Goodwood Members' Meeting. Different it certainly was!
How we managed to avoid suffering from frostbite, I will never know. A combination of low temperatures, cruel wind and gentle, but pervasive, snow was a challenge to say the least. Saturday was just about bearable, helped by rather better sales on our Porter Press stand than we had feared. Sunday was a different matter.
In a bid to get the blood circulating and the joints free, the four of us on the stand would take regulars walks. As a result, and with that excuse to leave our post, we did see some great racing. The Moss Trophy was brilliant to watch: one of the best I have ever seen and worthy of the maestro. Until the driver changes, two E-types and the charismatic Breadvan Ferrari, with the great Emanuele Pirro at the wheel, were absolutely nose-to-tail. Showing superb car control, it was fabulous to watch and certainly was proper motor racing, in true Goodwood spirit. After the driver changes, Rob Huff took over the ex-Protheroe Fixed Head 'E' and was absolutely on the limit with regular full opposite lock and getting the Jaguar into some impossible angles, making for fabulous viewing as he took the Ferrari for second spot and was homing in on the leader. In the end Phil Keen and Jon Minshaw, who took the lead off the line and put in a superb first stint, took a well-deserved win their E-type roadster.
For the first time, our Accounts Manager Annelise was part of our Goodwood team, even though she has been with us longer than anyone else in the office. What a baptism. Poor Annie. Massive credit to her, she remained positive throughout and assures us it has not put her off attending again. The others with me at 'Glutinous Goodwood' were our first two apprentices, Luke and Albert. Both remained enthusiastic, in spite of everything, and were very supportive. Our biggest challenge was the mud, with our van needing to be towed out of the car park field by a tractor and other adventures.
The main Gerry Marshall race for '70s saloon cars, that took place in the growing, atmospheric gloom on the Saturday evening, was another one worth watching again. Mark Blundell showed why he had been a Formula 1 driver by forging to the front in an Escort and just holding off much bigger machinery in fine style. The Bolster Trophy was good fun, the GT40s and Daytona Cobras awesome in the Gurney Cup and the Sears Trophy for '60s saloons brought the curtain down in fine style.
In summary, a fabulous race meeting but if only, as everyone was saying, it could be a month or two later in the year.
Little and large, giant and minnows, the Bolster Trophy race had a very varied selection of machinery, including several Morgan three-wheelers. I remember meeting John Bolster at Shelsley Walsh, and getting his autograph, when I was a child.
In spite of emitting impressive amounts of smoke throughout the race, the Bentley 3/8 Special of Tim Llewellyn took victory in the Bolster Cup for racing specials. The variety of machinery was fascinating and entertaining to watch.
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