Goodwood SpeedWeek: ‘70s touring car throwdown
One of the main events of the Goodwood Members’ Meetings has always been the Gerry Marshall Trophy for ‘70s and ‘80s touring cars. Now it’s making its way to Goodwood SpeedWeek, here’s what you can expect from an incredible race.
What is the Gerry Marshall Trophy?
The Gerry Marshall Trophy is a race for Group 1 saloon cars that raced from 1970 to 1982. The race is named after legendary touring car driver Gerry Marshall, whose flamboyant career spanned four decades and over 600 wins in multiple forms of motorsport. He is most famous for racing Vauxhall Firenzas in the mid-1970s, and is forever associated with these iconic Group 1 touring cars. The Gerry Marshall Trophy will be split into two parts, the first a 45-minute two-driver race featuring owners and VIP racing drivers, with a driver change around the mid-point. The second race, called the Gerry Marshall Sprint, sees the grid lineup in reverse finishing order from the main race. A manic 15-minute dash with the owners driving then follows, the faster cars trying to make their way to the front before the timer ticks down. Always a spectacular part of the revived Goodwood Members’ Meetings, the race will now form a brilliant part of the Goodwood Speedweek.
What cars will race in the Gerry Marshall Trophy?
The cars are all Group 1 saloon cars which raced from 1970-1982. As this was an era of great variety for touring car racing, there is a huge spread of car styles across the c30-car grid. The battle at the front is regularly between the big American V8 Chevrolet Camaros and BOSS Mustangs and the screaming British V8s of the Rover SD1s and Ford Capris with the mighty Mini 1275GTs snapping at their heels. Other regulars in the Gerry Marshall Trophy include Volkswagen Golfs, Ford Escorts and Fiestas, BMW 535is, and even an Austin Metro!
What drivers will I see in the Gerry Marshall Trophy?
Similar to the RAC TT, the Gerry Marshall Trophy features owners and VIP driver sharing cars. Last year’s race came down to a straight battle between Le Mans winner Romain Dumas and GT racer (and son of rally ace Stig) Tom Blomqvist. Also racing regularly are the likes of bike legend Stuart Graham, Le Mans aces Emanuele Pirro, Oliver Jarvis, Jochen Mass and Tom Kristensen, BTCC racers Andrew Jordan, Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden and TV legend Tiff Needell. Many more motorsport icons have taken part in the race, and we’ll be announcing the full lineup of drivers closer to the event.
When and how can I watch the race?
As part of Goodwood’s once-in-a-lifetime SpeedWeek you’ll be able to watch the race, as well as practice and qualifying on the Goodwood Road & Racing website or on our social media channels over 16th-18th October 2020.
Gerry Marshall Trophy
Preview
SpeedWeek
