No-Spin Goodwood

Six Penalisations on April 25th

The results of races at the 61st B.A.R.C. Members’ Meeting were not always what they seemed, because the no-spinning-onto-the-grass or even just motoring with all wheels on the grass rule was enforced at least half-a-dozen times, making a farce of the racing-Coundley was penalised twice, although his handling of the Lotus 22 with 2.7-litre Climax engine was highly polished—his agricultural excursions were due to the highly-polished road, rain falling during the first two races.

Pittard, running but once in the Willment 1,650-c.c. Ford Anglia, won the 7-lap Saloon-Car Scratch Race without any trouble, masterfully overtaking obstructing cars into the chicane. For once a 3.8 Jaguar, Runham’s, kept up with the smaller cars, finishing second, head of Digby in Cave’s well-known A40. Fenning went well in Rob Walker’s smart RRW 1 Austin-Cooper S, finishing fourth, and second to Digby in his class. Airey’s Austin-Cooper, which went home on a trailer, is registered ADO 15, so Rob Walker doesn’t have this aspect of the Mini-hobby all to himself! Light relief was provided by Griggs, who had the maximum possible number of incidents in the shortest possible distance coming out of the chicane on the first lap.

In the 10-lap F.3 and F.L. Scratch Race Coundley took Chris Williams’ Lotus 23B on lap four and ran away from it, only to drop to fourth place because of the aforesaid penalty. Lambert’s Lotus-Cosworth-Ford was second, a discreet distance behind Williams, third place going to Gethin’s snaky 1100 Lotus-Ford. Irwin’s latest Holbay-tuned Merlyn-Ford won the F.3 class from Fenning’s Lotus-B.M.C. and Brooke’s Lotus 20-Ford, at 79.47 m.p.h. Sullivan splayed the front wheels of his 1963 Brabham-B.M.C. on the chicane wall.

The Marque Scratch Race was exciting, for Haynes’ M.G.-B-powered Elva Courier fought a furious duel with Kendall’s ex-Dence Morgan Plus Four, passing down Lavant on lap three after Kendall had overtaken the Elva on Woodcote Corner on the opening lap. This necessitated driving on the grass out of Woodcote and although Kendall drove on, out of sight of the Elva, he was penalised 60 sec. and unplaced. The Elva eased off, to win from the Morgans of White and Messervy.

On a dry track Williams showed the real form of his Lotus-Climax in the 10-lap Sports-Car Race, leaving Coundley comfortably behind. The latter was second past the chequered-flag but ran wide out of the chicane (where there used to be wattle-fencing, which drivers were allowed to demolish with impunity), so was docked 60 sec., which dropped him to third place behind Gethin—absurd!

The GT Scratch Race saw Miles in Lawlor’s Motor Crafts’ Classic-bodied Cosworth-hotted Turner-Ford lead all the way, to win by 22.2 sec. from Pateras’ Lotus-Elan, also Cosworth-tuned, and with Willment suspension mods., which had spun, unpenalised, when avoiding Jones’ errant Elan. Buchanan-Michaelson’s just-homologated Simca Abarth 2000 was a disappointing third. Lord Cross never got his 4.7-litre A.C. Cobra motoring. Dilley lost a wheel from his immaculate Frazer Nash.

Three handicaps concluded the afternoon’s sport, which included elephant-jokes over the p.a. Valerie Pirie (Lotus Elan), from limit, was unchallenged in the first handicap, turning on front-wheel-lifting power out of the chicane—a neat drive. She gained as much publicity from wearing a Moss crash-hat as for winning the race. The Simca was second, Bewd’s Lotus 17 third. Pateras crashed his Elan and was seriously injured. Dunnell’s Austin-Cooper S ran right away with the Saloon-Car Handicap, from Nicholson’s Ford Lotus-Cortina and Cave’s A40, the latter spared a re-handicap for some reason, so the Ford had to give it 10 sec. The GT Handicap, starting 15 minutes late, was a victory for Kendall, who took Wilson’s tuned 4-pipe B.M.W. 700 coupé on the last lap, after this little car had been flung through the corners with surprising stability. Graham’s Tornado Talisman was third. Pittard scored another four points, giving him 12 in the Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy Contest, to Nicholson’s eleven, while C. M. M. Williams (Lotus) ties with Pittard, but there was another round on May 30th so the position may well have changed.—W. B.