A great variety of machinery turned up in the cool, cloudy conditons, but it was a day of mixed fortunes. John Renwick had some issues with the nitrous oxide injection system on his Vincent outfit. With some occasionally lurid flashes of flame, it was eventually sorted out to post an amazing 10.68/127mph run, which was getting very close to the times of the modern solos. Ray Law, on his double-engined Triumph, was also in the zone with 10.87/131mph.
Martin Willmott damaged his 500 Triumph in his first timed run, but 12.57/109 was enough to take the class and beat Malcolm Herwin on his 500 Petty Manx Norton. Martin was still out of luck with his 750, which lost oil pressure as he was about to launch on his second run. John Brent, on Derek Leigh’s supercharged Rudge, shed a chain and Roy Robertson suffered clutch problems on his Egli Vincent.
Doubtless, there’ll be some workshop time expended before the VMCC’s Wroughton Speed Trials on June 10.
