Lewes Speed Trials
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2012}}
File:Lewes_Racecourse_-_geograph.org.uk_-_71560.jpg
The Lewes Speed Trials were speed trials held on a defunct course in Lewes, Sussex, England, sometimes known as "The Motor Road."
History
The first meeting took place on 27 July 1924, on "a private road near Lewes", location unidentified. The event was organised by the Brighton & Hove Motor Cycle and Light Car Club, on a quarter-mile course. Fastest time of the day was set by J.A. Hall, Frazer Nash-GN, in a time of 16.6 secs.T.R. Nicholson, Sprint – Speed Hillclimbs and Speed Trials in Britain: 1899-1925, Page 236, David & Charles, 1969.
"Speed trials were held on the Race Hill at Lewes three or four times a year from 1925 to 1939, at the instance of the Brighton & Hove MC, the Kent & Sussex LCC, the Bugatti Owners' Club and the Vintage Sports Car Club,..."T.R. Nicholson, Sprint – Speed Hillclimbs and Speed Trials in Britain: 1899-1925, Page 241, David & Charles, 1969.
In 1933 The Autocar reported:
"The course bends slightly to the left, is one-third of a mile long, narrow, none too smooth, and slightly uphill. It leads directly off the London-Newhaven road just before reaching Lewes."The Autocar, 27 October 1933, Page 853.
Jean Bugatti attended the races on 21 October 1933.The Autocar, 27 October 1933, Page 853. Denis Jenkinson, motor racing journalist, attended his first motor sport event here in 1936.D.S.J. letter to Motor Sport, November 1939, Page 308. The Autocar reported from the meeting on 12 June 1937: "The first appearance in competition of the new four-wheel independent-suspension Atalanta was at Lewes. G.A.T. Weldon drove this 1½-litre model."The Autocar, 18 June 1937, Pages 1196–1197, including picture. Bill Boddy, editor of Motor Sport, drove the original HRG sports car, 1,497 c.c., at Lewes on 4 September 1937 with a best time of 27.4 sec, finishing third in the novices class.Motor Sport, October 1937, Pages 433–434; Bugatti Owners' Club Lewes Speed Trials, Saturday 4 September 1937, Results. On 15 July 1939, Sydney Allard took a class win in a time of 22.12 secs.Motor Sport, August 1939, Page 232.
The Lewes Record
Comparisons of times recorded at different meetings and by different clubs are problematic. There were differences in the method of timing (the electric Bachelier method favoured by the Bugatti O.C. allowed the competitor to start in his own time) and even differences in the length of the course.Autocar, 28 August 1936, Pages 396–397.
Lewes Speed Trials past winners
| class="wikitable"
!width="*"|Year !width="*"|Driver !width="*"|Vehicle !width="*"|Time !width="*"|Club !width="*"|Notes |
| rowspan=4|1932
| R.G.J. Nash | Frazer Nash Terror | 20.0 sec R | Kent & Sussex LCC |
| N.W. Gardiner
| Delage | 22.7 sec | Bugatti O.C. | The Autocar, 17 June 1932, Pages 1020–1021; Motor Sport, July 1932, Page 431. For N.W. Gardiner see also: Great Auclum National Speed Hill Climb. 11 June |
| R.G.J. Nash
| Frazer Nash Terror | 20.2 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, July 1932, Pages 431–432. 18 June |
| R.G.J. Nash
| Frazer Nash Terror | 21.0 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, October 1932, Page 556. 10 September |
| rowspan=4|1933
| R.G.J. Nash | Nash Special | 21.0 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, June 1933, Page 388. 13 May |
| R.G.J. Nash
| Nash Special | 21.0 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, August 1933, Page 467. 25 June |
| R.G.J. Nash
| Anzani-Nash Special | 21.0 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, October 1933, Pages 554–555. 9 September |
