The Goodwood Revival always brings out the best in Darren Turner, but this year the multiple championship-winning sportscar racer got the chance to sample one of the greatest machines ever to race at Goodwood – the Aston Martin DB3S.
The annual late-summer celebration of motor racing’s glory days is a veritable festival of priceless machinery that draws in some of the best drivers in the world; all keen to experience the delights of oversteery drifts and side-by-side racing in high-powered and under-tyred machinery. This heady mix offers a rare opportunity to witness and experience these great cars being driven in anger by the sport’s stars of today.
Entered in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy, a celebration of the Goodwood 9 Hours race held three times between 1952 and 1955 and won each time by an Aston Martin DB3 or DB3S, the British marque’s very own racing star Turner was joined in the Wolfgang Friedrichs-owned car by famed historic racer Simon Hadfield. The duo qualified seventh for the 50-minute race as the fastest of two three-litre, straight six-powered DB3Ss in the field.
“It was such a privilege to drive the DB3S,” said Turner. “It wasn’t the first time I’d driven one, but it was the first time I’d competed in one and it didn’t disappoint. It was smooth, predictable, and so well balanced.”
The race began on a standing start and Turner admitted it wasn’t among his best. “It was the usual story; the first time I’d driven the car at Goodwood, the first time I’d made a start in it, and we’d hardly had any practice time, so I didn’t get off the line all that well. But after that we went for it…”
Undeterred, the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona class winner was making passes before the field had even exited Madgewick, the British venue’s challenging first corner. By the time the race was another lap old Turner was up to sixth and embroiled in a battle with Nigel Webb’s Jaguar C-Type and an HWM-Jaguar. Turner settled the argument with a glorious pass to the outside down through Fordwater and into St Mary’s.
The race’s pit window was between 16 and 34 minutes and Turner was allowed to race deep into the opening stint, which gave him time to climb further up the field.
“We pitted quite late so we ended up leading for a few laps towards the end of my stint,” said Turner, “but that was largely because some of the other leaders had already stopped to change drivers. But we were on a charge though!”
Darren pitted just after 30 minutes into the race and handed over to Hadfield, who emerged from the stop in fourth position, though that would become sixth place as faster, more powerful cars raced their way past.
“Simon had a good stint but he was never going to be able to hold back some of the cars we’d jumped with the overcut,” said Turner. “I loved driving the DB3. It was also fun to share it with Simon, who races Wolfgang’s cars all the time. It was a massive pleasure to race it and driving at Goodwood at sunset is just as magical as you would imagine.”
The DB3S wasn’t the only legendary Aston Martin Turner was able to sample at this year’s revival. Having driven the car that dominated its class at Le Mans through the mid-1950s at Le Mans, he was offered the chance to drive a DBR2; one of its family successors.
“I was asked to drive in the Carroll Shelby demonstration on the Sunday afternoon,” explained Turner. “I only did one lap in the DBR2, but what a beautiful car that was. I fell in love with it and I’ve made a promise to myself that I am going to try and drive it again soon!”
Turner’s Revival schedule, as usual, had been packed full of races, but the inherent delicacy of historic racing machinery means that sometimes things don’t go quite to plan. This meant Turner’s participation in his favourite TT race – the centrepiece of the meeting – was reduced to just practice outings with the beautiful Porsche 904 Carrera GTS owned and raced by Rainer Becker.
“It’s a wonderful little car,” said Turner. “In first qualifying we had a misfire and only did a couple of laps, and then in second qualifying the misfire continued but it also had a gear selection issue and so we wisely pulled it from the race.
“It’s a real shame because it would have been lovely to have raced alongside Rainer. Being part of the TT is amazing anyway and in fact the heavy rain in the second half of the race would have helped us a lot with the little 904s unique handling characteristics.”
No Revival is complete without the Turner family’s traditional assault on the Settrington Cup for Austin J40 pedal cars. The race is open to children between four and 10, and 2023 marked the last year that the Turners could boast a two-car entry, as Darren’s daughter Lyla won’t be eligible next year!
“Lyla did herself proud and recorded her best result – 21st, just ahead of her little brother Dylan,” said Turner. “It’s just so funny to watch the race, and the kids have the best time ever.”
Things turn a little more serious again for Turner next time out as he turns his attention to the mighty Nürburgring Nordschleife for Round 8 of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie with Dörr Motorsport’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3 (22-23 September).
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