On the Edge of the Saucer!

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1058, 23 August 1930, Page 18

On the Edge of the Saucer!

SINCE Brooklands racetrack was opened, 23 years ago, it has been the scene of some remarkable conflicts. Probably the designer of the course never realised what speeds would one day He attained on it. Otherwise he might have made the finishing straight longer, for it cannot be used for its original purpose today, writes A. P. Bradley, clerk of the course at Brooklands, in “Pearson’s Weekly.” In the days when 60 miles an hour was considered really fast, it was possible to pull up a car at the end of the straight. But at more than twice that speed this becomes impossible. A driver is faced with the danger of running over the banking at the other end. Nevertheless, the great stretch of concrete which is Brooklands has served its purpose remarkably well, and has undoubtedly proved a boon to the British motor industry. Every day it is in use for test work, and with one special make of car every model is sent on a gruelling test run round the course before delivery to a customer! The track is two and three-quarter miles in circumference and is a hundred feet all round. At the bends, of course, there is a banking, which rises in places to a height of nearly thirty feet. Sometimes a driver travelling at speed and near the edge of the “saucer” wishes that it were considerably higher! Approaching the banking at the Byfleet end of the track, there is a quite unpleasant acute rise, which speed accentuates into an awful bump. Every driver hates that bump, although sometimes he is obliged to take it “flat out.” During Captain Birkin’s recent re-

cord-breaking run —when he attained the amazing speed of 135.33 m.p.h. for the lap—he went at the bump without taking his foot up, and managed it remarkably well. The shock must have been considerable. The chief impression anyone gets in a headlong dash around the track is just a series of terrific bumps and jolts. This, however, cannot be anything to what the racers of 20 years ago had to put up with. For then, the gentle art of springing and shock absorption was only just beginning to be appreciated. At Brooklands are a series of “pits” where the cars halt for tyre changing and refuelling in long races. Here the mechanics wait, tense and anxious, ready to spring to action as soon as their cars draw up. One man will have a drink for the driver, two more will handle the large petrol cans and so on. The cars are drawn up in the paddock before and after a race. And to the paddock only the favoured few of the public are admitted. Here, too, is the tower from which the clerk of course keeps an eye on everything, and gives instructions to his men by telephone. In the event of an accident, or anything unforeseen occurring, it is possible to have all gates closed and doctors hurrying on to the track in a matter of moments. Other drivers can be warned of possible danger by a simple system of nags. Flags are used, too, in order to signal to drivers as a reminder of the number of laps already covered. Contrary to a general notion, accidents on the course are rare. The reason for this is not far to seekcars race 'only when they are in perfect order-. Every driver thinks more of the life of a rival than of his own victory, and ; there is no danger from the uuex- [ pected, as there is on the road.

Racing Thrills at Brooklands . . . Preparing Britain s Famous Speed Track for Record-Break-ing Runs . . . I have already explained why the finishing straight is no longer used for its original purpose—it is not lons enough. Today the winning post is situated ou the railway straight, » stretch which runs alongside the railway line. Even here, however, the post has been moved farther away from the banking as the speed ot racers increased. There is a fine thrill in taking tae railway straight at speed, a thrill oi which I know no equal. Incidental-}, j just off the main track there is • : special test hill, with a ma3U ® 0 ‘ j gradient of one in four. This has be I used for testing thousands of cars i ' the past few years. The races and record attemptsi ove distances up to ten miles are tlm by a complicated electrical ue which is set in motion when the cars cross strips of metal on the track, speed of the cars has to be workeo out by the timekeeper, by means - instruments, from the readings o timing apparatus. But there readv in existence an instrum ” which works this out in a matter seconds and prints the result, soon may be installed. Experiments are being nniclt ■ _ ’ i with the beam apparatus, } times cars from the moment ‘ they pass through and cut on | of light across the track. ®° rt of thing, however, is only ior - ■ distances. The stop watch ■ ias good as it was twenty year for the long stretches. racing The track is the scene of a rac “ ' meeting almost every Saturday I the summer, while scarcely “ . , ' I passes but some record-br t attempt is made upon it.

“Looping the Loop Needless to say, the track nessed some remarkable crastie- ’ for instance, when a man dashed m the banking and "looped the the with his car before crashing ground—but accidents ar ® °° aga im mon occurrences there. 1 - bail it frequently happens that quitej. s spill results in nothing more er^ than a few bruises to the d T i ‘ „,(rer. mechanics. It is the cars t * T 9 Some of cur best-known men • Don, Malcolm Campbell, Captain kin—have been remarkably tort racing again and again <*uite 1© and escaping mishap.