GOSPORTEERS CHALLENGE TROPHY
The Gosporteers Challenge Trophy came into its own after the first of two meetings to be held at the Royal Navy Air Yard at HMS Daedalus, Lee on Solent April 25th 1971. This was the first on-tour Drag Race meeting of the year organised by the British Drag Racing & Hot Rod Association.
Above Photo: Jerry Cookson
After plenty of pre-race publicity (including TV and static display’s in local car showrooms) over 10,000 mad keen motor racing, Drag Racing and plain curious fans braved the windy conditions to see plenty of close action in all of the eliminators run; highlight being the best of three match race against the two slingshot dragsters of BDRHoF members Clive Skilton with the Castrol sponsored Revolution 2 and Dennis Priddle in the John Woolfe Racing/Radio Luxembourg dragster both smoking the rear slicks for Clive to take two 8 second wins (8.6 and 8.4s).
Also running that weekend was BDRHoF members Tony Densham and Allan Herridge; Tony was taking his first outing in the Santa Pod owned Firefly slingshot dragster while Allan was seen with the SPR owned Gloworm Capri Funny Car. BDRHoF member Roy Phelps also entertained the crowds with the wheelie Stingray.
A second meeting took place at HMS Daedalus to form part of an International series of races sponsored by Petersen Publishing; the people that gave us Hot Rod, Car Craft, Rod & Custom and other great automotive magazines. The other two races were run at Santa Pod and starred Don Shumacher, Paula Murphy, Tony Nancy and Danny Johnson.
The Gosporteers Challenge Trophy was presented to the highest placed driver in the BDR & HRA Points series with the first recipient being the late …