One year ago (2002) historic racer Rae Davis dominated these pages, as we documented his efforts to run an Austin A35 against the might of the Jaguars, Ford Galaxies et al in the St Mary's Trophy saloon car race, for many the best event of that 1950s film-set weekend known as the Goodwood Revival. Rae did well in the 2002 Trophy, but he wanted to do better this year, and for that he needed something a little, well different... We wind the story on until the start of 2003.

Rae has sold on the A35, and is beginning to think about the Goodwood Revival meeting in September. As is traditional the Sunday saloon car race, the St Mary's Trophy, is moving from a pre-1960 event to a pre-'65 event. The question is what car to race. The usual suspects will all be there, such as the Ford Galaxies and Jaguar Mk2s. “More than enough of those,” says Rae, while adding that the likely £80,000 price tag for a competitive race-ready big cat is not appealing. Lotus-Cortinas are equally prolific and almost as expensive at around £60,000, while even a Cooper S would likely require some £40,000 and all this with no guarantee of success on race day.

Then Rae hits upon an idea. For the first time the Goodwood hierarchy is to allow into the race a certain little rear-engined Rootes machine, beloved of a certain group of people counting among their number the Editor of CLASSICS – yes, we're talking about the Hillman Imp. It's never really been clear as to why the Imp hasn't been accepted for the St Mary's Trophy, in its 1960s form, before. “To be honest,” says Rae, “I don't think they've ever really thought about it.” But the more he thinks about it, the more he's convinced this is the car for him. It will make a welcome change on the grid, and evidence suggests the Imp could be competitive and worry those in the bigger machinery – which is what Rae likes doing best.

Problem one, finding an Imp. Rae quickly discovers that good, race-ready versions are not exactly abundant; “Probably less than half a dozen appear on the tracks regularly, and most of their owners don't want to sell.” A bit of digging eventually leads him to Ron Parker; “In my searches the name that keeps coming up as a 'quick Imp bloke' is Ron – apparently he's been doing this for years, personal friend of that great Imp racer George Bevan, that sort of thing.” By luck, Ron has two Imps, his own racer, and one he once built for another noted Imp exponent, Pat Longhurst, to race in the historic saloon series that formerly supported the British Touring Car Championship.

Since Pat's recent and untimely death the car has sat in Ron's workshops, and on the instructions of Pat's widow it's not for sale. No matter – Rae's research suggests Ron's own car will be the quicker, though it's a more 'used' example; “it has been raced hard and it's beat up around the edges, knocked about a bit.” Rae, who admits to knowing nothing about Imps, is faced with a very black and white situation from Ron – take it or leave it. He takes it.

First time out, in a Spring test session for the Top Hat saloon series at Donington, he initially wonders what he's done as the Imp pops and bangs its way around the circuit. But the misfire is simply the result of two years standing idle, and a carb rebuild by Southern Carburettors fixes it. Rae generally tidies up the car and to really give it a test enters it in a Top Hat race, again at Donington. Then he makes a mistake. “The driveshaft rotoflex couplings look shot, so I replace them, but I buy the wrong ones, standard items – well I didn't know did I?”

The Imp qualifies around halfway down the grid and first in class by a long way – Rae is grinning now. In the race his grin grows wider, as he revels in the car's handling, “phenomenal brakes” and revvy engine – until suddenly there's a vibration from the back and he immediately guesses what it is. “The driveshaft never actually came adrift,” says Rae, “though the dents already in the shell suggests that's happened before.” To not finish is a disappointment but having seen what the car can do Rae is confident for Goodwood.

By now he has decided to paint the car in the colours of the famous Fraser Imp race team of the late 1960s, strictly later than Goodwood's period rule but suitably nostalgic. But other more closely observed rules of the event require some serious work on the Imp before heading for Sussex, and Rae's running out of time. Impspeed in Wigan steps in to finish the job, which involves putting on steel doors and bootlid, adding windows, returning most of the interior to the car including the dash and seats, mechanical work including new wheel bearings, and a respray in the famed Fraser colours of blue and white. Meanwhile another Imp exponent, Reg Pattern, breathes on the engine, a rolling road test at Redline Tuning revealing 100bhp at the wheels, revving at a mere 9000rpm and put through a Jack Knight dog-'box and LSD. According to Rae; “It makes a lovely row when going hard.” By now Rae even has a spare car. A friend, Adrian Young, has been inspired by the Imp and decided he must have his own. He even persuades Ron Parker to sell him the Pat Longhurst car and it too visits Impspeed.

