Race report: Sussex Trophy – Revival 2019

Wills took the advantage of the inside line into the first corner and pulled gracefully into a strong lead while behind him the needle-shark Ferrari and powerful Lister traded places in a hugely entertaining dice.

In their wake streamed a field that was comprised mainly of Jaguar-engined cars, of which the 1955 Le Mans-winning Jaguar D-Type was a huge crowd favourite in the hands of Kinrara Trophy winner Gary Pearson.

The entertainment was interrupted by a sizeable shunt for Goodwood regular Geraint Owen and his much-admired Lister-Chevrolet. To enormous relief the driver clambered out unassisted but his car required considerable attention from the ever-vigilant GRRC marshals, which in turn brought out the Safety Car and closed the field right back up together.

At the restart, Wills, Hancock and Minshaw were lunging and parrying at every opportunity, using the full width of the Goodwood asphalt and then a good foot or so more in their ferocious battle for the lead.

This scrap allowed David Hart to close up on them in his Costin-bodied Lister but the hornet’s nest in the front three positions held firm from which Wills emerged victorious by a nose from Hancock and Minshaw, with all of the top four finishers covered by less than a second at the flag.

Photo by Nick Dungan.