Goodwood Members’ Meeting 2017

Alain de Cadenet is reunited with his Lola De Cadenet Ford T380 which formed part of the 3.0 Liter Prototype high speed demo display. Alain actually drove a 3.0 Liter McLaren M8C as part of the demonstration.

Story and photos by Jonathan Sharp

The shovels of the hard working Track Marshals are more used to spreading cement on deposited motor oil rather than shoveling up the deposited horse manure left by the mounts of the local Charlton Hunt as they run the hounds to open the 2017 Members’ Meeting at Goodwood on the Saturday morning of the event.

This kind of horse and car activity could only happen at Goodwood. The 75th Members’ Meeting is now in its fourth year of revival and is designed to recall the original members’ meetings held at the Goodwood circuit up till 1966. It does, but with a far higher quality of entrant now than was ever the case in period. To add spice to the mix every driver and spectator is allocated a ‘house’, all very English public (read private) school. The drivers then earn points for their house depending how well they do in their races. The spectators can also earn points for their house by taking part in the many off track sports and pastimes, things like duck herding, throwing a javelin, kicking a rugby ball, lacrosse, tug of war, darts and snooker, etc. Each year the house with the highest points total is awarded the prestigious house shield. Here were this year’s houses:

Nicolas Minassian – Aubigny House
Jochan Mass – Darnley House
Anthony Reid – Methuen House
Emanuele Pirro – Torbolton House

For the past three years the wining house has been ‘Methuen’ under the leadership of Anthony Reid. But this year the victors were Emanuele Pirro’s house, Torbolton. At the prize giving on the Sunday night in the Grand Hall (think Hogwarts school) he was so happy to receive the shield that you would have thought he had won the Le Mans 24 hour race and the F1 world championship on the same day.

The one small draw back with the Members’ Meeting is that it is held in the middle of March, which means that it is usually cold and windy. But Goodwood however has that covered. To keep you warm you could purchase a Members’ Meeting logo’d mini hot water bottle which you could get refilled throughout the weekend at the tea huts located around the circuit. Or, you could retreat into the large tepees which had been set up behind one of the grand stands and have a warm next to the fire pits. If you were lucky, you might enjoy a specially cooked, over-the-fire-pit snack courtesy of the estate. (The estate bacon was particularly good.) Lots of outdoor fire pits had also been set up at various spots around the paddock.

Once the track action had finished on the Saturday night it is time for the open-to-all party and the free fairground which is located just behind the paddock. One could enjoy various live bands in the circus tent, colorful street entertainers and taste the food from the vendors, with a fire work display to round it all off. But ultimately it is all about the cars and the racing; a full day of practice on Saturday, 12 races, 3 high speed demos on each day. It is always a quality entry with top class drivers and as the event has a strictly limited amount of entry tickets no crowding.

Gerhard Berger shared a Ford Capri 3.0S in the 1 hour Gerry Marshall trophy for group A saloons with Raphael de Borman. He also demonstrated a BMW 635 CSi in the touring car demonstration. Here he is with Lord March.

David Coulthard drove a Mercedes Benz Classic 300SL Gullwing on the Saturday courtesy of IWC Watches in what they call a track moment.

David Brabham: So David, what do you think of the English spring weather?

Stuart Graham shared a Chevrolet Camaro in the Gerry Marshall trophy with the car’s entrant Nigel Garrett.

Tom Kristensen shared a Rover 3500 SD1 in the Gerry Marshall Trophy with the car’s entrant Martin Thomas.

Mark Blundell, who shared a very rapid Ford Escort RS2000 in the Gerry Marshall Trophy with Kerry Michael, the cars entrant..

Jochen Mass, right, with Jeff Bloxham, a well-known motor sport photographer.. in fact he has the job I want.

You may recall that one of the idea’s or themes of the meeting is based on being in an old English public school in which each pupil belongs to a house and has a house captain. Every driver and spectator is allocated a house. The drivers then win house points in their races and the spectator’s can earn house points by having a go at various pastimes set up around the circuit. The pastimes are things like ferret racing, cricket, kicking a rugby ball etc etc. The drivers are L to R, Jochan Mass, Nicolas Manassian, Pirro and Anthony Reid.

Track Action

In addition to the 12 races the members meeting also includes 3 high speed demo runs. GT1 cars from the 1990s, Group A Touring cars from the 1980s, and three liter sports prototypes from the 1970s filled the bill. Unfortunately the two Ferrari 312PBs listed as part of the 3.0 liter demos were no shows. The Alfa Romeo T33 helped to ease my disappointment.

1933 Alfa 8C 2300, Derek Hood; Talbot T23 1939 entered by Richard Black, driven by Marcus Black in the Varzi Trophy, a 20 minute race for French and Italian Grand Prix and Voiturette cars of a type which raced up to 1939.

1921 Alfa G1 entered by Tony Shooshani, driven by Steve Tillack. Article in the program states this is believed to be the oldest surviving Alfa Romeo and was one of the first cars built after Nicola Romeo had concluded his take-over of Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. One of only 50 built, all of which were exported to Australia. SF Edge Trophy race, a 20 minute race for Edwardian Specials of a type that raced up to 1923.

Something exceedingly rare; a flat head Alfa engine, in the G1.

GTV6 shared between Nicolas Minassian and the entrant Paul Clayson in the Gerry Marshall Trophy for group A saloon cars of a type which raced between 1970 and 1980. It was run in two parts; a one-hour two-driver race on the Saturday evening, run into darkness, and a 15 minute sprint race on Sunday for the owner entrants only.

Alfa Romeo RLS Targa Florio; Tony Best on the pit straight.

Chris Mann in the RTLF.

No Ferraris but a nice T33/3 for the 3 liter class.

The Alfa 33/3 was entered and driven in the demo by Alexander Rittweger.

White Monza entered by Rupert Clevely, driven by Neil Twyman. Varzi Trophy.

The Fisken Bizzarrini entered by Bob Denson, driven by Gregor Fisken and A Hall in the Graham Hill Trophy, a 45 minute two-driver race for GT cars of a type which raced between 1960 and 1966.