Leafing through this thin paper-backed volume I have just turned up the page listing ‘Goodwood Lap Records’ as they stood at the end of that 1956 racing season.  They make quite interesting reading as much for the driver’s names involved as for the times themselves and so – for the record – here they are.

RACING CARS

RECORD FOR THE CIRCUIT:

S.C. Moss (Maserati 250F) – 1min 30.2sec, 95.79mph (Easter Meeting, 2^nd April, 1956)

CLASS RECORDS:

A – Over 8,000cc – does not apply

B - 5,000-8,000cc – S.H. Allard (Allard) 1min 47.2sec, 80.60mph

C – 3,000-5,000cc – J.M. Hawthorn (Ferrari ‘ThinWall Special’) 1 min 31.4 sec, 94.53mph

D – 2,000-3,000cc - S. Moss (Maserati 250F) – 1min 30.2sec, 95.79mph

E – 1,500-2,000cc – R.F. Salvadori (Connaught), 1min 34.2sec, 91.72mph

F – 1,100-1,500cc – J.M. Fangio (BRM V16 supercharged), 1min 32.2sec, 93.71mph

G – 750-1,100cc – L. Leston (Cooper), 1min 42.3sec, 84.46mph

H – 500-750cc – does not apply

I – 350-500cc – I. Bueb (Cooper), 1min 42.4sec, 84.37mph

SPORTSCARS

RECORD FOR THE CIRCUIT

J.M. Hawthorn (Ferrari 750 Monza), 1min 34.8secs, 91.14mph (Nine-Hours Race, 20^th August, 1955)

CLASS RECORDS

A – Over 8,000cc – does not apply

B - 5,000-8,000cc – Does not apply

C – 3,000-5,000cc – R. Berry (Jaguar D-Type), 1min 36.8sec, 89.26mph

D – 2,000-3,000cc - J.M. Hawthorn (Ferrari 750 Monza), 1min 34.8secs, 91.14mph

E – 1,500-2,000cc – M.P. Anthony (Lotus-Bristol), 1min 40.8sec, 85.71mph

F – 1,100-1,500cc – R.F. Salvadori (Cooper-Climax), 1min 37.6sec, 88.52mph

G – 750-1,100cc – A.C.B. Chapman (Lotus-Climax 11), 1min 42.2sec, 84.54mph

H – 500-750cc – D.R. Piper (Lotus-MG Mk VI supercharged), 1min 57.2sec, 73.72

I – 350-500cc – Does not apply

So study the names: Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, Juan Manuel Fangio, Roy Salvadori, Les Leston, Ivor Bueb, Sydney Allard, Colin Chapman, David Piper, Bob Berry (popular Jaguar PRO as well as very capable racing driver) and Mike Anthony – still a Goodwood regular visitor to this day.

Interestingly, the Yearbook also appends a section heading ‘Some Fastest Laps at Goodwood’ which includes times pre-dating the insertion of the Paddock Bend chicane in 1952. Here they are, major meeting by major meeting, Easter, Whitsun and September, 1948-56:

1948 – September – F.R. Gerard (ERA supercharged) – 1:43.6 – 83.40mph

1949 – April – R. Parnell (Maserati supercharged) – 1:39.2 – 87.10mph

            September – R. Parnell (Maserati supercharged) – 1:36.8 – 89.26mph

1950 – April – P.D.C. Walker (E-Type ERA supercharged) – 1:43.8 – 83.24mph

            May – B. Shawe-Taylor (ERA supercharged) – 1:40.2 – 86.22mph

            September – R. Parnell (BRM V16 supercharged) – 1:41.8 – 84.87mph

1951 – March – ‘B. Bira’ (OSCA V12) – 1:35.6 – 90.38mph

            May – R. Parnell (Ferrari ‘ThinWall Special’) – 1:31.4 – 94.53mph

September – G. Farina (Alfa Romeo 158 supercharged) – 1:28.0 – 97.36mph

1952 – April – J.F. Gonzalez (Ferrari ‘ThinWall Special’) – 1:36.0 – 90.00mph

            June – J.M. Hawthorn (Cooper-Bristol) – 1:39.0 – 87.27mph

            September – R. Parnell (BRM V16 supercharged) – 1:35.6 – 90.38mph

1953 – April – K. Wharton (BRM V16 supercharged) – 1:33.8 – 92.11mph

September - J.M. Hawthorn (Ferrari ‘ThinWall Special’) – 1:31.4 – 94.53mph

1954 – April - R. Parnell (Ferrari 625)

                        K. Wharton (BRM V16 supercharged)

                        R. Flockhart (BRM V16 supercharged)

R.F. Salvadori (Maserati 250F) - all four timed at 1:35.6 – 90.38mph

-       June – P.J. Collins (Ferrari ‘ThinWall Special’) – 1:32.6 – 93.30mph

-       September - P.J. Collins (Ferrari ‘ThinWall Special’) – 1:32.2 – 93.71mph

1955 – April - P.J. Collins (BRM V16 Mk II supercharged) – 1:33.0 – 92.90mph

1956 – April – S.C. Moss (Maserati 250F) – 1:30.2 – 95.79mph

Of course ‘Nino’ Farina’s 1:28 lap in the works Alfetta during the September 1951 meeting looks absolutely outstanding – and that was the performance which triggered installation of the chicane just before the pits at the start of 1952. But this listing also demonstrates just how big a part of Goodwood folklore in those early days were such great drivers as Moss, Hawthorn, Roy Salvadori, Peter Collins, Reg Parnell, Ken Wharton and ‘The Pampas Bull’ Froilan Gonzalez, Ron Flockhart and Peter Walker too.

And aren’t the cars’ names also something to conjure with? ERAs, including the end-game E-Type, the supercharged BRM V16s in both long-wheelbase Mark I and short-wheelbase Mark II form, Tony Vandervell’s Ferrari ‘ThinWall Special’ in its various iterations, and of course the Hawthorn Cooper-Bristol and Prince ‘Bira’s vivid blue and yellow OSCA V12… Bygone days but here at least is a yardstick to remember them by – and another comparator for Historic racing today…

Photography courtesy of The GP Library.