GOODWOOD REVIVAL ST MARY'S TROPHY 2023

Fred Shepherd on his way to an infamous victory

Some victories are comfortable. Others become part of Goodwood folklore.

The 2023 St. Mary's Trophy was firmly the latter.

For Bill Shepherd Automotive, the weekend began with a simple objective: prove once again that the mighty 1959 Ford Thunderbird could take on—and beat—the finest European saloon cars of the 1950s. Partnering up again to defend their title was LeMans superstar, Romain Dumas, and, the increasingly established, Fred Shepherd.

Part One: Perfection

Saturday belonged to Romain Dumas.

From the moment the lights went out, Dumas launched the Thunderbird into the lead and never looked back. While chaos unfolded behind him, the Frenchman held a comfortable lead over the trailing Jaguar of Rob Huff.

The result was a commanding lights-to-flag victory, handing the team the perfect foundation for Sunday's owner-driver race.

But everyone knew the second race would be a very different challenge.

Part Two: Survival

Sunday afternoon brought damp conditions.

With the track offering very little grip, Fred Shepherd struggled to put the Thunderbird's enormous V8 power onto the circuit. Wheelspin off the line dropped the car backwards as the lighter Jaguars and alfas found traction, quickly swamping the axle-tramping T-bird.

What followed became one of the defining drives of the weekend.

Lap after lap, and as the track dried, the Thunderbird clawed back the deficit. The gap shrinking with every spectacular four-wheel drift that Fred balanced.

One by one the cars ahead were reeled in until only Chris Ward's Jaguar Mk1 remained. Ward had been untouchable all weekend, setting a lap record in qualifying and using the Jaguar's balance to full advantage.

Eventually, though the pressure of the closing behemoth and Ward's distinct swashbuckling driving style was too much for the Jag. Nursing fading brakes, Ward waved the Thunderbird through and the lead had changed hands.

The Twist

Ward sneaks the Jaguar up the inside on the final lap

The race was still far from over. The heavy Thunderbird's own brakes were now beginning to disappear. As Ward recovered, the Jaguar closed relentlessly, turning what looked like a comfortable victory for Fred into an all-out sprint over the closing laps.

Then came the traffic.

On the penultimate lap, slower cars delayed the Thunderbird just enough for Ward to seize his opportunity out of Madgwick, diving back through to retake first place.

Everything now came down to the final half of a lap.

One Last Chance

The greatest photo-finish we never got to see?

Out of the chicane (final corner), Shepherd got the run every driver dreams of. An excellent exit from the young historic specialist looked certain to become an unforgettable drag race to the finish line.

Then, in an instant, everything changed.

The Jaguar's gearbox failed.

After one of the fiercest battles seen at the Revival in years, the Thunderbird crossed the line first leaving the stricken Jag to coast to the finish. A historic 3 consecutive St Mary's Trophy victories for the team and a second consecutive for the Romain Dumas/Fred Shepherd driving pair.

A Weekend to Remember

It was a race that had everything: changing track condition, fading brakes, relentless comebacks, mechanical drama and a finish nobody could have scripted.

For Bill Shepherd Automotive, it was another chapter in the remarkable story of the Holman-Moody Thunderbird—a car that continues to prove that, even against lighter and more agile opposition, determination, preparation and outright pace can still write history.