The B.A.R.C. Autumn Meeting
Goodwood closed its 1954 season on a strong note, for many interesting cars were present at the International Meeting on September 25th, which was graced, moreover, by fine weather. Of the competitors, Wharton returned to drive a B.R.M., although his Dunlop-disc-braked Maserati non-started, Stirling Moss drove a sports Lister-Bristol, Masten Gregory, fresh from his fine showing at Prescott, brought his 4 ½-litre Ferrari, Hawthorn drove Kelly’s latest four-cylinder 3-litre sports Ferrari, and, perhaps most interesting of all, Peter Collins and Mike Hawthorn handled the VanwaII Special, which had the 2.5-litre engine and promises well for Mr. Vandervell’s team next year, although this car, which looks very much like a Ferrari, breaks away more readily at the back than Enzo Ferrari would allow. Bicknell had his own version of two-plug cylinder head that he had used at the Crystal Palace on his Bevis-Norton.
An International aspect was definitely achieved this time, for, apart from Gregory, the American Pennybacker drove a TR2 Triumph, Rosier, in the absence of his nominated driver Estager, drove his new de Dion Maserati in all its races.
Practice was notable for Tony Gaze ground-looping the H.W.M.Jaguar when going too fast into Woodcote Corner, thereby bruising himself and, incidentally, providing Fairman with another drive.
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The Madwick Cup
(7 Laps, Scratch, Non-s/c. 2,000.c.c. Racing Cars)
Bob Gerard led from start to finish in his Cooper-Bristol, with 7.00-16 tyres on its back wheels to steady the rear end. Michael Keen would have been second in Chase’s Cooper-Alta, but he spun off at Woodcote, letting Don Beauman in Sir Jeremy Boles’ Connaught into second place. For once Horace Richards became tired of bringing up the rear and retired his six-carburetter Riley after three laps.
1st: F. R. Gerard (Cooper-Bristol) … 11 min. 36 sec. … 86.89 m.p.h.
2nd D. B. Beauman (Connaught) … 11 min. 39.4 sec.
3rd: M. Keen (Cooper-Alta) … 11 min. 51.6 sec.
Fastest lap: Beauman and Gerard, 88.34 m.p.h.
500-C.C. Race A (5 Laps, Scratch)
This was the best race of the day, because excitement never waned for one moment. Stirling Moss made a bad start and was fourth on lap one, waving a fist at Russell, who was just in front. Then he got out of the “box,” after falling to sixth place, and by lap three was second, right up behind Don Parker, who had the lead. Moss tried to go by coming out of Madgwiek but had to drop back. Once he got by but Parker instantly drew ahead again and it was a case of the Kieft being about a length ahead down Lavant Straight and half a length in front everywhere else, with Bicknell and Bueb as close up again. These four had a simply tremendous tussle, so that Russell’s departure onto the grass at Madgwick went almost unnoticed. In the course of this stirring race Moss Set a new 500-c.c. lap record with the Beart Cooper-Norton.
1st: D. Parker (Kieft) … 8 min. 50.8 sec…. 81.39 m.p.h.
2nd: S. Moss (Cooper-Norton) …8 min. 51.0 sec.
3rd: R. G. Bicknell (Revis-Norton)… 8 min. 51.8 sec.
New 500-c.c. lap record: Moss, 83.88 m.p.h.
Sports-Car Race A (5 Laps, Scratch, Non-s/c. Sports Cars up to 2,000 c.c.)
Salvadori was never really troubled, keeping the Gilby Maserati just sufficiently far ahead of Stirling Moss in the Lister-Bristol throughout. Tony Crook’s Cooper-Bristol held second place for the first lap, after which Moss passed, and on lap four Alan Brown in the Cooper-Bristol entered by Chase also went by.
The Maserati snaked somewhat, but Moss’ Lister-Bristol was noticeably steady, and lost by only 0.6 sec., making fastest lap.
At the tail-end of the race three TR2 Triumphs indulged in a high-speed tour led by Pennybacker’s yellow car, which had survived a panel-denting practice incident.
1st B. F. Salvadori (Maserati) … 8 min. 46.0 sec….. 82.13 m.p.h.
2nd: S. Moss (Lister-Bristol) … 8 min. 46.6 sec.
3rd: A. Brown (Cooper-Bristol) … 8 min. 51.2 sec.
Fastest Lap: Moss, 83.72 m.p.h.
The Goodwood Trophy (21 Laps, Scratch, F.1)
Having netted two-seconds, Moss made no mistake about winning the big race of the day. Peter Collins tried exceedingly hard in the Vanwall Special, the car looking quite dangerous as Peter turned on the power out of St. Mary’s, with the tail all over the road. The exhaust note is very encouraging, and the car’s performance on its first appearance in 2 ½-litre form most imposing. The chassis is tubular, with Ferrari-like suspension and de Dion rear-end, the four-cylinder, four-carburetter engine having twin o.h.c., hair-pin valve springs and rubber-bag fuel tank beside the engine.
