The September Goodwood Meeting

A crowd of some 30,000 watched an excellent B.A.R.C. Goodwood Meeting on September 17th, the weather, atmosphere and style of racing being reminiscent of those October final meetings of Show week we used to enjoy pre-war at Brooklands. The races were run off efficiently and slickly. Reg. Parnell, who has made a habit of winning the Daily Graphic prizes at Goodwood, did it again but only by dint of sheer hard work on the part of Wilkinson and his mechanics. For the Maserati had to be rebuilt after its trouble at Monza and then had engine trouble in practice, so that a new block had to be rushed from Derby on the Friday evening and fitted in a local garage, the engine being run-in as best it. could be as the car was towed to Goodwood on the Saturday morning. Nevertheless, Parnell not only raised his Goodwood fastest-average by 2.25 m.p.h. in winning the big race of the day at 86.43 m.p.h., but he raised his own record for the 2 1/2-mile circuit by 2.16 m.p.h., to 89.26 m.p.h., equalling this in a later race. As Walker’s E-type E.R.A. was challenging strongly, the race-goers saw some very stirring racing. The E-type lapped at 87.8 m.p.h.

Improvements in the form of covered stalls in the paddock, larger enclosures and covered stands were in evidence and the commentary by Eason Gibson and John Bolster was excellent, Bolster doing what a commentator should have done ages ago, namely, telling the spectators real facts about the cars, describing the racing accurately in conjunction with Gibson, and keeping his listeners in fits of laugher during lulls in the action. We shall long remember his suggestion, when Stirling Moss, celebrated his 20th birthday by winning the Madgwick Cup Race, that the crowd should sing “Happy birthday, Stirling, happy birthday to you” — and our disappointment that it didn’t respond.

Fastest practice lap was made by Shawe-Taylor (E.R.A.) at 85.5 m.p.h., Harrison doing about 85 m.p.h., Moss 84 and McAlpine over 83 m.p.h. Poor Butterworth worked all night to replace a thrown-rod on his A.J.B.

In the Paddock we met an old friend in the form of the ex-Straight, ex-Duller Duesenberg, entered by G. Andrews and now sprayed silver and having a Ford V8 30-h.p. engine with dual d.d. carburetters; the combination of B & D and friction rear damping is retained. Alas, the car was a non-runner. It was noted that some of the V-twin Coopers dispense with bonnet air-scopes, taking air in beneath the seat, instead.

The Madgwick Cup Race (up to1,100 c.c. s/c, up to 2,000 c.c. non-s/c) Five Laps — Scratch
As the Union Jack fell Brandon went smoothly to the front in his Cooper 1,000 but de Lissa’s M.G. was in trouble at once and Downing’s Riley (the ex-Brooke Special with six S.U.s, a Lucas vertical magneto and smart bodywork) was slow away. What happened on lap one, save that Moss’ Cooper 1,000 led Brandon’s, was confused for Motor Sport because one official told us to get over a barrier so that the Judges could see and marshal Bolton argued that he didn’t want the Press in his enclosure anyway and by the time this was over the cars were finishing lap two. (Later we saw a lady member of the Press taking tea with Mr. Bolton in his preserve, so perhaps if we wear a skirt next year we shall get better service.)

Lap two saw Moss leading from Brandon, Shillito’s Riley closing fast on Whitehouse’s Cooper 1,000, with Abecassis in the H.W. Alta fifth, Cooper’s blue Cooper 1,000 sixth, Poore’s ex-Hutchison Veritas seventh, Folland’s Ferrari eighth, and de Mattos (Spikins), Jacobs (M.G.), the Vanguard-H.R.G. and Downing jogging along behind. Aston spun in heart-stopping manner, then Shillito dropped out with broken throttle linkage and after a further lap the H.R.G., the M.G., and the Brooke Riley had each picked up a place, although the H.R.G. was boiling. Moss was now some 300 yards ahead of Brandon, and Abecassis began to challenge Whitehouse. But the V-twin Coopers were not to be denied and although the Ferrari and Riley each picked up another place, the leading trio remained secure, gaining the first big victory by these game little cars.

1st: S. Moss (995-c.c. Cooper-JAP. (82.1.0 m.p.h.) … 8 min. 46.2 sec.
2nd: B. Brandon (995-c.c. Cooper-J.A.P.) … 8 min. 49.4 sec.
3rd: W. J. Whitehouse (995-c.c. Cooper-J.A.P.) … 9 min. 2.0 sec.
Fastest lap: Moss (Cooper), 84.7 m.p.h.
Then: Abecassis (H.W. Alta), Poore (Veritas), Folland (Ferrari), Cooper (Cooper), Downing (Riley), Jacobs (M.G.), de Mattos (Spikins), Scott (H.R.G.).

