21 replies to this topic

[Kvadrat]

1907

1907.06.07 Fri Brooklands		  Circuit Presentation

1907.06.28 Fri Brooklands		  24-Hour Record Run Day 1		   Napier/S.F.Edge

1907.06.29 Sat Brooklands		  24-Hour Record Run Day 2		   Napier/S.F.Edge

1907.07.06 Sat Brooklands		  Opening Meeting			  (1/6) Marcel Renault Memorial Plate Race   85-110 mm to RAC Formula

1907.07.06 Sat Brooklands		  Opening Meeting			  (2/6) Horsley Plate Race				   60-85 mm to RAC Formula

1907.07.06 Sat Brooklands		  Opening Meeting			  (3/6) Gottlieb Daimler Memorial Plate Race 120-155 mm to RAC Formula

1907.07.06 Sat Brooklands		  Opening Meeting			  (4/6) Byfleet Plate Race				   110-135 mm to RAC Formula

1907.07.06 Sat Brooklands		  Opening Meeting			  (5/6) First Montagu Cup Race			   155-235 mm to RAC Formula

1907.07.06 Sat Brooklands		  Opening Meeting			  (6/6) Stevenson Plate Race				 cars costing no less than J600

1907.07.20 Sat Brooklands		  Second Meeting			   (?/?) Selling Plate Race

1907.07.20 Sat Brooklands		  Second Meeting			   (?/?) Private contest

1907.08.07 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) International Plate Race

1907.08.07 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) Heath Stakes

1907.08.07 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) Belgian Plate Race

1907.08.07 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) Oatland Selling Plate Race

1907.08.07 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) The Prix de la France Race

1907.09.14 Sat Brooklands		  September Meeting			(?/?)

1907.09.20 Fri Brooklands		  Record Run						 Darracq/Guinness

1907.10.12 Sat Brooklands		  Closing Meeting			  (?/?)

1907.10.23 Wed Brooklands		  Record Run						 Ford/Perry

1907.11.06 Mon Brooklands		  Record Run						 Napier/Edge						  26 HP

1907.11.06 Mon Brooklands		  Record Run						 Napier/Tryon						 40 HP

1907.11.06 Mon Brooklands		  Record Run						 Napier/Newton						26 HP

1907.11.06 Mon Brooklands		  Record Run						 Napier/Cannon

1907.11.22 Fri Brooklands		  Record Run						 Thames/Earp

1907.11.30 Sat Brooklands		  Record Run						 Napier/Newton						60 HP

1907.12.03 Tue Brooklands		  Record Run						 Darracq/Humphries

1907.12.10 Tue Brooklands		  Record Run						 Thames/Earp						  60 HP

Source - Brooklands The Complete Motor Racing History by William Boddy

[Kvadrat]

There are some pictures from 1907 in Getty Images Archive at http://editorial.get.....0|0&p=0&tag=1.

Dates Jun 6 and Jul 1 seem to b incorrect as well as Jan 1 which is probably set when date is actually unknown.

So one picture probably is not from race day and not frm June 1 as written:
http://editorial.get...d=3253765&cdi=0

There one picture illustrated Edge's 24-hour record run:
http://editorial.get...d=3252938&cdi=0

The Opening Meeting on July 6:
http://editorial.get...d=3276843&cdi=0
http://editorial.get...d=3288916&cdi=0
http://editorial.get...d=3252943&cdi=0
http://editorial.get...d=3278094&cdi=0
http://editorial.get...d=3253796&cdi=0
http://editorial.get...d=3251561&cdi=0
http://editorial.get...d=3360942&cdi=0

I have doubts about this picture:
http://editorial.get...d=3253766&cdi=0

Is it really from the opening meeting? BARC used coloured jackets to recognize participants not starting numbers then. Later in the year they finally were allowed to use starting numbers but William Boddy didn't specify in which meeting they were used for the first time.

The book has picture of a car with number plate on the tale from September Meeting. It looks like this:
http://editorial.get...d=3287852&cdi=0
But the picture above doesn't have proper identification in Getty Images Archive.

There is also picture of the first Brooklands fatal accident which happened in September Meeting:
http://editorial.get...d=3252944&cdi=0

December 10 record attempt:
http://editorial.get...d=3253767&cdi=0

Newton in Napier but when?
http://editorial.get...d=3252939&cdi=0
It's probably not in November when he set records.

