The 37th B.A.R.C Members Race Meeting, Goodwood (July 11th)

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De Selincourt Maintains His Lead in Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy Contest.

After a night of tropical storms the weather relented for the racing at Goodwood, although turning decidedly chilly before the last of the eight races was over. De Selincourt leading in the Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy contest, met his match in the 10-lap scratch race for non-s/c. cars up to 1,100 c.c., Westcott’s Lotus leading all the way while on the last lap Maggs got past de Selincourt’s Lotus to finish second. Some of the dicers indulged in slides, of which Hine’s finished in a long broadside skid along the grass after Woodcote corner.

The 5-lap Closed Car Handicap was an easy win for Derrington’s M.G. Magnette saloon, by grace of a good handicap, Alan Foster in the driving seat and, no doubt, under-bonnet Derrington modifications. It led all the way, while Duncan’s TR3 hard-top (surely a bit bogus in this race ?) had no difficulty in annexing second place, Noble’s running briskly into third place. The Lotus Elite of Williams was as impressive as these cars usually are on the race track, Parkinson oh-so-nearly overturned his A35 at the chicane, and Menday’s s/c. Ford lifted its inner back wheel out of the same corner, which could be detrimental to half-shafts.

It is now a habit of Lawrence’s Morgan to win races and it was unchallenged in the 10-lap Marque Scratch Race, de Selincourt following at a discreet interval in his lightweight, special-bodied, TR3. Interest was lent to the fine display of driving put up by Hurrell after a delayed start in his TR3. He picked up many places but just failed to catch Fletcher’s Twin-Cam M.G., which finished third, in spite of front-wheel patter. Chitty drove well but spun twice at Levant in his TR3.

The next 5-lap Scratch Race was for o.h.v cars up to 1,000 c.c., s.v. cars up to 1,200 c.c. Mackenzie, out for Trophy points, slid at Woodcote while in the lead on the first lap and the field streamed past. However, the B.A.R.C. ruled that the back wheels didn’t get in front of the front wheels, so he wasn’t excluded and finally finished sixth. Gaston led for the remainder of the race in his Downton Sprite, to win from Venner-Pack’s Sprite and Martin’s Lotus-Ford, only 0.6 of a second between them, Venner-Pack making fastest lap, at 74.23 m.p.h. Lord Strathcarron’s open Sprite had a fierce duel with Goddard-Watts’ Berkeley B105 hard-top, which it won by 0.8 of a second. McLaren and Spellman indulged in a no-holds-barred battle in their respective Sprites, and the Naylors, of Rapier fame, were trying out a Sprite with their own, very nicely-made twin 1½-in. carburetter conversion on long inlet-pipes, with trumpet intakes drawing from an under-bonnet cold-air box. There were no fewer than 15 Sprites entered for this race.

Arundell now took over his Lotus-Climax from Westcott and won the 1½-litre 5-lap Scratch Race confidently from Lambert’s and Maggs’ Lotus-Climax cars, second place being a fine dice with Lambert beating Maggs on the final lap.

Fletcher’s fast M.G. had no difficulty in winning the next 5-lap Handicap from Huggins’ TR2 and Munns’ A.C. Ace. Marriott spun his Sprite at Woodcote but continued, partially under control, and many frustrated men followed Rosemary Massey’s Jaguar through the chicane, after which she ran away from them — as women so often do. A mere male, R D. Were, also in an XK150, was just as cautious. Undismayed by the consternation she had caused amongst the male sex Miss Massey came out again for the following 5-lap handicap, which provided a runaway win for Bowling’s Austin-Healey 100S, Smith’s TR2 second, the Elite third, after Williams took Chitty’s neatly going into the chicane.

In the last race, another 5-lap handicap, Coles led throughout in his disguised 747 c.c. s/c. M.G. and Mrs. Howard was a brave second, after her Lotus had been rammed at the chicane by Venner-Pack’s Sprite and thrust sideways, to the detriment of some lamp glasses, on lap 3. Brownlee’s Sprite was third and, further back, Strathcarron again held off Goddard-Watts. Handel’s Berkeley retired. In future we understand that spins up to 180° will be permissible at these meetings ! The winners were:

10-lap Scratch Race: J. F. Westcott (Lotus-Climax) 84.64 m.p.h.

Closed Car handicap: A. T. Foster (M.G. Magnette) 65.61 m.p.h.

Marque Scratch Race: C. V. Lawrence (Morgan Plus Four) 79.53 m.p.h.

5-lap Scratch Race: J. H. Gaston (Austin-Healey Sprite) 72.17 m.p.h.

5-lap Scratch Race: P. J. Arundell (Lotus-Climax) 83.08 m.p.h.

5-lap Handicap: P. G. Fletcher (M.G. Twin-Cam) 76.84 m.p.h.

5-lap Handicap: M. Bowling (Austin-Healey 100S) 75.00 m.p.h.

5-lap Handicap: G. V. Coles (M.G. Special s/c.) 69.90 m.p.h.

Fastest lap of the day: Westcott 86.40 m.p.h.

Leaders in Motor Sport Brooklands Contest, TO BE DECIDED AT GOODWOOD ON SEPT. 20th: de Selincourt (Lotus & TR3) 18 points, J. H. Gaston (Austin-Healey Sprite) 15 points, T. Maggs (Lotus) 12 points, C. J. Lawrence (Morgan & Lotus) 11 points.