The Woodcote Cup Race (over 1,450 c.c. s/c) — Five Laps — Scratch
This was one of the best races of the day. Powys-Lybbe’s Alfa-Romeo, fresh from winning the Wakefield Trophy Race, was handle-started, but faltered on the line and it was Harrison’s Sleek E.R.A. which forged clear of the field at the start, the two-stage Maseratis of Parnell and Hampshire in hot pursuit. Norton’s early 1 1/2-litre Alta was pushed disconsolately back to the Paddock.

Then, the crowd on its toes and a murmer of elation rippling through the grandstands heralded the arrival of Parnell pursued by Walker’s E-type E.R.A. The E.R.A. slid wide at Woodcote Corner, raising a wall of earth, as it was to do each lap, and roared past Parnell’s Maserati. So great was the tension that those who followed — Harrison, Poore’s big Alfa-Romeo, Hampshire’s ex-Ashmore Maserati, McAlpine’s Maserati, Dutt’s old Maserati, and Powys-Libbe went by scarcely noticed. Walker was still ahead after two laps, arms working furiously, he and Parnell really racing. Behind, the order was unchanged, save that Powys-Lybbe had passed Dutt, whose Maserati looked a rare handful, although later both retired. For two more tremendous laps Peter Walker kept the British E-type out in front, Parnell closing along the straights, leaving his braking a bit later, cornering more steadily, yet never quite able, until the very last lap, to go by. On that last lap the red car did it, in spite of Walker’s hurried slide round Woodcote in unavailing pursuit. The Maserati, breaking the lap record, won by 1.4 sec., and Harrison’s E.R.A., sixth at Monza, was a splendid third, Hampshire close behind. Popular as Parnell is, the crowd yelled its delight that Walker had at last got an E-type motoring. He threw back his head and laughed heartily as he got out of the cockpit, from the sheer fun of the scrap, Parnell was laughing and the Duke of Richmond and Gordon joined in — a happy trio.

1st: R. Parnell (1,490-c.c. s/c Maserati) (85.11 m.p.h.) … 8 min. 27.6 sec.
2nd: P. D. C. Walker (1,488-c.c. s/c E.R.A.) … 8 min. 29.0 sec.
3rd: T. C. Harrison (1,488-c.c. s/c E.R.A.) … 8 min. 35.8 sec.
Fastest lap: Parnell (Maserati), 87.63 m.p.h.
Then: Hampshire (Maserati), Poore (Alfa-Romeo), McAlpine (Maserati).

500-c.c. Race — Five Laps — Scratch
Parker warmed his Parker Special on the jack until the very last moment but got away badly and never made up the lost ground, so that out of the thrusting, jostling pack came Collins, Dryden and Colham, all on Coopers, closely matched. After two laps Collins led, changing into top by the stands, but Beels had come up into second place in Holtrust’s Cooper and Dryden was right up behind him, followed by Coldham.

Fry’s Parsenn hadn’t survived the start and Sparrowe’s Marwyn was touring along rather bouncily far behind the field. The leaders held their positions until the last lap, when Coldham got past Dryden into third place. Beels, crouching, like Coldham, low over the wheel, just couldn’t find the distance needed to pass Collins, who won by a mere second, at nearly 75 m.p.h.
1st: P. Collins (497-c.c. Cooper) (74.95 m.p.h.) … 9 min. 30.4 sec.
2nd: L. Beels (497-c.c. Cooper) … 9 min. 37.4 sec.
3rd: S. A. Coldham (497-c.c. Cooper) … 9 min. 49.0 sec.
Fastest lap: Beels (Cooper), 76.8 m.p.h.
Then: Dryden (Cooper), Habin (Cooper), May (Cooper), Parker (Parker Special), Saunders (Cooper), Page (Cooper), Watkins (Cooper), Sparrowe (Marwyn Special).