[Darren Galpin]

There are some missing events:

July 20th
Manx Stakes
Surrey Stakes
Century Stakes
Weybridge Stakes

The selling plate race was also known as the Hollick Selling Plate.


August 5th
White Steam Car Plate
Walton Stakes


September 14th
I 26 hp race
I 40 hp race
I 90 hp race
Handicap sweepstakes
Match Race
I 60 hp Race
Mercedes Handicap


October 12th
Medium Handicap Sweepstakes
II 26 hp Race
October Handicap Sweepstakes
II 60 hp Race
Private Stakes
II 90 hp Race


All source from articles in The Times.

[Kvadrat]

Thank you for additions. I made mistake with August Bank Holiday date. August 5 is correct.

Do you have accurate order of races for that meeting?

[Darren Galpin]

The order I wrote them in should be the order they occurred in, although that is dependent upon the newspaper reporting them in exact order of course.

[RTH]

Anyone recommend a good event coming up in the near future , to take my two nephews to at Brooklands ?

[Kvadrat]

So we have for the second meeting:

1907.07.20 Sat Brooklands		  Second Meeting			   (?/?) Hollick Selling Plate Race

1907.07.20 Sat Brooklands		  Second Meeting			   (?/?) Private contest

1907.07.20 Sat Brooklands		  Second Meeting			   (?/?) Manx Stakes

1907.07.20 Sat Brooklands		  Second Meeting			   (?/?) Surrey Stakes

1907.07.20 Sat Brooklands		  Second Meeting			   (?/?) Century Stakes

1907.07.20 Sat Brooklands		  Second Meeting			   (?/?) Weybridge Stakes

I just added races from your list to already known to me ones, but I don't know their order.

August meeting:

1907.08.05 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) International Plate Race

1907.08.05 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) Heath Stakes

1907.08.05 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) Belgian Plate Race

1907.08.05 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) Oatland Selling Plate Race

1907.08.05 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) The Prix de la France Race

1907.08.05 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) White Steam Car Plate

1907.08.05 Mon Brooklands		  August Bank Holiday Meeting  (?/?) Walton Stakes

Again, I just added two further races to previous list in indefinite order.

For August and October meetings I had nothing so everything I have now is from your list:

1907.09.14 Sat Brooklands		  September Meeting			(1/7) I 26 hp race						 26 HP

1907.09.14 Sat Brooklands		  September Meeting			(2/7) I 40 hp race						 40 HP

1907.09.14 Sat Brooklands		  September Meeting			(3/7) I 90 hp race						 90 HP

1907.09.14 Sat Brooklands		  September Meeting			(4/7) Handicap sweepstakes

1907.09.14 Sat Brooklands		  September Meeting			(5/7) Match Race

1907.09.14 Sat Brooklands		  September Meeting			(6/7) I 60 hp Race						 60 HP

1907.09.14 Sat Brooklands		  September Meeting			(7/7) Mercedes Handicap



1907.10.12 Sat Brooklands		  Closing Meeting			  (1/6) Medium Handicap Sweepstakes

1907.10.12 Sat Brooklands		  Closing Meeting			  (2/6) II 26 hp Race						26 HP

1907.10.12 Sat Brooklands		  Closing Meeting			  (3/6) October Handicap Sweepstakes

1907.10.12 Sat Brooklands		  Closing Meeting			  (4/6) II 60 hp Race						60 HP

1907.10.12 Sat Brooklands		  Closing Meeting			  (5/6) Private Stakes

1907.10.12 Sat Brooklands		  Closing Meeting			  (6/6) II 90 hp Race						90 HP

[Vitesse2]

Vladimir: another (developing) picture library is the that of the Illustrated London News. Not many motor racing pictures at the moment, but they've really only just started - they're in both the Sport and Transport sections.

Here's another drawing of Edge's record run:

http://www.ilnpictur...8659_115466.jpg

And this one's rather fun ...

http://www.ilnpictur...DetailID=68654#

[Kvadrat]

Richard, thank you for the link. We'll look forward for more pictures from them.

