DK Engineering Shines at Glorious Goodwood Revival  

The late summer sun blessed the majority of proceedings over the Goodwood Revival, where DK Engineering enjoyed another fantastic, and successful, weekend of period racing. Racing a mix of stunning machinery from the bygone glory days of motorsport, DK Engineering were represented in the Sussex Trophy, Lavant Cup and Whitsun Trophy, while a number of our clients also showcased their cars on track and in the paddocks.

The first day of action saw David Cottingham’s much beloved, and highly successful Ferrari 500 TRC in action in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy. As the sun started to set over Goodwood Motor Circuit, Scott Redding’s opening stint saw the TRC climb the order, gaining an impressive 10 positions. The second half of the race saw the TRC continue to post consistent laptimes, now at the hands of Alistair McCaig, bringing the car home inside the top-10. At the front of the field, 2009 Formula 1 world champion, Jenson Button and his teammate Alex Buncombe, ran with Jenson’s own ex-Fangio Jaguar C-type, before a misfire in the closing stages would force them into retirement. The race was eventually won by Richard Bradley and Richard Wilson with the Maserati 250S.

Saturday saw the Scuderia Bear Ford GT40 out on track for the Whitsun Trophy, qualifying as the second-quickest of the GT40s. An intense battle saw a rivalry between the GT40s, running their own race, while the legendary Lola T70 and McLaren M1B Can Am entries dominated the overall standings. After initially dropping back in the order behind two other GT40s in the order, a strong drive to the flag saw both positions reclaimed, with a final move out of the chicane in a drag race to the line to finish as the second of the GT40s, and a respectable P12 overall.

The Ferrari 250 model was also a star of the action during the second day of the event. The Lavant Cup is always a highlight of the Revival, and this year was no exception, with the race won with a beautifully driven race by Rob Hall in the 1964 250 LM. A major talking point of the race, and of the weekend, however, was the dramatic fiery spin for ex-Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok in Carlos Monteverde’s 250 GTO. A real high point for the day, and for the team at DK Engineering in particular, was the appearance of chassis #0773GT, the hugely original 250 TdF ‘Tour de France’ which we recently prepared for the client to enjoy on the road. This car was the first ever N.A.R.T. race car, which debuted at the 1958 Sebring 12 Hours – winning the GT class, and finishing fifth overall. This hugely significant car was invited to be at Revival with a personal invitation letter from the Duke of Richmond to the owner, and it was a fantastic addition to the unique grid of special motorcars, joining an amazing array of GTOs, LMs and SWBs.

After two stunning dry days, the weather gods decided to spice up proceedings for the final day of racing. This made for one of the most dramatic RAC TT Celebration races in many years, with even the most experienced of drivers finding the barriers due to the very unpredictable weather. Despite a fantastic first stint by Marino Franchitti in the 1964 AC Cobra, his teammate Olly Bryant was not able to hold off the charging E Types of Andy Priaulx and Nick Minassan, the former taking victory with co-driver William Paul.

While the rain had eased off by late afternoon, the track remained damp and greasy for the Sussex Trophy with the 1950s sportscar grid. After qualifying sixth, our very own Harvey Stanley at the wheel of the 1959 Tojeiro-Jaguar made a pass on the Joe Macari-entered Lister Knobbly on the opening lap before proceedings were brought under caution behind the Safety Car. On the restart, Harvey pulled out a gap to the chasing pack, but the heavier Tojeiro was no match for the lighter Lotus 15s in the damp conditions. However, in the closing stages, the performance swung back in favour of Harvey, as he reeled in the lead pack as the time ran down. Olly Bryant eventually took the win with a Lotus 15, while the battle for second place saw four cars separated by 0.7-seconds at the line. Harvey’s late push saw him cross the line just 0.036-seconds behind fourth.

Overall, the weekend – both on and off track – was another stellar event by the Duke of Richmond and the Goodwood team, and it seems to get stronger and stronger with each year.