E.&S. rally winner's victory swept away - because of a brook
FINAL results of major awards in the "Express and Star" national rally on Saturday-Sunday night will not be known until after the Royal Automobile Club has heard an appeal from the man who was first adjudged winner and then had his success taken .away from him as the result of a stewards' decision. The man who lost the award was A. E. ("Bill") Bengry, of Hereford who won three years ago when the rally was first run.
The man now adjudged the outright winner of, the Express and Star trophy is the Midland No. 1 rally expert, Brian Harper, of Heath Hayes, Cannock, who completed the 200-mile night navigation course without loss of marks on time and who beat Pat Moss, who also had a clear run on the navigation course, by four-tenths of a second on the ties deciding driving test. Harper's navigator, Ron Crelin, becomes the provisional holder of the Raybould Smith trophy. Second place in the general classification goes to Pat Moss and Stuart Turner and third place is a tie between A.T. Fisher and A. E. Bengry, both of whom had clear night runs and who tied on the driving test, with a time of 19.2 seconds.
The reason for this uncertainty can really be blamed on the erratic behaviour of the Byne Brook. which drains the north-western side of Wenlock Edge. A ford across the brook was on the shortest route between time controls 32 and 33 in the early hours of Sunday morning. Earlier, the Byne Brook had been in flood and the local authority's representative had put out "Road blocked" warnings. Some competitors heeded the warning, went a longer way round between time controls 32 and 33 and were penalised for lateness.
Others went and had look at the ford and found if navigable.
Those who were penalised for lateness which was the result of obeying the “Road blocked “ notices, included Brian Harper whose appeal for those penalties to be expunged was upheld by the stewards and as his was the fastest driving test time he, provisionally, replaces Bill Bengry as the outright winner.
This is an important matter for the competitors concerned because, the Express and Star rally counts' towards both the R.A.C. rally; championship and the British Trials and Rally Drivers Association's rally star contest.
Bengry holds the R.A.C. title and Harper the B.R.T.D.A. title.
The rally, organised by Wolverhampton and South Staffs Car Club, took 166 competitors from starts at Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Liverpool, Oxford and Hereford to Control – "X" at Heather-brae garage, Leebotwood, near Church Stretton.
From Leebotwood they drove in what was roughly a large circle which ran beyond the Long Mynd. down into the Leominster area back through the Clees and over Wenlock Edge to return to Leebotwood from where competitors all came on to the finish at the T.A. centre, Wolseley House, Bushbury, Wolverhampton.
A number of cars met with mechanical misfortunes, including those of two favoured women drivers, Mrs. Ann Hall, winner of the 1961 Monte Carlo rally Coupe des Dames, and Mrs.Pauline Mayman from Birmingham.
Mrs. Hall's trouble caused her miss several time controls and brought a heavy penalty of marks. Mrs Mayman's trouble, a small fire among the electrical circuit put her out of the rally before the night navigation section was ten minutes old.
Provisional results general classification: 1. B. Harper (Morgan) nil marks lost driving test time 17.4sec. 2. Pat Moss (Saab). nil marks lost, driving test time 17.8sec.: 3 (tie). A.T. Fisher (Austin Seven) and A. E. Bengry (VoIkswagen) nil marks lost driving test time 19.2sec. Best navigator R.Crellin.
Class awards: UP to 1300. c.c. open. T. S. Baker (Healey Sprite) 210 marks: up to 1,300cc closed: 1. P.E. Astbury (Herald Coupe), nil marks driving test 20.6 sec.: 2. J. Latrobe (Mini minor) 10 marks, driving test 18.6 sec.; 3. A. Griffiths (Herald). 10 marks, driving test 19.6sec.
1.300 to 2.300 c.c. open: G. D. Grimshaw (Triumph TR3).1,300 to 2,300 c.c. closed: R. A. Clift (Triumph). Over 2,300 c.c. closed: G. H. F. Parkes (Austin Healey).
All women crew: 1. Miss A. G. Hooper and Mrs. P. Edwards (Austin Healey); 2. Miss S. Cooper and Mrs. P. Block (Sunbeam). Best Wolverhampton and South Staffs C.C. member: B. Harper and R. Crellin (Morgan) First Team Harper & Fisher; second team Fisher & Bengry:
B. Billingham trophy for best Ford. P. Simmer (Anglia); Wolverhampton Motor Services. Ltd. F. C. Bishop trophy for best Rootes car. P. R. Proctor (Sunbeam); West Central Garage (Wolverhampton) Ltd. Norman Dawkins trophy. best Standard Triumph, A. E. Astbury (Herald): Charles Attwood and Son. Ltd. trophy for best Jaguar L. Markson: Bradburn and Wedge. Ltd. trophy, best Nuffield J. Latrobe (Mini minor); Charles Clark and Son. Ltd.. trophy best Austin A. T. Fisher (Austin Seven): Nash Motors trophy, best continental car. Pat Moss (Saab).