Incredible two-driver pre-war battle to rock Revival | GRR
The Brooklands Trophy has always been one of the most entertaining races of the weekend at the Goodwood Revival. Featuring some truly bonkers car – if you’ve ever seen the ‘Owlett’ being hurled round Goodwood you’ll know what we mean – and some brilliant racing it’s one to look out for every time it returns to the timetable. But for 2021 the Brooklands Trophy will be kicked up a notch or two.
This year’s Brooklands Trophy, featuring sportscars built from 1924 right up to the start of World War Two in 1939, will also be a two-driver race, complete with a mid-race driver change, just like the Revival’s legendary RAC TT Celebration.
Many of these cars are no strangers to driver changes, having been built to race in places like Le Mans where swapping your pilot was an expected occurrence, but few, if any, will have switched drivers at Goodwood before. This daredevil era of little safety was one where the seatbelt was a long-distant pipe dream, which should make sliding in and out of the cockpit a little easier even in the tight confines of the Goodwood Motor Circuit’s pitlane.
The race, on Sunday at 12.20 pm, will be held over 25 minutes, with the crucial driver change having to be made between the nine- and 16-minute markers. Anyone who fails to complete their change in this period will face time penalties, so no trying to finish the race with a single driver to save time!
Not only will the Brooklands Trophy feature an awesome new format, it is also packed with brilliant historic cars and top-level drivers. Taking to the track will be Stirling Moss’s first ever competition car, a stunning Frazer Nash BMW 328, in the weekend we celebrate Mr Motor Sport’s life following his passing in 2020.
Also on track will be four Talbot AV105s, appearing as a “full works” team, ready to do battle with another sextet of Aston Martins (five Ulsters and a single Brooklands) and four Bentleys. A pair of Alfa Romeo 8C Monzas (2300 and 2600) will also race while the mighty Frazer Nash Owlett will return, yet again with the flamboyant Patrick Blakeney-Edwards at the wheel.
Le Mans and F1 race winner Jochen Mass will be racing in one of the stunning Alfa Romeos, partnering Rupert Clevely in the latter’s 8C 2300 Monza, while rock god Brian Johnson will race a big Bentley 4.5-litre with Vintage Bentley’s William Medcalf.
Aston Martin Ulster LM17 will be raced by an all-female crew, with Chloe Mason and Holly Mason-Franchitti sharing driving duties. The car was the third Aston Martin Ulster to be built for racing and competed in the 1934 and ’35 RAC TTs as well as the 1936 Spa 24 Hours.
Also set to race is legendary comedian and actor Rowan Atkinson, who will share another Bentley 4.5-litre, this time a Parkward Saloon, with Goodwood regular Ben Collings.
Whether you’re new to vintage racing or not this year’s Brooklands Trophy is not one to miss out on, and there are still some tickets left for this year’s event!