The Roaring Season

Paul B wrote:Agree wholeheartedly with Bruce ^^ awesome thread. Loved the Thunderbolt clip, that big block FE engine is just the bomb for me, love it!
Thanks ever so much.
Cheers
Paul

I know you want to build one Paul but.....

Steve,
In my #2 photo it shows the McLaren team testing the Hulme #5 M8.
That was May 1968 and there is no chicane so it must have been removed in 1967 when the grandstands were dismantled.
Perhaps the chicane was a liability for the driving schools that operated back then.
I suppose you could put in a temporary chicane for the day just to add to the fun.

Ken.
p.s. I am glad you liked the thread.
It may be my swansong for a while.
That shoe box is drier than the local lake which is bone dry !
Cheers

Great photos and memories Ken, Thank you very much for taking the time to scan and share them, It is much appreciated by us all.

Bruce.

Steve Holmes wrote:Ken, do you know when the chicane was removed, and why they removed it? Seems it was there when Bruce McLaren was testing his latest Can-Am car in 1967 as in post #25, but was gone by 1969.

(Photo. Bruce McLaren "Racing Car Constructor." by George Begg )

Steve,
This photo shows the McLaren team testing with Denny Hulme in the #5 M8 Can-Am car.
That was May 1968 and there is no chicane or grandstands on the right so it must have been removed in 1967 when the grandstands were also dismantled.
Perhaps the chicane was a liability for the driving schools that operated back then.
I suppose you could put in a temporary chicane for the day just to add to the fun.

Ken.
p.s. I am glad you liked the thread.

The original chicane was quite solid as I remember, but the modern Chicane is probably polystyrene.

Funny that a solid chicane was probably deemed dangerous and now we have many tracks surrounded by solid concrete...

The original chicane was quite solid as I remember, (post #11) but the modern Chicane I think is polystyrene.

Funny that a solid chicane was probably deemed dangerous and now we have many tracks surrounded by solid concrete...

khyndart in CA wrote:[ATTACH=CONFIG]46851[/ATTACH]
(Photo. Bruce McLaren "Racing Car Constructor." by George Begg )

Steve,
This photo shows the McLaren team testing with Denny Hulme in the #5 M8 Can-Am car.
That was May 1968 and there is no chicane or grandstands on the right so it must have been removed in 1967 when the grandstands were also dismantled.
Perhaps the chicane was a liability for the driving schools that operated back then.
I suppose you could put in a temporary chicane for the day just to add to the fun.

Ken.
p.s. I am glad you liked the thread.

Thanks Ken, yes you are right, its gone by the time George Begg snapped this image. I'm sure you're right about the reasons it was removed.

ERC wrote:The original chicane was quite solid as I remember, (post #11) but the modern Chicane I think is polystyrene.

Funny that a solid chicane was probably deemed dangerous and now we have many tracks surrounded by solid concrete...

Yes you are right Ray. The original I believe was made from brick, whereas the new chicane is polystyrene. Its not good to have multi-million dollar historic race cars ploughing into an immovable brick chicane. I vaguely recall that when the Goodwood Revival first began, drivers were charged if they hit and damaged the polystyrene chicane. I don't know if thats still the case but certainly they get a 5 sec time penalty now for hitting it. I guess with such emphasis being placed on achieving success at this event, and with teams and car owners being as wealthy as they are, a time penalty works as a better preventative measure than a monetary one.

Of interest also is that Goodwood now has a longer history as a historic racing circuit since the creation of the Goodwood Revival than it did in its original 1948 - 1966 era.

Back in the 1950s before polystyrene was an option the Goodwood Chicane was not for the timid !

Note the brick as this Lotus Eleven negotiates the Chicane..


The chicane in 1953. The bricks are hidden.


Jean Behra feeling the effects of a brick chicane at Goodwood in 1958.


(Ken H )

Steve Holmes wrote:Of interest also is that Goodwood now has a longer history as a historic racing circuit since the creation of the Goodwood Revival than it did in its original 1948 - 1966 era.

Good point Steve! Getting old, you tend to overlook these things.

the chicane that was there in the late 70's and early 80's was substantial,I think faced with railway sleepers. It certainly was not friendly

khyndart in CA wrote:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]46859[/ATTACH]
The chicane in 1953. The bricks are hidden.

And note the same Connaught in the background of this pic, Goodwood Festival 2004... Full width screen now fitted rather than the aero screen
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Totally off topic (sorry Ken) and from memory, but I think Bernie Ecclestone bought Connaught.

The late Geoff Manning's dog was named Connaught.

Tony Brooks' Sycracuse win in 1955, was the first GP win for a British car and driver combination since about 1923.

I had a good nosy at the M6GT one afternoon in Henderson. It was just parked at the side of the road - Lincoln Rd or Te Atatu Rd... Mid 70's. Across the road from the garage.
Great article Ken - keep it going. Yes 1948 was a good year (me too....)

I found this article in the Hagerty magazine. It is a wonderful read.
Bruce's name is always be held in the highest esteem even after almost 48 years.


https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2018/03/28/holy-trinity-of-mclarens-m6gt-f1-and-720s




(Ken H)

That's a very nice read, brings rumbles to the eyes and heart.