The day Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark shared the Goodwood lap record

The pair, who would later share five Formula 1 World Titles between them, made up part of a star-studded grid for the 1965 Sunday Mirror Trophy, a non-Championship F1 race held at the BARC Easter Monday Meeting. The event was the annual curtain-raiser for the motorsport season and after competitive practice sessions on Saturday – followed by a party at Goodwood House and a day of rest on Sunday – anticipation for Monday’s race was at fever pitch, despite a freak early-morning hailstorm which temporarily left the surface inches deep in hailstones. 

As the green flag dropped, Clark’s Lotus 25, which he had previously driven to his first F1 World Championship in 1963, was beaten into second by Graham Hill, and so slotted in behind as the 16-car field filed into Madgwick. The pair raced nose-to-tail through the first five laps, followed at a distance by Dan Gurney, Stewart, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Jo Bonnier, Jochen Rindt, Richard Attwood and Jo Siffert. 

On lap six, Hill couldn’t hold back Clark’s pace any longer. The Scotsman shot into the lead and never looked back, running completely unchallenged. The only competition he had now was against the clock. 

Further back, Stewart occupied a comfortable fourth behind Gurney and soon began to find a rhythm. He was promoted to third after Hill’s second-place car showed signs of losing power, and as the lap counter climbed, so did the Scotsman’s pace. With his fuel level low yet tyres still fresh, he eventually clocked a fastest lap of 1:20.4, obliterating the existing lap record by over six-tenths of a second. 

Unfortunately, the future three-time World Champion’s day would end with retirement, as the camshaft on his BRM P261 broke just five laps from the chequered flag. Nevertheless, his record-breaking mark on the race had been made. But little did Stewart know, he would soon be sharing his new-found honour. 

Clark continued to lead convincingly, building on his advantage with every passing lap. By this time, victory was inevitable – even against a field which by 1970 would have 11 F1 World Championships between them. But his pace remained unrelenting, and to top off a performance typical of the Scotsman’s other-worldly skill, he matched Stewart’s new lap record to the millisecond. 

It was a truly remarkable feat, that in many ways marked the end of an era. The 1965 Sunday Mirror Trophy was the final F1 race ever conducted at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, and just 16 months later, it closed its doors as a contemporary racing venue.

Both circumstances are sad in many respects. But, it does allow for the motorsport legacies of Clark and Stewart to be eternally linked, at the very circuit that formed a large part of their racing legend. 

Tickets for the Goodwood Revival are now available! Saturday tickets are selling fast, so secure yours now to avoid missing out, and don’t forget to take advantage of early bird pricing to save up to 10 per cent when you book before 1^st May 2025.

Images courtesy of Getty Images.