1st September Handicap — Five Laps
Parnell’s Maserati was wheeled to the scratch position, scorning the parade lap. Baring’s Maserati leapt off, Dutt diced away with spinning wheels, McAlpine led Fotheringham Parker’s Maserati from the line, Joe Fry spun his Maserati wheels and Brandon stalled his engine but recovered. On the very last lap Moss lost the means of selecting gears on his Cooper 1,000, and a lap later Brandon lost second gear. Meanwhile, McAlpine’s ex-“Bira” 3-litre Maserati (given now as 2,992-c.c., in race two as 3,015-c.c.-shades of Brooklands!) driven calmly, built up an unassailable lead until he was the length of the finishing straight even from Parnell, who lapped in 1 m. 36.8 sec. (89.26 m.p.h.) a substantial new lap-record, in trying to close the gap.

1st: K. McAlpine (2,992-c.c. s/c Maserati), handicap 34 sec., (83.14 m.p.h.) … 8 min. 59.6 sec.
2nd: R. Parnell (1,490-c.c. s/c Maserati), handicap, scratch … 9 min. 9.0 sec.
3rd: D. Hampshire(1,490-c.c.s/c Maserati, handicap 15 sec. … 9 min. 10.6 sec.
Fastest lap: Parnell (Maserati), 89.26 m.p.h.
Then: Fry (Maserati), Parker (Maserati), Dutt (Maserati), Aston (Cooper), Crampton (Maserati), Baring (Maserati).

2nd September Handicap — Five Laps
Everyone was agog for this race, for Peter Walker was on scratch in the E-type E.R.A.; incidentally, it had. 7.00-16 racing Dunlops on its rear wheels.

Powys-Lybbe’s Alfa-Romeo again misbehaved, oiling-up on the line, and Lewis’ “2.6” Alfa-Romeo was missing badly, but Phillips’ in the Shawe-Taylor E.R.A. led Hamilton’s Maserati and Fergusson’s car had the “legs” of all the Cooper 1,000s. For three laps Hamilton led, rather wildly, then Rolt’s Alfa-Romeo came by, to win by 1.6 sec. Meanwhile, Walker, on a great run, lapping at 87.8 m.p.h., had worked the E-type E.R.A. through to third place, raising the dust at Woodcote every time he slid through it Butterworth’s A.J.B. staved off the E-type for a lap, then lost a rod, and Harrison’s E.R.A. fell out.

1st: A. P. R.. Rolt (3,440-c.c. Alfa-Romeo), handicap 20 sec. (83.49 m.p.h.) … 9 min. 7.4 sec.
2nd: H. Hamilton (1,498-c.c. s/c Maserati), handicap 25 sec. … 9 min. 9.0 sec.
3rd: P. D. C. Walker (1,488-c.c. s/c E.R.A.), handicap, scratch … 9 min. 22.6 sec.
Fastest lap: Walker (E.R.A.), 87.8 m.p.h.
Then: Winterbottom (Cooper), Merrick (Cooper), Hartwell (Cooper), Fergusson (Cooper), Phillips (E.R.A.), Mann (Alfa-Romeo).

3rd September Handicap — Five Laps
The two yellow Veritas car; of Poore and Crook made a brave show on the line, the former’s distinguishable by covers over its recessed headlamps and a headrest for the driver. Poore was caught unawares at the start, only just got his goggles on in time, started in reverse gear and slammed hastily into — third! Yet, and with five seconds handicap, he had caught Crook’s Veritas after one lap. Both these cars were push-started, by the way. The O.B.M. caught Clark’s Vanguard-H.R.G., the H.W. Alta beat Jacobs’ blown M.G. away, and Habershon, rather “creeping the flag” as Kennington had done, led Gale’s Darracq.

The two Veritas were nicely in the lead after a lap, Poore pulling away from Crook in spite of taking to the grass at Woodcote. Then Crook experienced a blocked oil filter, the H.R.G. coasted in and Heath lost time by leaving the course at Woodcote. Poore was unchallenged until the last lap, when Shillito’s Riley passed him amid clapping from the stands, to win by five seconds, King, in a vast crash-hat and that remarkable Rover, driving soundly into third place. Norton’s Alta retired with magneto trouble.

1st: G. S. Shillito (1,988-c.c. Riley), handicap 20 sec. (80.99 m.p.h.) … 9 min. 23.4 sec.
2nd: R.. D. Poore (1,971-c.c. Veritas), handicap 45 sec. … 9 min. 28.4 sec.
3rd: C. S. King (1,996-c.c. Rover), handicap 25 sec. … 9 min. 35.0 sec.
Fastest lap: Shillito (Riley), 83.24 m.p.h.
Then: Moore (O.B.M.), Habershon (Delage), Kennington (Cisitalla), Jacobs (M.G.), Matthews (Jaguar), Gale (Darracq), Sir Clive Edwards (H.R.G.).

