Bright and breezy, sun and fun just about sums up this year’s VSCC Autumn Sprint as a 100 cars tried to set their fastest timed lap from a standing start around the glorious Goodwood circuit. With all the Revival grandstands, hospitality suites, fun fair and paraphernalia now gone for another year, Goodwood looked rather bare but the far reaching views were better.  Even the geranium topped red and white chicane had been replaced with a wall of green and white tyres. The paddock was just as vibrant with a glorious array of vintage and classic cars while the outer car parks were brimming. There’s nothing like a spot of sunshine to draw in the spectators.

Morning practice was followed by two competition runs in the afternoon. With such a huge diversity of cars, there were 18 different classes catering for everything from diminutive three wheel Morgans and Austin 7s to huge aero engined Edwardian Specials and Bentley Saloons.

The paddock was a hive of activity all day long with owners fettling or fixing their machines after each run. The sight of oil smeared men with screwdriver or spanner in one hand and bacon buttie in the other was almost the norm. As the race faces went on, rubber got burnt as the cars, which were lined up in batches of five, scorched away from the timing beam every ten seconds. One or two overstepped the mark and spun out or took to the grass but all seemed to have fun.

Fastest time of the day was 97.59 seconds set by James Baxter in his 1934 3.5 litre Frazer Nash single seater. Tony Lees’s 1925/28 AC/GN Cognac was the quickest of the Pre-War cars with 106.95 seconds, while the little 1929 Morgan Super Aero of Sue Darbyshire was the fastest Vintage car with 1.11.21.

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