Race report: Festival of Britain Trophy – Revival 2021 | GRR
Mark Gillies won a thrilling Festival of Britain Trophy race which kicked off Saturday’s race card. The USA-domiciled Briton qualified on pole for the 25-minute encounter in Richard Skipworth’s ERA A-type R3A. However, he lost out to fellow ERA man, David Morris, on the run to Madgwick for the first time. Nicholas Topliss made it a marque 1-2-3 at the end of first lap, Gillies assuming the lead at Woodcote the second time around. Tom Dark then took Topliss for third aboard his Bugatti T73C.
Gillies managed to eke out an advantage, but Morris then upped the tempo and came back at him five minutes in. He retook the lead into Woodcote, only to lose the place almost immediately on the following straight. Michael Gans was making up ground in his ERA B-type R1B, as was Duncan Ricketts in the later ERA E-type GP1. Gillies appeared to be in control up front, his job made a lot easier after Morris uncharacteristically spun off at St. Mary’s with eight minutes left to run.
Near concurrently, Ricketts tangled with a backmarker while Dark retired the Bugatti. All eyes were now on Gans who was making inroads on the leader. With five minutes left to run, he was in Gillies’ slipstream, only to get baulked as he attempted to lap a slower car. This allowed Gillies breathing room, but only briefly. Gans took Gillies on the Lavant Straight in the dying moments, but Gillies returned the favour seconds later to claim yet another win at Goodwood.
Photography by Nick Dungan.