Soon Rae is heading to Goodwood with an identical-looking pair of Fraser Imps. At the circuit, they are joined by another. A totally separate project by the Brooklands Motor Company has put a second Imp on the grid, again in Fraser colours but with a slightly more authentic touch in that codriving with car owner Steve Gray will be Rosemary Smith, Rootes rally star and one of the earliest campaigners of the real Fraser Imps. Rae is again teamed with his partner from 2002, F1 pundit Tony Jardine – the Imp invasion of Goodwood is ready to roll...

In free practice on Friday the signs are good. Rae completes five laps; “It wanders a bit at speed and I feel we need to stiffen the front dampers slightly, but the gearing is spot-on, pushing 9000 at the end of the long straight into Woodcote corner, and I'm not dissatisfied when I hand over to Tony.” Jardine gets in two laps then without warning the engine throws a rod.


The team's considers its options; either to run with the untried second car, or to whip out its engine and put it in the race car. Considering that his gearbox is perfect for the track, Rae goes for option two, and a busy evening ensues. Next door the Brooklands squad are equally busy, having suffered the unnerving event of the bonnet flying up on their car, smashing the windscreen. “To be honest,” says Rae, “I was considering dropping in the other engine anyway, as it's more powerful, pulling 110bhp at 8250rpm. “But the job does not prove as easy as expected. The new engine won't fit the hole in the rear of the race Imp. One motor boasts a later block than the other, and clutch bolts foul the bellhousing – the entire flywheel and clutch has to be changed too. As a result, Rae discovers clutch slip on the first lap of Saturday qualifying. The clutch pushrod is changed and out he goes again, but bigger dramas are to ensue; “I'm accelerating down the Lavant straight, just glancing down at the instruments, when there's a 'whumpf' and a massive plume of smoke. Within yards I can't see outside the car, and in a few more I can't see inside – I thought the engine had blown up.” In fact the oil cooler pipe has come astray, pumping oil over the hot exhaust – it's lucky the car doesn't catch fire – and laying a trail around the circuit.


Rae is not a popular man as he returns to the pits... By the time the fault is fixed Tony gets only two laps and the team are at the back of the grid. Rae still believes they can have a good race, picking up places, taking advantage of others cars' breakdowns, and the two Imps look good on the grid together – yes, the Brooklands car is at the back too, the victim of gear linkage problems. The photo opportunity doesn't last long – seconds before the start Steve Gray's car is pushed off the grid as a gasket fails and leaks oil onto the track.

Tony takes first stint as Rae has been racing a Marcos in the previous event. The TV man, having had virtually no time in the car, starts slowly but is soon picking up places, and judging by the camera mounted in the Imp enjoying himself – until with two laps gone the car just stops. There's no warning, and no hope of getting it going again. The fault is eventually traced to something very simple – rotor arm failure.


It's a frustrating end to a trying weekend, but Rae refuses to be too downhearted. “I'm disappointed because Goodwood is a special event and I had high hopes of the Imp. It may be one litre up against cars with seven and a half litres but I reckon it would have shown very well. I knew from free practice that the car had immense potential, and I was happy it would go the distance.” With that in mind, this car is not to be sold on like last year's A35. The Imp will be on the track next season, in the Top Hat series, and competing as the official Fraser race team. Alan Fraser, now enjoying his retirement running an animal sanctuary in Scotland, has given his blessing to the team, and the cars will help to raise funds for the sanctuary. The Imp won't be back at Goodwood next year, as frustratingly the St Mary's Trophy reverts to its pre-1960 format, but Rae is determined that the little Hillman will show what it can really do in 2005. As he says; “It's unfinished business.”


Many thanks to the following:

Southern Carburettors for all fuelling needs	020 8540 2723
Impspeed Imp variants for road and race	0169 555 5053
Castrol Classic Oils including competition grades	01954 231668
Competition Car Insurance cover on and off track	0115 941 5255
Questmead performance brake pads and shoes	08707 450584
Redline Tuning rolling road tuning	01753 655522
Spax performance dampers	01869 244771
Think Automotive Oil cooler components by Mocal	020 8568 1172
Reg Pattern Imp engine specialist	020 8661 0183
Mountains Animal Sanctuary	01356 650258