The second phase of the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy at the 2026 Goodwood Revival presented by Dunlop delivered high drama on Sunday as riders scrambled in a Le Mans-style start to improve their positions on the combined leaderboard.
Fast start and immediate reshuffle
As the field sprinted across the tarmac, the Matchless G80CS of Child/Tonge generated the early headlines by leaping from 12th to take an immediate lead. Close behind them were the Vincent Black Shadow of Booth-Amos/Kingham and a string of classic machines including the Norton Manx of Thomas/May, the Triumph T110 of Simpson/Rushworth and the supercharged BMW R57 Kompressor of Todd/Schwab.
"The first race was so gripping, we just had to go back for more."
That early scramble settled into a fluid contest of line and momentum. Before long the Norton Manx crewed by Bayliss/English asserted themselves, cutting through the chicane and gradually stretching their advantage on the resurfaced Motor Circuit.
A tense podium battle and a surprise mover
While Bayliss/English began to pull clear, the fight for the remaining podium places intensified. The Todd/Schwab BMW, having dropped back at the start, executed a methodical recovery and was closing rapidly — at one point sitting less than a second behind Part 1 winners Booth-Amos and Kingham on the Vincent. Amid those exchanges, the Velocette MSS 500 of Laverty and Perkin produced a decisive move, sweeping up from the pack to snatch second place and reconfigure the top order.
- Matchless G80CS (Child/Tonge) — early leader
- Vincent Black Shadow (Booth-Amos/Kingham) — close contender, Part 1 winners
- Norton Manx (Bayliss/English) — took and extended the lead
- Velocette MSS 500 (Laverty/Perkin) — surprise rise to second
- BMW R57 Kompressor (Todd/Schwab) — recovering through the field
Strategy and pit-work reshaping the race
As the contest matured, strategic thinking came to the fore. The Norton Daytona Domiracer of Day and Riley was the first to dive into the pitlane, closely followed by the McGuinness/Parker Norton Manx. Both crews executed quick rider swaps in an obvious bid to maintain track advantage over rivals. The remainder of the field followed suit, creating a sequence of pit stops that would prove pivotal to the final combined classification.
These mid-race calls underlined how the event is not merely a sprint of pace but also a test of coordination and timing for teams working on classic machinery — where every second in the pit can flip the podium order.
Local resonance and wider Revival atmosphere
For spectators at Goodwood the afternoon was electric, the closely grouped top three separated by barely two seconds at one stage, and the circuit thrumming with the sound of period engines. The Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy remains one of the Revival’s most evocative encounters, pairing nostalgia for historic machines with the modern intensity of team tactics and razor-close racing.
Though the combined result would ultimately be decided by the aggregate outcome across both parts of the Trophy, Sunday’s second leg emphasised how fortunes can swing quickly — from explosive starts to momentum-wielding comebacks and the small margins of pitlane exchanges. For followers of classic motorcycle racing, particularly those who have followed the history and names associated with the Trophy, the race offered an absorbing demonstration of how the Revival blends heritage, skill and competitive flair.
| Machine | Riders/Pairing | Role in Part 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Matchless G80CS | Child/Tonge | Explosive start — early leader |
| Vincent Black Shadow | Booth-Amos/Kingham | Close contender — Part 1 winners |
| Norton Manx | Bayliss/English | Took and extended the lead |
| Velocette MSS 500 | Laverty/Perkin | Surged to second place |
| Norton Daytona Domiracer | Day/Riley | First to pit — initiated rider swaps |
Sunday’s action at Goodwood will be examined closely by teams and enthusiasts alike as the combined leaderboard is settled, but for now the second leg of the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy will be remembered for its rapid changes of fortune, tactical pit-work and the kind of classic-bike racing that keeps Revival fans returning year after year.
