“Like racing in paradise,” was how Paddins Dowling described taking third place at Saturday’s opening race at the Goodwood Revival.
It was Mark Gillies (main pic) who took the win, though, driving Mary Smith’s 1934 ERA R3A. “The car’s magic,” said Gillies. “My thanks go to Mary for letting me drive it.”
Dowling was running third in ERA R10B, but as the race drew to a close he caught Duncan Ricketts in traffic, demoting the ERA GP1 driver to third. Cars from the Bourne marque therefore locked-out the podium positions.
The Fordwater Trophy, for production, sports and GT cars that competed from 1964-’66, was next up. It looked set to be a comfortable win for Andy Newall (above), who was competing in Joe Bamford’s thunderous 1965 Ginetta G10.
Its combination of a big engine and nimble handling proving too much even for a hard-charging Martin Stretton in his Ian Walker Racing Lotus Elan, but a loose left-rear wheel (which ultimately fell off) saw Newell drop back before retiring.
Stretton went on to inherit the win. Jackie Oliver finished a distant second in the Elan 26R that his father bought him in 1965, and in which he raced at Goodwood in period. Oliver has recently acquired the car from Michael Schryver.
John Hugenholtz’s muscular Shelby Mustang took third.
