The Whitsun Trophy was the fastest race at Goodwood Revival 2010 and is always guaranteed to provide breathtaking entertainment and close racing. This year’s Whitsun Trophy saw a wonderful selection of ‘big banger’ sports prototypes unleash upwards of 10,000bhp between them.
While the Ford GT40 also plays its part in the race, providing stiff opposition are legions of Ferrari prototypes, Lotus 30s, Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyders and McLaren-Chevrolet M1s. Between 1963 and 1966 Goodwood spectators were entertained by some of the noisiest, most powerful and fastest cars ever to race at the circuit. Like all good things, it wasn’t to last, and along with the new 3-litre Formula One cars, the sports-racing prototypes and their ferocious pace were partly responsible for bringing about the closure of the circuit in 1966.
Andrew Smith claimed Whitsun Trophy honours at Goodwood Revival 2010 following a determined performance in an action-packed race. Russian-based Kiwi Wills blasted into the lead from the middle of the front row aboard his McLaren M1B, chased hard by the Lola T70 Spider of Smith.
The young Scot Andrew Smith surged into the lead two laps in as Wills recovered from a grassy moment at the chicane; Smith capitalised but, by half-distance into the 25-minute race, there was only a gap of 0.5-second between the two chargers. Fancied front-runner Martin Stretton was now lying in fourth place as he chased down fellow Lola man David Hart. The gap between the two yo-yoed over the closing laps until Hart’s car suffered a misfire with three minutes to go and Stretton pounced. Smith ran out as the winner with a flamboyant Wills in second place just 1.69-second behind. Stretton placed third more than 20 seconds down the road as he nursed home his car that was reluctant to rev.
“It was like a bullet down the back straight,” said the winner. “Roger made a small mistake and I was able to capitalise. From then on it was just a case of conserving the brakes. It was quite hairy towards the end of the race.”
Goodwood Revival 2010 – Whitsun Trophy Race Results (19 laps)
1. Andrew Smith, Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyder (1:18.954 fastest lap)
2. Roger Wills, McLaren-Chevrolet M1B
3. Martin Stretton, Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyder
4. David Hart, Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyder
5. Ray Bellm, Ford GT40
Click for complete Whitsun Trophy Race Results.
Similar to our Goodwood Festival of Speed 2010 coverage, photographer Tim Scott of Fluid Images also documented this year’s Goodwood Revival, including the following 175 images from the Whitsun Trophy race. To see more from Tim, visit fluidimages.co.uk.
Goodwood Revival 2010 – Whitsun Trophy Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
[nggallery id=169]
[Source: Goodwood; photo credit: Tim Scott / Fluid Images]
