Goodwood revival
John Surtees’ magnificent drive in David Piper’s Ferrari 250LM looked decisive in the RAC Tourist Trophy Celebration, highlight of the third Goodwood Revival Meeting, until the green prototype was delayed in the pits. 1988 Indycar champion Danny Sullivan duly swept Robert Sarrailh’s Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, started by Steve Hitchins, through to victory over Surtees/Piper, the Jaguar E-type of Rob Wilson/Frank Sytner and Grahame Bryant’s AC Cobra, with a charging Bill Shepherd up.
Sullivan also won the 1950s sportscar war in the Lotus 15 with which Robert Brooks triumphed at this meeting in 1998. Despite not having driven it before, the ’85 Indy 500 winner shook off Win Percy’s similar car. The race was restarted after John Harper lost his ex-Chris Bristow Cooper Monaco, first time out, at Madgwick, and collected Tiff Needell’s Lister-Jaguar.
Richard Attwood returned to the scene of his BRM debut in 1964, winning the Glover Trophy consummately in his recreated P261-7. Slowing for oil, he allowed John Beasley’s Brabham 13T4 to shadow him in. Sullivan just avoided Tim Sugden’s gyrating Lotus 24, but powered the ex-Surtees Lola Mk4 from last to third.
Nigel Corner’s accident (see Matters of Moment, page 4) marred the Richmond & Gordon Trophies race, eventually won by Harper’s ex-Moss Cooper T51 which started from the back. After Martin Stretton’s C-type Connaught transmission failed, Rod Jolley and Harper duelled until Jolley half-spun his ex-Brabham Cooper. Two Scarabs started and Don Orosco’s finished third.
Peter Hardman propelled the 1958 and ’59 Goodwood TTwinning Aston Martin to victory in the [avant Cup. Once Tony Dron had pitted the Fen-ari 246 Dino, the spectacular Ian Donaldson challenged in Andrew Pisker’s brake-frying Jaguar D.
The Nine Hours retro fell to Martin Walford’s smoky AllardCadillac J2R. Despite pirouetting at Woodcote, Walford got the verdict by 0.9sec after young gun Justin Law (Jaguar C) and seasoned ace Willie Green (Aston Martin DB3S) had both been ham-strung with controversial jump-start penalties.
Britain’s best ever front-engined Formula Junior field looked like a time-warp from Brands Hatch on Boxing Day, 1959, except for the absence of the then-novel Lotus 18 ‘pusher.’ In its stead came an Italian effort, taking the shapely form of Fiat-engined Stanguellinis, Volpinis and an OSCA. A tremendous squabble ensued, but when FIA Lurani Trophy champion Tony Steele spun his Lola, victory fell to Ian Scott’s Elva.
The 500cc F3 cats impressed too, in the international category’s 50th year. Julian Majzub (Cooper-Norton Mk8) was made to work hard for his hat-trick by John Turner in the ex-David Boshier-Jones Cooper-JAP Mk9. Ludovic Lindsay and ERA R5B ‘Remus’ also maintained their perfect Revival record, the gallant 1936 steed pressured by Roddy MacPherson’s Cooper-Bristol.
The new Fordwater Trophy race for production-derived sports and GT cars fell to Brendan Roberts, who door-handled his Lotus Elite past Gerry Marshall’s Healey 100S. Earlier, ‘Big Gerry’ had narrowly failed to match Nick Whale in a Mustang battle. MP