The Final Goodwood Meeting (September 21st)

Adrian Dence (Morgan Plus Four) wins Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy and £75 prize by half-a-point.

Close racing characterised the last 1963 Members’ Meeting of the B.A.R.C. The first race, a 10-lap scratch race for F.J. and F.L. cars was a run-away victory for the Ecurie Ecosse Cooper-Monaco driven by Jimmy Stewart. It led all the way, winning at 96.88 m.p.h. (best lap, 98.86 m.p.h.). Mike Warner brought Parker’s bored-out Lotus-Ford home second, and Bunting’s Brabham-Ford was third, winning the F.J. category.

The 5-lap Final of the Spring Grove Saloon Car Championship was truly intense, Doc. Merfield leading all the way in his Willment Lotus-Ford Cortina, crossing the line 0.4 sec. before Cave’s A40, although the latter won the Championship, of which the commentator made such a fuss, to the virtual exclusion of other championships contested at Goodwood, that I thought of heading this report “No Dirty Linen at Goodwood!” Journalist McNally drove Odor’s Morris-Cooper-S very well, taking third place when Smith bounced his Austin-Cooper off the chicane wall, losing him ground. Merfield’s average? 83.4 m.p.h., his fastest lap at 84.71 m.p.h.

The 5-lap Marque Scratch Race was won neatly by Adrian Dence’s Lawrence-tune Morgan Plus Four hard-top with the new inclined-valve head which, although it wasn’t entirely au point, was able to average 82.92 m.p.h. and dispose of the vertical-valve Morgans of Spice, Kendall and Sanger. The first three were credited with a joint fastest lap of 84.54 m.p.h. This victory gave Dence a half-point lead in the Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy Contest which was never challenged.

Quite sensational describes the finish of the 10-lap scratch race that followed this Morgan marque domination. It looked as if nothing could catch Deacon’s Lister-Jaguar after it had taken the lead on the second lap, but Mike Warner driving Parker’s Ford-engined Lotus 23B hung on magnificently. His close proximity may have worried Deacon, who seemed to hesitate almost imperceptibly as they left the chicane for the last time. Warner seized his opportunity, accelerating alongside on the left-hand side, to win by what observers at the finish referred to as two-feet, and the timekeepers as 0.2 sec.! I would dearly love to know what revs. the 1,600-c.c. Ford engine was doing over the line in this dignity and impudence photo-finish! The average was 93.2 m.p.h. and Warner made best lap, at 94.94 m.p.h.— Deacon not being coupled with him. Had Jackie Stewart started it might have been different, but David Murray’s Cooper-Monaco withdrew from the grid with back axle trouble.

Another stirring 10-lap Scratch Race followed, in which three cars, Lacey’s Merlyn, Porter’s Lotus 7 and Manfield’s Lotus 23, all Ford-powered, raced in a tight trio for the entire distance. For six laps the order was Lacey, Porter, Manfield. Porter got ahead to lead lap seven, but Manfield overtook him next round, to lead to the finish, winning at 87.75 m.p.h. Porter had the consolation of fastest lap, at 89.07 m.p.h. Behind these duellists, in solitary state, drove Bennett, his Turner GT winning the up-to-1,150-c.c. G.T. class, and behind another intense duel was fought between Lalonde’s Marcos, Bransfield’s G.S.M.-Delta, and Buchanan-Michaelson’s Fiat Abarth. But the leading Marcos was penalised for jumping the start.

Jimmy Stewart was out again in the next 10-lap Scratch Race, giving the Ecurie Ecosse Tojeiro-Buick another try-out. It is David Murray’s intention to see how this car performs on every circuit in Britain before using it for serious racing, but I gather its Corvair gearbox will be changed for something more suitable. It performed splendidly at Goodwood, never being challenged and winning at 94.06 m.p.h. and 28.4 sec. from Sutcliffe’s E-type Jaguar, which was followed home by the Aston Martin DB4GT Zagatos of Hetreed and Skailes.

Two Handicaps concluded a fine day’s racing, Digby in Cave’s A40 winning the first at 81.91 mph. from the Merfield Lotus-Cortina and Crisp’s Daimler SP250, hood up, the second, at 80.84 m.p.h. from Mrs. Wheeler’s “limit” T.V.R. Grantura.

Thereafter Mrs. Winifred Boddy presented the Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy to Dence (16 points), who also received the cheque for £75, some compensation for having driven his Morgan up the bank out of Lavant Corner in his second race. Second in this year’s Contest was Chris Williams (not present—15 1/2 points) and Mike Warner and Bob Duggan (13 points each) share the third prize of £25. Now Goodwood sleeps until the Spring.—W. B.