EVENT
Goodwood kicks off its calendar with a packed 80th Members’ Meeting
April showers parted for two glorious days of motor sport at Goodwood as the circuit celebrated 75 years of racing.
The first race meeting was held in September 1948 with the pivotal figure of Tony Gaze first suggesting using the now quiet RAF base’s perimeter road as a track and appearing at Goodwood regularly. The weekend honoured Gaze’s work with the Tony Gaze Trophy featuring machines that raced on the track in its infancy – Jaguar XK120s, Aston Martin DB2s, Frazer Nashes and more.
Saturday rounded off with a roaring demonstration under the setting sun from a field of GT1 endurance racers. Howling V10s, sonorous V12s and rumbling V8s of Vipers, Aston DBR9s and Chevrolet Corvettes shook the circuit as the light faded.
The Jim Clark Trophy saw a busy field of some 30 Lotus Cortinas taking to the track to commemorate 60 years of this over-achieving saloon, not least in the hands of one of racing’s all time greats, Jim Clark. Touring car ace, Gordon Sheddon, said: ‘Obviously Jim Clark is a driving icon for me and to see all these cars is incredible; it’s going to be the race of the century!’ Fellow Jim Clark Trophy entrant, Tiff Needell, said:
‘Celebrating 60 years of the Lotus Cortina means I was here 60 years ago watching them. I have to say, Jim Clark’s was probably a bit quicker than mine, or maybe he was a bit quicker than me!’
This year saw the Gerry Marshall Trophy re-named the Gordon Spice Trophy in honour of Gordon who took many class victories in the British Saloon Car Championship. Two fields of touring cars from across the 1970s took to the track in his name; fr
