[Video] 2023 St Mary’s Trophy Part 2 full race | Goodwood Revival | GRR
The St. Mary’s Trophy presented by Motul for 1950s saloon cars is split into two parts with a whole new set of drivers competing on Part 2. After the race for the professional drivers on the Saturday, things are shaken up with a grid largely made up of owner drivers.
Part 2 is not devoid of familiar names, however. Journalists Chris Harris and Richard Meaden were driving an Austin A35 and an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti respectively, businessman and television personality Theo Paphitis was aboard his own Ford Zodiac Mk2 and Goodwood regulars Chris Ward (Jaguar Mk1) and Duncan Pittaway (Jaguar Mk7) were also on the grid. We’d also be keeping an eye out for Mike Jordan (Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti) and Justin Law (Jaguar Mk1).
Fred Shepherd got the big 7.0-litre Ford Thunderbird bogged down off the line allowing an all-Jaguar surge into the first corner, with three Mk1s side by side into Madgwick. It wouldn’t take long before the American muscle was hauled back into contention.
Things got quite busy before the first tour of St. Mary’s corner when a triple spin and some contact took two cars out of the race. There were a couple more excursions onto the grass, most of which were harmless, but the Riley One Point Five of Ding Boston wasn’t so lucky; a bump into the tyre wall forced retirement.
As things settled down (relatively speaking), Chris Ward’s Jaguar was leading before he waved by Fred Shepherd in the Ford Thunderbird. Post-race, he says it was a problem with the brakes that caused him to slow down, but the apparent fault cleared up and Ward got back on the pace. He clawed back the lead but it was touch and go as to who would cross the line first. As it transpired, gearbox problems led Ward to lose speed on the way out of the Chicane for the final time, robbing us of what could have been a photo finish.