New pre-war race: John Duff to be celebrated at Goodwood

 

A brand-new race will be on display at the Goodwood Motor Circuit for the 77th Members’ Meeting in April 2019..

 

 

With the confirmation that the S.F. Edge Trophy would make a triumphant return to the Members’ Meeting paddock in 2019, Goodwood can now confirm that an all-new race for pre-1930 Vintage sports racing cars, the John Duff Trophy, will make its Motor Circuit debut at the 77th Members’ Meeting.

 

John Duff is a legend in Canadian motorsport, noted as not only the first Canadian to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours, but the only one to date to have taken overall victory at the legendary twice-round-the-clock race, having won the 1924 race for Bentley alongside Frank Clement. As well as his Le Mans triumph, Duff held over fifty World Records in both speed and endurance.

 

Born in China, Duff was born to Canadian parents and sent to their hometown of Hamilton, Ontario for a proper, Victorian education. After moving around from Canada, back to China and then Russia, Duff moved to England in 1914 to join the army and serve in the Great War. Seriously injured while serving at the Battle of Passchendaele, Duff was sent to hospital back in England.

 

 

Duff made his racing debut at Brooklands in 1920, having learnt to drive just 12 months earlier, competing in a 1908 Fiat S61 and was on par with Henry Segrave by the end of the year. Following multiple victories and records at Brooklands, and upon hearing of the plan for a new 24-Hour race in Le Mans, entered almost immediately. Duff and Clement finished 4th in the inaugural running, before taking victory 12 months later.

 

 

The Members’ Meeting will pay tribute to Duff with an eye-watering selection of vintage machinery from the late 1920s. Naturally, Bentleys will be out in force in homage to the man responsible for bringing Bentley to Le Mans, while Bugattis, Vauxhalls, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeos will be vying to take home the spoils in the first running of the John Duff Trophy.