We enjoyed some close racing at the 76th Goodwood Members’ Meeting last weekend. With temperatures just above freezing and snow during practice for the Ronnie Hoare Trophy, the weather had not been kind to spectators or competitors, but things soon heated up on track once the flag dropped and the racing got started.
Qualifying was a very close affair, with just a tenth and a half of a second separating the top three 911s: Ambrogio Perfetti, Mark Sumpter and our own Mark Bates qualifying fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. It would all come down to race pace and who could keep the cars on track.
As the 13-lap race began, Bates slid past Sumpter and hunted perfect Perfetti for fourth. The battle was epic to watch, with the EB 2-litre sliding all over the track as it attempted to get past and stay in front. At one stage, Bates was off and in the gravel, but managed to make it back on track and be there when it counted: at the finish. Perfetti retired and we were first 911 home, just off the podium in fourth overall.
With few run-off areas and little margin for error, Goodwood is not an easy circuit to race at. The weather didn’t help much either, but a reliable run for our SWB car and some good pace in the tricky conditions got the job done in our first race of 2018.
Our next racing weekend is at Imola in Italy from April 20-22. We’re looking forward to warmer conditions and a fun weekend with Masters Historic Racing at the Motor Legends Festival. Here’s some great video of the EB 911 in action!
