THE LAST B.AR.C. GOODWOOD MEETING OF 1960

THE LAST B.A.R.C. GOODWOOD MEETING OF 1960

IN glorious weather a considerable concourse of spectators watched the B.A.R.C. 43rd Members’ Meeting at Goodwood on September 10th. At this race meeting the 1960 Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy contest was resolved, R. W. de Selincourt winning the Trophy and £75 prize by a mere point for the second time. Mike Salmon won the second prize of £50 end third place and £25 went to B. Howard. The Freddie Dixon Memorial Trophy was also decided, in favour of C. D. Hextall’s TR3. while the Cibie Cup end £100 prize was won by W. B. Blydenstein’s Borgward.

The first race resulted in a fine duel between Fenning’s F.J. Lotus-B.M.C. and Andrews’ Lotus-Ford. the latter taking the lead going fast down to Woodcote on the fourth of the ten laps. On the final circuit Andrews developed trouble but limped in third, retaining second place in the F.J. division of the race, in which Gibbs’ Lotus-Ford was third. De Selincourt drove his Lola-Climax splendidly to take the 1,100-c.c. sports-car class from Nicholson’s Lotus and Lyon’s Lotus. Andrews averaged 86.4 m.p.h.. de Selineourt 83.94 m.p.h.. but the F. J. Lotus with only 0.35 m.p.h. faster on its best lap (87.98 m.p.h.) than the sports Lola. Six ears were involved in a multiple crash at Madgwick on lap one, from which all the drivers escaped unscathed hut only Dade’s Lotus continued.

The five-lap Cibie Cup Race for four-seater closed cars was tremendously exciting. Lawrence’s remarkable Austin A40 proved more than a match for Leston’s Volvo, but two laps from the finish was itself taken by Hutcheson’a exceedingly fast Riley 1.5. which made fastest lap at 77.28 ‘m.p.h.. to win at 74.85 m.p.h. Leston had snatched back second place, but foolishly got the Volvo sideways on at the chicane in a fruitless attempt to catch the Riley. which let the A40 go by. Ratcliffe’s Morris 1000 had one of those ” best butter” B.M.C.. wheels, which fell off. and Hedge’s A40 retired with piston failure.

Lawrence drove his usual impeccable race in the Morgan to win the 10-lap Marque Scratch Race at 80.54 m.p.h. from McCowen’s A.C.-Bristol, the latter trying very hard, and making fastest lap, at 82.6 m.p.h. These two ran away with the race, leaving Olthoff’s twin-cam M.G.-A a poor third. Hextall’s TR3 was fourth after a poor Le Mans start. Only retirement was by Mackay’s Austin llealey 100/4.

Mike Salmon next ran away with the big sports-cars scratch race. winning at 86.96 m.p.h. after a lap at a resounding 87.98 m.p.h. Against the ex-Ecurie Ecosse 3.8-litre Jaguar de Selincourt drove courageously to bring his 1,098-c.c. Lola over the line only 7.4 sec. later. Lyon’s Lotus was third. Tiller brought his Allard J2 Ardun Mercury past four cars, but it caught fire while returning to the Paddock.

The next race was a tussle between Murrell’s D.R.W..-Ford and van Niekerk’s Delta, both with 105E engines—the former was described in Motor Sport last August, the Delta originated in South Africa, is now built in Kent, with ladder-tube frame, wishbone i.f.s., trailing-arm rear suspension, glass-fibre body and four Amal carburetters. The D.R.W. won by 1.6 sec., at 79.56 m.p.h., but both ears lapped at 81.36 m.p.h. This was a ” specials ” benefit. for Parkinson’s Yimkin was third, ahead of Swanton’ s Lotus. Naylor’s Sprite was easily fastest of a field of half-a-dozen of these cars.

Another Closed Car Handicap was won, by a car with automatic transmission—Hobbs’ Jaguar XK140, which averaged 75.97 m.p.h, to vanquish Leston’s Volo and Cave’s A35. Moreover, the two-pedal Jaguar with ‘disc brakes and triple S.U., S-head, set fastest lap at 78.4 m.p.h. Merfield had a tremendous skid at Woodcote which took his Ford New Anglia out of sight behind a hedge and back on the track, still out of control, to the chicane, the driver quite unmoved. Menday’s 1,172 Ford Anglia employed a Willment conversion and twin d.d. Zeniths, Minoprio’s  A40 Gaston mods., an overlap camshaft and 1½ in. S.U.s.

Naylor’s Sprite then led the field home in the next race, at 75.68 m.p.h., followed by Beckwith’s Lotus and Marriott’s Sprite aud although Salmon lapped at 89.07 m.p.h. his fourth place lost him the Motor Sport Trophy to de Selincourt, on points.

The remaining race was as amusing as it was ingenious. Sixteen motoring journalists. commentators and a photographer made a Le Mims start to eight. Austin Se7ens and eight Mini-Minors and raced furiously for five laps. Ron Barker crossed the line virtually side by side with R. K. Bell, the former being awarded the race, at 60.03 m.p.h.. by a margin the timekeepers couldn’t split, from the latter, who was credited with fastest lap. at 62.79 m.p.h. Anstice Brown beat John Bolster to third place by 1 sec.—close racing. It was enormous fun for drivers and onlookers, including the commentary by Tony Brooks and les Leston.

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The Journalists’ Race would have been even closer fought had the Cars been more equally matched—the Austin Se7enst were considerably slower than the Mini-Minors, and it was the latter that occupied the first live places.   

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At Brooklands before the war they put on a Veteran Drivers’ Hoer between identical M.G.s. It was won by the late Sydney Cummings. Now we have a Journalists’ Race between not-quite-identical B.M.C. minicars. Next year we must have a similar rare for ‘Motor Race Organisers and their staff! It may be your turn next –Johnnie Morgan. Eason Gibson, Mr. Sear, John Hall. Mrs. Topham, Nick Sharrott. and the rest! Let us hope by then they will have extracted the corks from the carburetters of the Austin Se7ens! At Goodwood some of them would not exceed 50 in third or much over 60 m.p.h. in top.—W. B.