Rae and the racing Austins

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Everyone’s favourite race at theGoodwood Revival? It may well be St. Mary’s Trophy, with bread and butter cars racing doorhandle-to-doorhandle style and spectacle guaranteed. Everyone’s favourite on the grid used to be the ultra-enthusiastic Rae Davis with one of his stinking fast Austin A35s or A40s, driven to the absolute limit. Rae never shows fear in between big Jags and even bigger Ford Falcons. When he doesn't race the cars himself, he (re)builts them for others.

But Rae won’t be there with one of his little Austins this year. Why not? We spoke to him: "I was the first driver ever to take part in the St Mary's Trophy with an A35, that was 2001. I was partnered by Touring car legend Steve Soper and I understand that it was the first car he ever raced, so hence the tie up. Best result was with the A35 when I won outright and won the Driver of the Day-award and the Rolex Daytona watch, full inscribed! This year the cars in the St Mary's Trophy are pre-1966, i.e. Lotus Cortina; 1800tsi BMW; Mustangs; Minis et cetera. The only car that I had that fitted in was the Renault 8 Gordini. I have raced that twice there but this year they didn't seem to want that car and so I will run a Mini Cooper ‘S’ instead. But the A35's/A40's are still very popular, though, and I send parts all over the world for people who want to race them." In fact we bumped into one of Rae’s cars in Japan one day. No doubt we'll see you back in one soon Rae!

(Words Jeroen Booij, pictures Rae Davis, Jeroen Booij and others)
 

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