B.A.R.C. Goodwood

The finish of the third of four members’ meetings, held at Goodwood on Saturday, June 22nd, and organized by the B.A.R.C. saw Chris Williams still in the lead for the Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Challenge Trophy with 15 1/2 points. Second with 12 points is Morgan man Adrian Dence, who so staunchly upholds this marque!

Ominous rain clouds started what looked like being a very wet meeting, but fortunately no rain fell and a good crowd were treated to an eventful day’s racing.

Stephen Minoprio had the misfortune to collide with Peter Skidmore’s D-type Jaguar early on in the 10-lap scratch race for sports cars, with the result that his Elva was bent in a big way, though neither driver was seriously injured. Chris Williams excelled himself in his Lotus 23 passing Mike Warner’s Lotus-Ford on the third lap, Warner holding second place until the penultimate lap when a rod through the side put an untimely end to his racing for the day. Ray Parsons (Lotus) drove to a well deserved third place, but had his work cut out to keep Robin Benson’s Elva off his tail.

The 10-lap race for G.T. cars over 1,600 c.c. saw Brian Hetreed’s ex-Mike Salmon Aston Martin Zagato DB4 GT in pole position on the grid. Hetreed got off to an impressive start, taking care not to emulate his previous misfortune at the Trophy Meeting when he spun off at Lavant, and won this event outright. Adrian Dence was lying third until lap four when he passed Tom Entwistle’s T.V.R. Grantura, and that was the finishing order. Poor Derek Pye gave himself a scare and provided the crowds in the chicane grandstand with an amusing moment when he performed some “ice skating” movements on the grass after spinning out of the chicane in his 2.6-litre Ford-engined A.C. on the third lap.

A great battle was fought for first place in the ten-lap race for G.T. cars by Elite drivers Bob Duggan and A. Chambers, Duggan finally coming out on top on the second lap and staying there to win despite Chambers’ efforts. Not far behind Chambers was Nick Grace in his Ginetta G4, who went on to finish third. Simon Scrimgeour took fourth place in his G.S.M. Delta after a fray with Harry Stiller also driving a G.S.M. Delta, and Jem Marsh (Marcos GT).

Favourite for the five-lap scratch race for saloon cars in two classes was Doc Merfield in a John Willment-entered Lotus Cortina, distinguished by the lateral red stripes along the boot, roof and bonnet. Driving the Willment-entered Cortina GT was Brian Muir. Merfield got off to a good start and led all the way, but Muir, who had been in second place, overdid it on the fourth lap at Madgwick while trying to catch up with Merfield and spun off, badly rearranging the appearance of the immaculate Cortina GT. Val Gardner performed acrobatics in the chicane with his Austin-Cooper “S” after getting over ambitious, much to the consternation of Mike Cave (A.40) who was immediately behind.

Alan Deacon’s big Lister Jaguar provided an amusing spectacle as it led Roy James’ diminutive Brabham F.J. in the first lap of the Formule Libre-cum-F. J. race, but James passed Deacon on the next lap, though the latter did well to hold off Rodney Banting (Brabham F.J.) to take a well earned second place. Fourth place went to Chris Williams’ Lotus 23, which was a little outclassed by the more nimble F.J. cars and the brute power of the Lister Jaguar.

Honours in the five-lap race for marque cars went to Adrian Dence, but only after a hard tussle with Tom Entwistle’s T.V.R. Grantura. Less fortunate was Neil Dangerfield, who spun his TR4 while taking evasive action on the first lap at Madgwick, but was able to continue, finishing well back in the field. Third place went to Don Jones in his Morgan Plus Four, who finished some distance behind Entwistle, and Len Bosshard had a nasty moment in the chicane on the first lap, but incurred no injury to himself or his TR3.

Mrs. Gabriel Konig, probably one of the prettiest ladies in racing, led the five lap handicap race for four laps in an Austin Healey Sprite with a handicap of 1 min. 55 sec., but went out with mechanical trouble, leaving first place to Raymond Jackson in his Elva Alfa Romeo, with John Bransfield taking second place in his G.S.M. Delta.

The day closed with a second five lap handicap race and this was won by G. Adams in a Vauxhall VX 4/90, with a handicap of 1 min. 15 sec. Scratch man Doc Merfield, however, could not catch up with the leaders, despite a fine display of driving, for some of them had nearly 2 min. start. Jeremy Thorpe bounced his Morris-Cooper off the wall of the chicane while trying to ward off Adam’s VX 4/90 and all but overturned his car, while Val Gardner brought his Austin Cooper “S” into second place with David Darby’s supercharged (!) Austin Cooper close behind.

Altogether a well organised event with credit due to the B.A.R.C. officials who had the results out very quickly indeed.–P. B.

Provisional Results:
10-lap scratch race for sports cars up to 1,000 c.c., 2,000 c.c. and unlimited engine capacity: 1st: C. M. M. Williams, (Lotus 23); 2nd: R. K. Parsons (Lotus Ford); 3rd: R. S. Benson (Elva-Climax).

10-lap scratch race for G.T. cars over 1,600 c.c.: 1st: B. Hetreed (Aston Martin Zagato); 2nd: A. C. Dence (Morgan Plus Four); 3rd: T. Entwistle (T.V.R. Grantura).

10-lap scratch race for G.T. cars, 1,151 c.c. to 1,600 c.c. and up to 1,150 c.c.: 1st: R. Duggan (Lotus Elite); 2nd: A. P. Chambers (Lotus Elite): 3rd: E. N. Grace (Ginetta G4).

5-lap scratch race for saloon cars up to and over 1,200 c.c.: 1st: D. P. Merfield (Lotus-Cortina); 2nd: V. Gardner (Austin-Cooper “S”); 3rd: M. H. Cave (Austin A40).

10-lap scratch race for F.J. and Formule Libre cars: 1st: R. J. James (Brabham F.J.); 2nd: T. Fletcher (Lister-Jaguar); 3rd: R. Banting (Brabham F.J.).

5-lap scratch race for Marque cars: 1st: A. C. Dence (Morgan Plus Four); 2nd: T. Entwistle (T.V.R. Grantura); 3rd: D. S. Jones (Morgan Plus Four).

5-lap handicap race: 1st: H. R. Jackson (Elva-Alfa Romeo); 2nd: J. Bransfield (G.S.M. Delta Ford); 3rd: J. F. Sach (Morgan Plus Four).

5-lap handicap race for closed cars: 1st: J. Adams (Vauxhall VX) 4/90; 2nd: V. F. Gardner (Austin-Cooper “S”); 3rd: D. E. Darby (Austin-Cooper S/c).

Points leaders for the “Motor Sport” Brooklands Memorial Challenge Trophy

C. M. M. Williams (Lotus 23) 15 1/2; A. C. Dence (Morgan Plus Four) 12; R. Buchanan-Michaelson (Fiat Abarth) 10; A. Deacon (Lister-Jaguar) 9; B. Hetreed (Aston Martin Zagato (DB4 GT) 8; R. Bloor (Lotus 23) 8; J. Fenning (Mini-Cooper) 7; D. Jones (Morgan Plus Four) 7; B. Bennett (Turner-Climax) 7; R. Duggan (Lotus Elite) 7.