| Richard Nash
| Anzani-Nash The Spook | 20.4 sec | Bugatti O.C. | The Autocar, 27 October 1933, Page 853. 21 October |
| rowspan=4|1934
| R.G.J. Nash | Anzani-Nash 1,496 c.c. | 22.4 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, June 1934, Page 374. 12 May |
| John Bolster
| Bolster Special | 20.2 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | The Autocar, 22 June 1934, Page 1089. For an obituary of Richard Bolster, brother of John Bolster, see: Motor Sport, September 1941, Page 240. 16 June |
| R.G.J. Nash
| Nash Special | 21.6 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, September 1934, Page 526. 26 August |
| Charles Martin
| Bugatti 2.3 | 20.13 sec | Bugatti O.C. | Motor Sport, October 1934, Page 572. Two runs by Martin were "unofficial" and FTD went to A.H.L. Eccles in 21.28 sec. 8 September |
| rowspan=4|1935
| A.G. Bainton | Bugatti 1{{frac|1|2}}-litre | | Kent & Sussex LCC | The Autocar, 17 May 1935, Page 984. 11 May |
| S.E. Cummings
| 19.4 sec R | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, July 1935, Page 417. 15 June |
| |
| | Kent & Sussex LCC | 24 August |
| S.E. Cummings
| Vauxhall-Villiers S/C | 18.13 sec R | Bugatti O.C. | Motor Sport, October 1935, Page 553. 7 September |
| rowspan=4|1936
| R.G.J. Nash | Frazer-Nash-Union Special | 19.06 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC |
| Robin Jackson
| Alta 1,500 c.c. #17 | 19.18 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | The Autocar, 19 June 1936, Page 1150. 586.6 yard course. 13 June |
| A.G. Bainton
| Bugatti 2.3-litre S/C | 20.7 sec | Bugatti O.C. | Motor Sport, September 1936, Page 428. 15 August |
| Geoffrey Taylor
| Alta 1,488 c.c. | 19.81 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, September 1936, Page 435. 22 August |
| rowspan=4|1937
| J. Lemon Burton | Bugatti 2.3-litre | 19.12 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC |
| Geoffrey Taylor
| Alta | 19.3 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, July 1937, Page 308. 12 June |
| Geoffrey Taylor
| Alta 2-litre | 18.75 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC |
| Arthur Baron
| Bugatti 3,300 c.c. S/C | 18.4 sec | Bugatti O.C. | Bugatti Owners' Club Lewes Speed Trials, Saturday 4 September 1937, Results. 4 September |
| rowspan=4|1938
| Arthur Baron | Bugatti 3,300 c.c. | 18.61 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC |
| John Bolster
| Bolster Special | 19.32 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | The Autocar, 17 June 1938, Page 1109. 11 June |
| H. Whitfield-Semmence
| Semmence-Special-A.C. | 22.0 sec | Motor Sport, August 1938, Page 296. 9 July |
| Peter Monkhouse
| E.R.A. 1{{frac|1|2}}-litre | 18.27 sec R | Kent & Sussex LCC |
| rowspan=4|1939
| Norman Lewis | Bugatti 2,300 c.c. | 18.47 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, June 1939, Page 184. 13 May |
| Ned Lewis
| Bugatti 2,300 c.c. | 18.88 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | Motor Sport, July 1939, Page 221. 17 June |
| Stuart Wilton
| M.G. | 21.60 sec | Motor Sport, August 1939, Page 232. 15 July |
| Arthur Baron
| Bugatti 3,300 c.c. | 18.75 sec | Kent & Sussex LCC | The Autocar, 25 August 1939, Page 319; Motor Sport, September 1939, Page 281. 19 August |
Key: R = Course Record; S/C = Supercharged.
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- John Bolster, Specials, G.T. Foulis & Co Ltd, Reprinted 1971.
- Jeremy Wood, Speed on the Downs: Lewes Speed Trials 1924-39, JWFA Books, {{ISBN|0-9522766-1-5}}
{{coord|50.88622|N|0.02738|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}