Video: 2024 Graham Hill Trophy full race | 81MM
The 1960s were back for the 2024 Graham Hill Trophy at the 81st Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport. The race for closed-cockpit GT cars up to 1966 saw a host of V8-powered bruisers circulate Goodwood with some more agile company to keep them honest. Bizzarrini, AC, Jaguar, Porsche and Lotus all feature in the entry list.
When the flag dropped, James Thorpe got bogged down getting off the front row in his Bizzarrini 5300 GT, which meant the following cars ended up five abreast to get past. Everyone got through unscathed, though, and it was pole-sitter Alex Buncombe aboard his AC Cobra who got off the line best.
While Thorpe was busily working his way through the field, it was the TVR Griffith of namesake driver Miles Griffiths keeping the Buncombe Cobra honest. Plenty of close-quarters racing ensued, Griffith eventually being able to capitalise on a mistake by Buncombe. A sideways moment in the Cobra allowed the TVR to wiggle through the remaining space.
That may have been the battle for the lead, but there was no shortage of scraps further down the order. There was a terrific race between Nigel Greensall in his Lotus Elan and the Porsche 904 of Oli Bryant. The light and lithe GT cars caught the AC Cobra of Bill Shepherd, their handling advantage overcoming the straight-line brute force of the Ford V8-powered machine. Elsewhere, Jaguar E-types were doing their best to keep the Cobras honest, too.
Up front, Griffiths was able to maintain his hard-earned lead to take the chequered flag despite Buncombe having posted the fastest lap of the race.