UNITED STATES OF ENTERTAINMENT

Anew mixture of grids provided scintillating on-track action at the 81st Goodwood Members’ Meeting

- LIZZIE POPE

You could be forgiven for thinking that there was a covert American takeover at the 81st Goodwood Members' Meeting. Its 13-14 April date falling a few days before the Ford Mustang's 60th anniversary on 17 April doubtless contributed, but a stars-and-stripes thread ran throughout the fabulous variety of machinery on show, as US-bred sounds and smells filled the air in races and demonstrations.

The two-wheeled Hailwood Trophy and Sheene Trophy kicked off the action, followed by one of several breathless outings for the sidecar racers, whose bravery, speed and ragged-edge approach set the tone for the weekend.

After cutting-edge 21st-century technology came the meeting's oldest racers, with all the cars in the SF Edge Trophy being at least a century young. On pole was the 1916 Sunbeam Indianapolis', a car built in secret during WW1 to compete in the USA, with driver Julian Majzub looking for revenge over Mark Walker, having lost out to him last year. Walker's 1905 Land Speed Record Darracq 200hp was slow away from the middle of the front row, with his subsequent comeback the five-lap race's big story as Majzub powered away and posted a lead of more than 6 secs from Ben Collings (Mercedes 120hp). Walker grabbed second on the third lap and in the final tour halved Majzub's buffer, but the latter was delighted to win by 2.259 secs. Sunday's race was closer, as Walker snatched the lead from Majzub on the last lap to claim it by 1.794 secs, but Majzub took overall combined honours by less than half a second.