I have a picture found somewhere in the Internet with caption saying it's 1907 crash:



William Boddy says about two major accidents and describes them this way:

That first season saw an exciting incident and a fatal accident. Huntley Walker's 100hp Darracq, baulked by Newton's Napier after the finish of a race, spun round and shot backwards over the top of the Members' Banking at the top of the Finishing Straight. The mechanic leapt out, but Walker stayed at the wheel and drove in the next race. The car was afterwards raced by Warwick Wright. It had cast-iron pistons, hollow conrods, overhead valves and low-tension ignition. The crankcase pressure was considerable and the engine threw out much oil, to the discomfort of the occupants. On one occasion a Bosch high-tension magneto was tried, but the car preferred the older system. The live-axle transmission stood up well to the fierce phospher-bronze cone clutch. Eventually a camshaft broke and pierced the crankcase, and although a good repair was made in those early days of aluminium welding, the Darracq was never the same again.

The other accident was altogether more serious. It happened at the September meeting. Vincent Herman, driving Moore-Brabazon's Minerva, overturned after crossing the finishing line by attempting to turn on to the Members' Banking at too high a speed; the front wheels collapsed and the car rolled over, pinning Herman beneath it. His mechanic was thrown clear, but Herman had been fatally injured. To make matters worse, a pitched battle took place outside the Clubhouse as BARC officials sought to prevent Press photographers from entering after the stretchers had been conveyed inside.

Both accidents happened at Members Banking entrance from Finishing Straight.

We have picture of Minerva: http://editorial.get...d=3252944&cdi=0. The car is lying on banking.

In question picture we see something like medical car besides a man. Killed Herman?

[Kvadrat]

By the way, does anyone know in which meeting Huntley Walker's accident (see above) did happen?

[Darren Galpin]

20th July 1907.

[Kvadrat]

Here's map from William Boddy book:



It has 0.5 mile, 1 km and 1 mile marks. And it's not enough to calculate race distances for various combinations of start/finish and particular number of laps or to reconstruct race route from known race distance.

Does anyone have more detailed maps of other useful information?

[Vitesse2]

This is what you need, Vladimir.

The Administration of Racing at Brooklands

Not cheap though ....

[Kvadrat]

Originally posted by Vitesse2 Not cheap though ....

You're right...

[Kvadrat]

Originally posted by Vitesse2
Vladimir: another (developing) picture library is the that of the Illustrated London News. Not many motor racing pictures at the moment, but they've really only just started - they're in both the Sport and Transport sections.

Here's another drawing of Edge's record run:

http://www.ilnpictur...8659_115466.jpg

Caption: Selwin Francis Edge, an Australian, (usually known as "S.F.") with riding mechanic, breaking speed records at Brooklands in a Napier racing car. The pipes around the side of the car act as a radiator. The car still exists today.

The same image at Motoring Picture Library: http://www.motoringp...D=22&fleID=5617

The caption is: SF Edge driving a Napier, Brooklands, Surrey, 1907.

BUT. William Boddy book has picture of the start of 24-Hour record run. Cars are different:



Caption: The 60hp Napiers before starting their famous 24-hour run in 1907. Edge's car is on the outside, Newton's in the centre and Tryon's on the inside of the track. Edge averaged 65.9mph, covering over 1,581 miles during the two rounds of the dock, a record that stood for 18 years.

So what is the car on the first pictures?

[Tim Murray]

The car is the 90 hp Napier 'Samson'. I'm not sure why it is fitted with headlights in the picture, as I can find no mention in Boddy's book of this particular car being used for any long-distance record attempts.

[Kvadrat]

Probably this car took part in 1905 Gordon Bennett Race driven by Clifford Earp.

Here it is in Bexhill race: http://editorial.get...d=3276845&cdi=0.

[Kvadrat]

Postcard on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/...bayphotohosting

Caption: Brooklands, 4th open meeting, 1907

4th Meeting was on September 14.

Can anyone identify the car?

[Vitesse2]

The seller's description says it's Frank Newton in the 50hp Napier and I have no reason to doubt that. Compare the car on p20 of Boddy's Brooklands book - the long wheelbase is distinctive - and the picture of Newton in the 60hp on p22.

Perhaps someone who has "First to wear the Green" can confirm?

[Leif Snellman]

Well it says "Postcard shows F. Newton in a 50hp Napier" Is there any reason to doubt that?

Indeed the driver looks very similar to the one on the following picture:

http://www.hartlana....hive/im0143.htm

[Vitesse2]

Thanks Leif, saved me hunting that one down! I was pretty sure there was a picture of Newton there. That car is the 60hp.

Here's the 50hp, with Tryon up, although it says 1908 in the description. Like I said, a l-o-n-g wheelbase!

http://www.hartlana....hive/im0138.htm

[Kvadrat]

I missed line above that one I quoted. Sorry.