MCLAREN CLAIMS SHOOTOUT HONOURS
For the first time since Nick Heidfeld’s record-breaking run in 1999, Mclaren took the honours in the famous Goodwood shootout. GT ace Rob Bell wrestled a Mclaren 720S GT3X up the ribbon of asphalt in 45.01 seconds, despite the threat of rain in the closing stages.
Bell’s nearest rival was American extreme motorsport competitor Travis Pastrana, who had topped qualifying in a heavily modified Subaru WRX STI. Pastrana was up on Bell’s time in the first sector but was unable to match the Mclaren driver after a wild slide towards the end of the run, in what was a thrilling climax to the shootout.
In the end, Pastrana was left to settle for second, 1.19s shy of Bell. The outright official hillclimb record still belongs to ex-formula 1 driver Heidfeld – the German clocked a 41.6s in a
Mclaren MP4/13 22 years ago.
A 1988 Spice-cosworth sportscar driven by Jeremy Smith secured the third-fastest time, having sat at the top of the times before the final two competitors took to the hill.
The shootout was punctuated by a lengthy red-flag period when Jack Tetley lost control of his 2012-specification Chevrolet Camaro NASCAR on the run to the finish. Tetley put a wheel on the grass, which sent the Chevrolet spinning at high speed into the hay bales, causing damage to the front and rear of the car.
One of the hotly tipped favourites, six-time Goodwood shootout winner Justin Law, was a notable absentee from the final despite setting the fourth-fastest time in qualifying. A spin exiting the Flint Wall during a morning run inflicted significant damage to the 1993 Bud Light-liveried Jaguar XJR-12D that was driven in period by David Brabham, John Andretti, John Nielsen and Davy Jones.
Homegrown talents in reigning Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain champion Harry King and British Touring Car Championship title contender Jake Hill also threatened to claim the outright honours. King was left to settle for fourth following his committed run in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, while
Hill had been the early pacesetter after a stunning run in a Ric Wood-owned Hks-liveried Nissan Skyline GT-R R32.
Car owner Wood himself ended up ninth overall, having piloted a 2011 Walkinshaw-built Holden Commodore V8 Supercar. He was among a number of notable impressive efforts, including touring car legend Anthony Reid, who guided a former Carlos Sainz Ford
Escort WRC to seventh.