Parnell’s Ferrari lasted a lap in third place before retiring (on lap three), after which Salvadori occupied this position to the end. Gerard lay fourth until Beauman pipped him on lap 14, but this didn’t suit Bob, who reversed matters one lap from the end. After four laps the Emeryson drew in — it spent the practice period having trouble with its fuel-injection system, which makes use of a diesel-injector pump.
Stirling calmly lapped the slower stuff, holding back a bit as he took Riseley-Pritchard’s Connaught at St. Mary’s on lap 14; he had to pass Gibson’s Cooper-Bristol at the same place on the next lap. Leslie Marr (Connaught) passed Hughes’ Cooper-Bristol on lap 16 and Young’s Connaught on lap 17 but Hosier, while earning some more starting-money, kept ahead, in eighth place, in his blue Maserati. These cars all kept close station but were well back, even Keen, who finished sixth, being a lap behind the leaders, Beauman (Connaught), ahead of him, taking the 2-litre prize. Boulton’s Connaught dented its tail at the chicane.
1st: S. Moss (Maserati) 33 min. 03.2 sec. … 91.49 m.p.h.
2nd: P. J. Collins (Vanwall Special) … 33 min. 23.6 sec.
3rd: R. F. Salvadori (Maserati) … 34 min. 20.6 sec.
Fastest lap: Moss, 92.9 m.p.h.
Sports-Car Race B (5 Laps, Scratch, Unlimited)
Some fine traffic jams at the chicane resulted from a field of 24 varied starters. Salvadori drove the Ecurie Ecosse XK120C Jaguar and led all the way, pursued by two Ferraris, Masten Gregory’s white and blue 4 ½-litre and Hawthorn in Kelly’s new green 3-litre car. Hawthorn took third place on lap three but on lap four he waved Gregory to pass at St. Mary’s and coasted onto the grass with back-axle failure. This put Abecassis (H.W.M.) into third place. Titterington’s Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar, which clipped the chicane wall with its tail, was fourth. Cuff-Miller brought up the rear in Alexander’s Allard.
Cliff Davis was trying out the Gilby Maserati, perhaps with a view to buying it for next season, but took things easily. The Sphinx spun at St. Mary’s but continued. Protheroe, escaped unscathed when his Jaguar overturned at Woodcote.
1st: R. F. Salvadori (Jaguar) … 8 min. 35.0 sec. … 83.88 m.p.h.
2nd: M. Gregory (Ferrari) … min. 35.2 sec.
3rd: G. Abecassis (H.W.M.) 8 min. 40.6 sec.
Fastest lap: Hawthorn (Ferrari), 86.4 m.p.h.
Woodcote Cp (10 Laps, Scratch, Formule Libre)
Much swopping of motor cars preceded this race, Wharton, his own Maserati unusable, taking a B.R.M., Peter Collins the Thinwall Ferrari, so that Hawthorn was in the Vanwall, Gould having Gibson’s Cooper-Bristol and Flockhart the other B.R.M.
Peter Collins had matters all his own way, giving another fine driving display, complete master of the 4 ½-litre Thinwall Ferrari, which he flung through the corners, although lapping at under 94 m.p.h. sufficed to win by six seconds from Wharton’s B.R.M.
Wharton showed how a B.R.M. should be handled and, in spite of misfiring, finished 3.6 sec. ahead of Moss’ Maserati. Great interest was lent to the race by Hawthorn keeping Moss’ tail warm through the corners, although along the Lavant straight the Maserati pulled out about six lengths’ lead over the Vanwall by reason a superior acceleration low down. Hawthorn never attempted to snatch a corner, following Moss through in impeccable style, but on lap eight, braking late for Woodcote, he looked about to pass but couldn’t quite manage it. Nevertheless, the Vanwall Special created a very favourable impression and Mr. Vandervell is to be warmly congratulated on fielding the first really effective British F. 1 car. (Rumour was murmuring that his 1955 team will be Hawthorn, Moss and Collins!)
Salvadori was fifth and Gerard sixth throughout, with Keen drifting his corners in pursuit. Flockhart lost an exhaust pipe from the B.R.M. and, after spinning ignominiously at the chicane, retired on the first lap.
500-C.C. Race B (5 Laps, Scratch)
After various poor starts and spins by Raby in the I.E.R. Midget, with “Puddle Jumper” on its side, and Zains’ Cooper, Berrow-Johnson’s Martin-Special won from Cowley’s Cooper.
1st: N. Berrow-Johnson (Martin-Special) … 9 min. 10.2 sec. … 78.52 m.p.h.
2nd: A. J. Cowley (Cooper) … 9 min. 11.6 sec.
3rd: J. Denley (Cooper) … 9 min. 18.4 sec.
Fastest lap: Cowley, 81.2 m.p.h.