Member's Meeting Delivers Race Action and a New Record!
A sensational all-Porsche race for classic 911s, Freddie Hunt’s run in his father James’ Hesketh grand prix car and a new lap record were the highlights of Sunday's race day at the Goodwood 73rd Members’ Meeting. Under bright blue skies, the second and final day of the Members’ Meeting featured a nine- race programme featuring everything from 1920s Grand Prix Bugattis to early Can-Am cars one of which – a Lola T70 Spyder driven by Nick Padmore – set a new outright best lap time on Nick's first ever race at the circuit.
The significance of the Members’ Meeting, now in the second year of its revived format, was visible in the quality of both the cars and their star drivers present. The Porsche race – the John Aldington Trophy – featured the very 911 that Vic Elford borrowed from to win the world’s first rallycross event in 1967, as well as Porsche's 1970 Le Mans winner Richard Attwood. Both were soundly beaten by former British Touring Car champion Andrew Jordan who had been challenged in the first part of the race by Mark Sumpter, the two-litre 911s providing great action with their lively handling on the limit.
In the Sopwith Cup Le Mans winner Andy Wallace recovered from a grassy first lap excursion in his Jaguar Mk1 to just head home the diminutive Austin A40 of Richard Meins, while Padmore headed home Chris Goodwin and Alex Buncombe in the Bruce McLaren Trophy, lapping Goodwood's 2.4-miles in 1m18.17s on his record-setting best lap, an average speed of 110.46mph.
Another BTCC champion, Matt Neal, triumphed in a thundering Chevrolet Camaro he shared with David Clark in the Gerry Marshall Trophy race for Group 1 touring cars and there were also victories for some of the greatest names in motor racing history, such as Maserati, Lola, Lister and BRM.
As on Saturday, there were superb high-speed demonstrations of Group C Le Mans racers, McLaren F1 GTRs and high-airbox Formula 1 cars; the highlight of which was an unexpected appearance by Freddie Hunt behind the wheel of a Hesketh 308 previously raced by his father – 1976 F1 World Champion – James. The roar of the mainly DFV-engined 1970s racers was punctuated by the flat-12 Ferrari 312s while a Matra also provided aural variety.
Honours in the battle for the Goodwood House Trophy were taken – for a second year running – by Methuen, Captained by former BTCC ace Anthony Reid. Rival house captain had pushed hard, sharing an AC Cobra Le Mans Coupe to victory on Saturday night's 30-minute two-driver Graham Hill Trophy race.
