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We were worried it wasn’t going to happen when the Arrows-Ford A11 failed to make it to yesterday’s practice for the SpeedWeek Shootout presented by Mastercard.
Video: Outright Circuit record smashed at Goodwood
Whatever the problem was, it seemingly got sorted overnight, allowing the car and driver combination we were hotly tipping for the top to qualify for tomorrow’s final. Nick Padmore already holds the Goodwood Motor Circuit lap record, set in a Lola T70 Spyder during the Bruce McLaren Trophy race at the 74th Members’ Meeting in 2016.
Today he was in the cockpit of the Arrows-Ford A11, a Ross Brawn-designed Formula 1 car dating back to 1989 and the return to natural aspiration in motorsport’s top series. Fitted with a massively updated version of the venerable Cosworth DFV, it was one of the most powerful cars on the grid, but achieved only a handful of top six finishes.
Today however, with Padmore behind the wheel, it blew away its Shootout opposition, finishing eight seconds ahead of Marco Werner in the Lotus-Cosworth 77. A fully on form Harry King completed the top three in a Porsche 911 Carrera GT3 Cup car. We can’t wait to see what Padmore can do tomorrow with that wailing V8 behind him.