The “Daily Graphic” Goodwood Trophy Race – Ten Laps — Scratch
John Cooper lent Moss his Cooper 1,000 for the big race of the day and David Fry, armed with a vast starting handle, attended cousin. Joe as the field lined up for this 25-mile race-the most important of the day. Moss, however, pulled in after two laps, and it was Shawe-Taylor’s yellow-wheeled E.R.A. that held off Parnell and Gerard for the initial lap. Then Reg. went out ahead, and after two laps Gerard was right on Shawe-Taylor’s tail, the E-type E.R.A. fourth and Rolt pressing Walker hard. Three laps over, and Parnell was about five lengths ahead of Gerard, Walker going great guns in third place, Rolt falling back with transmission trouble that brought him in a lap later-whereupon he ran to the rails to see the titanic struggle amongst the leaders. On the fourth lap Walker was second to Parnell. Gerard drove steadily in third place, watchfully behind him Shawe-Taylor, blower whining led Harrison, whose car was steady, his style impeccable. Walker, cornering closer at the l.h. bend by the stands, seemed to close on Parnell, but try as he might and did, bare arms fighting the E.R.A.’s wheel, the green car sliding in jerks incredibly fast through the corners, he could never quite challenge the Maserati, and towards the end was seen to give a thumbs-down signal, possibly because the E-type’s clutch was getting tired. But it was an immense race, the British crowd for once exclaiming in its excitement, and Reg. had to equal his new lap record to keep Walker at bay, although in the end he won by six seconds. Gerard held off the other two-stage Maserati in one of his usual unhurried, polished races, the old E.R.A. very smart in its latest guise.

1st: R. Parnell (1,490-c.c. s/c Maserati) (86.43 m.p:h.) … 16 min. 39.6 sec.
2nd: P. D. C. Walker (1,488-c.c. s/c E.R.A.) … 16 min. 45.6sec.
3rd: F. B.. Gerard (1,488-c.c. s/c E.R.A.) … 16 min.48.6 sec.
Fastest lap: Parnell (Maserati), 89.26 m.p.h.
Then: Hampshire (Maserati), Shawe-Taylor (E.R.A.), Harrison (E.R.A.), Fry (Maserati), Habershon (Deluge), Hamilton (Maserati).

4th September Handicap — Five Laps
Dunham’s big Alvis beat Stapleton’s Aston-Martin away and led unassailably throughout, Willis, sliding somewhat, bringing his B.M.W. up to second place, while Downing’s Riley came through the field well to finish third. Richard’s Riley retired.

1st: C. G. H. F. Dunham (1,844-c.c. Alvis), handicap 1 min. (71.75 m.p.h.) … 10 min.7.2 sec.
2nd: B.. C. Willis (1,490-c.c. B.M.W.), handicap 45 sec. … 10 min. 24.0 sec.
3rd: K. H. Downing (1,749-c.c. Riley), handicap 20 sec. … 10 min. 27.6 sec.
Fastest lap: Downing (Riley), 76.87 m.p.h.
Then: Horn (Amilcar), Ruddock (H.R.G.), Newton (Frazer-Nash), Treen (Riley), Stapleton (Aston-Martin), de Mattos (Spikins Special), Heath (Heath-J.A.P.).

The improvements at Goodwood were appreciated and 1950 should be a record season. The first fixture is on Easter Monday. But it seems out of keeping with a desire to popularise motor racing, however, to deny ordinary B.A.R.C. members admission to Goodwood.

Parnell’s Maserati ran on the diamond-tread Dunlop racing tyres.

It is probable that the Motor Sport Brooklands Fund may be donated to prizes for a B.A.R.C. Brooklands-style race at Goodwood next year. We hope to make a statement during the winter; negotiations were interfered with this year by cancellation of the Whitsun Meeting.

It is a pity that the B.B.C. commentary on the Goodwood Trophy Race was marred because Max Robertson was told Whitehead had replaced Walker in the E-type E.R.A., and because, due to a spotter’s error, the race finished when he thought it had still a lap to run.

There is still no news of an October B.A.R.C. Members’ Race Day, although at the meeting held early in July to discuss it the Club promised a future announcement in its journal, The aforesaid meeting was reported in the J.C.C. Gazette for July/August, which was received during September, but no news appeared therein about further members’ racing. John Morgan, what do you know?

Was the person who so vigorously waved a blue flag at almost every car that took the bend by the Stands a former boy scout or a tic-tac man?

Photographs will be found on centre pages — Motor Sport Copyright.