Son races Firenza in father’s race
Gregor Marshall drove his 1974 Vauxhall Firenza in the Gerry Marshall Trophy and Sprint races for 1970-82 Group 1 saloons.
Gregor bought this original road car – one of only 204 ‘High Performance’ Firenzas built – in 2006. He said: ‘It hasn’t raced in 14 years and we’ve only just finished re-building it. It has a new engine and limited-slip differential now. It’s a fantastic privilege to be racing here at Goodwood in a race that would have been held at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting this year.’
Gregor’s finished 20th in the Gerry Marshall Trophy race and an even better 18th in the sprint race. He said of the Trophy race: ‘ The Camaros got a bit bolshy, pushing people out the way – I
Gregor Marshall with his race-spec Vauxhall Firenza. braked too late and with cold tyres understeered onto the grass. Luckily I emerged unscathed on the other side of St Mary, with everyone missing me, before engaging gear to accelerate down to the hairpin only to find a 1275 Mini GT spinning on its roof in the middle of the track!
‘The more powerful cars swamped me after the race re-start, but I had a great first lap, trying to not give up too many places, but also being mindful of the fact the Firenza needs some more power. I had a lovely race and really enjoyed it, especially the two-wheel moments through the chicane!’
Ford Capris managed to dominate the top ten in both races. Rick Wood (left) said that he felt his 1979 Capri 3.0, although fast and nimble, doesn’t suit the Goodwood circuit compared to the faster Cameros and Mustangs: ‘You spend too much time sideways in a Capri, but it makes it competitive and it makes for a very diverse grid. It’s certainly not processional and you hear so many different engine noises.’