Classics polishing up for Albany district memorial run this weekend

The Albany Vintage and Classic Motor Club is once again hosting the OD Inggs Memorial Run, with the 2019 event to be held on Saturday and Sunday.

The event was started by the then Grahamstown Veteran Car Club as a tribute to the late Inggs, a well-known and respected undertaker and businessman in the town.

“Inggs was also widely known and respected for his collection and knowledge of vintage and classic cars,” Albany club spokesperson Mike Newlands said.

The run will pass through the Albany district, with competitors navigating a route comprising 306km on the first day and 110km on the second.

“With all the ‘stop-goes’ and other forms of road reconstruction in place, compiling an interesting route came as a challenge for the clerk of the course and his team,” Newlands said.

The teams, consisting of a driver and a navigator, will gather at the Rosehill Mall in Port Alfred for scrutineering and a briefing, and will then receive the route schedule 30 minutes before their start.

The navigators will go through the instructions, trying to identify the route and find any tricks imposed by the clerk of the course.

Drivers, in the meantime, will be making last-minute checks on their cars.

The cars will start leaving at 9.30am at one-minute intervals.

Along the route they will encounter controls in the form of physical marshals or be required to insert their time of passing a certain landmark.

One point per second for early or late arrival at a control will be deducted.

The team with the lowest number of points at the completion of the two days will be the winner.

There will be a lunch break en route, after which the competitors will return to the Rosehill Mall for their final check-in.

The competitors will join the Rotary Club’s Saint Patricks Day function at the Port Alfred River and Skiboat Club on Saturday evening. The starting point on Sunday will also be the Rosehill Mall at 9am, with competitors following a shorter route, before returning to the Skiboat Club via the Rosehill Mall final control.

They will arrive from about 11.30am onwards.

The prize-giving lunch will be held at the Skiboat Club, with trophies to be awarded for the overall winning team, followed by second- and thirdplaced teams.

Trophies will also be awarded to the best navigator, first woman driver, winning club trophy and oldest car entered. ● For more information, e-mail Mike Newlands at mikenewlands@border.co.za