The 14th Goodwood Revival racing meeting (September 16-18) will again see representatives from Northern Ireland, who will be racing on two and four wheels. For three days this historic circuit stages a race meeting for the kind of cars and motorcycles that would have competed at Goodwood during 1948-1966. The Revival is the world’s most popular historic motor race meeting and the only event of its kind to be staged entirely in a the nostalgic time capsule.
Racing on two wheels will be ex-MotoGP rider Jeremy McWilliams who is entered in the Barry Sheen Memorial race, riding a Manx Norton. Jeremy will face stiff competition from a strong line up of professional riders pooled from the ranks of road racing and BSB, WSB and MotoGP. McWilliams will be going all out to better last years 2nd place in the two-part, two-rider challenge. McWilliams said “The event is by far and away the best in the World, it is something else and very proud to be invited back year on year.”
This year’s featured bikes are from the 1960s, including iconic names like Matchless, Norton, BMW, Ducati and Gilera. There will again be one race on Saturday and another on Sunday, with the result decided by aggregate timing. Each owner-rider will be paired up with a professional racer, and both will ride in each race, changing over in the pits around half distance.
Belfast’s Arnie Black and head of the Hollywood-based Crossle car company, Crossle Car Co. Ltd. has been invited to race the four wheel drive McCandless R2, which was built by Ulster inventor Rex McCandless. Only two of the Norton-powered machines were built with the first of the handlebar steered machines finishing in eighth place at Goodwood in 1953. Black will race the sole survivor in the Earl of March Trophy race, the event’s first 500cc F3 race since 2008.
The ex-Laurie McGladery machine is now owned by the Ulster Transport Museum and was restored by Crossle Cars, who also restored the museum’s Crossle MK3. The McCandless has had several shakedown tests at Kirkistown race circuit in preparation for its appearance. Black said “The McCandless will have the most original engine possible and therefore unfortunately will be well down on power compared to the methanol engines commonly used today.”
Last year’s event saw Belfast’s David Wylie take his father’s Speedwell Sprite to a creditable 5th place in the Fordwater Trophy, for special bodied cars, pre-1965, despite a hampering misfire. The Wylie’s commented that David’s hope is that he can race both the Speedwell and Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire, as the year’s requirement will coincide, and if we get an invitation both cars will be fully race ready.
Report provided kindly by Tony Gregory (tsccni.info)
