that Thistlethwayte was making up for lost time by lapping
consistently in about ni minutes, nearly 73 m.p.h.,
and incidentally setting up the fastest lap at over
74 m.p.h. Paul (Austro Dainiler) hit the barrier at
Comber, burst a tyre, changed a wheel and carried on,
his reserve driver taking over. The O.M. came into the
pits to refill, while Erlanger's Lagonda was giving
more rocker trouble. Oil had made the road slippery
on the second turn in Comber, and Gallop skidded wildly
on his Riley. Mason (Austro Daimler) did the same. Gallop
still held the lead, but Davis had wrested second place
from Balls, and Harvey was now running fourth again.
The positions at 15 laps were:—
1. Gallop (Riley).
2. Davis (Riley).
3. Balls (Amilcar).
4. Harvey (Alvis).
5. Noble (Riley).
6. Dykes (Alvis).
General Post
Such were the leaders at 15 laps ; yet, before the twentieth
lap, the whole aspect of the race had changed; only
one of these first six" were still running. The
first victim of this run of fate was Gallop. While at
speed on the Comber-Dundonald section he hit a gulley
; the car swerved, and skidded, crashed into a telegraph
pole and was thrown backwards over a 5 ft. bank. Gallop's
mechanic was flung some 25 feet. Both occupants of the
car may be considered to have had a miraculous escape.
Balls, who had, in the meantime, overtaken Davis, now
took the lead. Harvey was a close third. Davis then
came into the pits and Harvey took second place, the
Riley getting away again just after the Alvis had passed.
Near Ballystockart there was a local sharp shower. Harvey
came into the wet patch fast, skidded and crashed. Newsome
(Lea Francis) made an endeavour to avoid the Alvis,
but skidded broadside across the road and crashed into
a ditch. Both cars were damaged beyond repair. Davis
then came on the scene. With a bit of superb driving
he managed to get through the two gyrating cars, but
he then found himself going too fast, and in the wrong
position to negotiate the next bend, and he fell into
the ditch. He and his mechanic worked feverishly and
managed to get the car back on the road again, but a
piece of rock in the pit of the ditch had bent his steering
arm and he found himself with no lock. Slowly he made
his way to the pits, where he had to retire. Noble was
the next unfortunate ; after attaining second place
he crashed his Riley at Newtonards, breaking its back
axle. Balls still led, but Dykes (Alvis) and Kaye Don
were rapidly overhauling him, while Purdy was close
on their heels with another Alvis. Dykes took the lead
when Balls stopped to refill, but he did not keep it
for long. Travelling fast at Bradshaw's Brae he hit
the bank and overturned. A certain amount of anxiety
was felt at first at the pits as he was reported to
be badly injured, but his injuries were not so serious
as was first believed. Kaye Don then took the lead,
which he held till the end. The Mercedes caused the
next excitement by skidding backwards into the ditch
at Mill Corner and partly overturning. Thistlethwayte
and Kind ell got it back on to the road, however, and
continued, but they were well behind the Bentleys, which,
after their minor troubles, were now going splendidly.
The positions after 20 laps were:
1. Kaye Don (Lea Francis).
2. Purdy (Alvis).
3. Balls (Amilcar).
4. Hall (Lagonda).
5. Cushman (Alvis).
6. Hayes (Lagonda).
Certainly a great change had taken place in five laps.
Even now the leaders were dropping out. Purdy's Alvis
broke a piston and he was forced to retire. While coming
down into Newtonards, Balls skidded at full speed and
hit the barricade, wrecking his Amilcar. Hall's Lagonda
developed trouble and caused his retirement, thus putting
Cushman's Alvis second, with Haye's Lagonda third. Dutilleux
(Bugatti) was now seventh, but Curzon had retired since
his Bugatti tank had started leaking, and he wisely
did not risk sharing Campbell's fate. Mason and Paul
were now fourth and fifth with their Austro-Daimlers.
Peacock, who had made a good steady run, was now leading
the 1,100 c.c. cars on his Riley, and was seventh in
the race. Haye's Lagonda was now out, and Dutilleux
had worked his Bugatti up to third place. At 25 laps
the positions were:
Birkin and Cook were ninth and tenth, respectively,
with their Bentleys, Birkin being as much as nineteen
minutes behind the leaders. And so it developed into
a match between Don and Cushman, a few mere seconds
keeping them separated for some seventy miles of corners,
bends and grades. With little fuel and oil Cushman.
hounded after his rival, but for ever with him was the
thought of his shortage of supplies. By the end of 20
laps he had reduced Kaye Don's lead to 262/5 seconds.
Don received the " all out" signal from his
pit. Dutilleux was dropping back as fast as the Bentleys
were pushing forward. The Au,stro-Daimlers were holding
third and fourth places, Callingham, with the remaining
car of the team, being now tenth. The last lap! Could
Cushman catch Don ? It seemed unlikely considering how
long Don had held the lead. As the minutes passed the
excitement in the pits grew tenser. At last—Don
was leading at Dimdonald. Directly after this was announced
the Lea Francis rounded the bend, streaked up the grade
towards the pits, and over the finishing line. Scarcely
had the cheering started than Cushman flashed past,
a loser by only 13 seconds. A mile up the road after
the finish he ran out of petrol. The excitement was
so great that the crowd hardly noticed Mason bring his
Austro-Daimler into third place some ten minutes later.
Paul was fourth with the second " Austro."
Birkin had snatched fifth place from Eyston (Lea Francis),
doing the total distance of 410 miles (from scratch)
in 6 hours 13 minutes 5 seconds, an average speed of
65.76, the highest for the race. Cook, with the other
Bentley, was seventh. The final order was:—
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