Goodwood SpeedWeek: 1960s racing saloons | GRR
The St. Mary’s Trophy hails from an era when manufacturers really took seriously the mantra of ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’. Most of the machines look very similar to the ones cool Dads of the era would have piloted up and down Britain’s first motorway, the Preston Bypass which opened in 1958.
What is the St. Mary’s Trophy?
The St. Mary’s Trophy is a race for saloons built between 1960 and 1966 and has all the thrills and spills you would expect of a touring car competition. No quarter is given by the drivers who hustle the cars at a pace and with an aggression which belies the fact that the youngest is now over half a century old. The cars that is, not the drivers. Well, not all of them. A pair of sprint races – on with a pro VIP driver at the wheel, the other with the owners fighting it out – the St. Mary’s Trophy is a 20 minute tussle from start to finish.
What cars will race in the St. Mary’s Trophy?
The 1960s was an era when car design and engineering was advancing at a rapid pace and the diversity of machines on the grid leads to some very entertaining racing. So there are the sporting saloons of the day such as Lotus Cortinas, BMW 1800s and Ford Anglia 105Es. British muscle and Italian brio are there in the shape of the big Jaguar MkIIs and Alfa Romeo GTAs respectively. The American end is upheld by oversized Ford Galaxie 500s, Plymouth Barracudas and Mercury Comets whose size doesn’t prevent them being harassed by the diminutive Mini Coopers.
What drivers will I see in the St. Mary’s Trophy?
The St. Mary’s Trophy is a proper fun scrap and attracts some of the best names in the business. Last year pole position was taken by ex-F1 racer Karl Wendlinger who lined up alongside Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro. Behind them were Red Bull F1 team boss Christian Horner, double BTCC champion John Cleland, rally legend Stig Blomqvist and Isle of Man TT winner Stuart Graham. Goodwood Hill record holder Romain Dumas and World Endurance Championship winner Marcel Fässler could also make an appearance.
When and how can I watch the race?
The race will be part of our coverage of Goodwood’s unique SpeedWeek event with all the racing action, as well as practice and qualifying, free to view on the Goodwood Road & Racing website or on our social media channels over 16th-18th October 2020.