Events at Silverstone, Brighton, Church Lawford, and Debden drew ever increasing crowds. Mickey Thompson put down the quickest elapsed time and fastest terminal speeds in his nitro dragster, but at the end of the series, Allard and Duce called their challenge a draw and the SEMA Trophy was presented to Sydney Allard. These spectacular automotive events kick-started the idea for more of the same over the following years with American teams visiting the UK; and so the sport of drag racing was launched in the UK.

The SEMA Trophy remained with the Allard family until 1970, when Sydney's son Alan (then Chairman of the British Drag Racing and Hot Rod Association) donated it to the association to be awarded to the winner of the annual international events. The original plaque on the trophy was replaced at this time to reflect it being presented by the British Drag Racing & Hot Rod Association in association with the Allard Motor Company. The names of Bjorn Andersson, Clive Skilton and Dennis Priddle joined Sydney's on the trophy. When Dennis won the trophy for the third year in succession in 1974 it was given to him to keep.

Some time after this Dennis gave the trophy to his long time sponsor Brian Glockler of Queensway Travel of Brighton who gave it to the Brighton and Hove Motor Club for display in their club house on Madeira Drive in Brighton. There it remained, hidden from all apart from club members, and the sport eventually forgot about it, until Brian Taylor picked up the story during research for his book Crazy Horses - the history of British Drag Racing.

After forming the Allard Chrysler Action Group to restore Sydney's car that is now owned by the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, England, as the group's chairman, Brian asked the ACAG South East England Regional Officer Peter Crane and member Nick Pettitt to make contact with the Brighton and Hove Motor Club to see whether they would donate the trophy so that it could be reunited with the trophy's first winner - the Allard Chrysler dragster then driven by Sydney Allard.

Brighton and Hove Motor Club Chairman Tony Johnstone was very interested in the restoration project and the committee immediately agreed to the idea. The trophy is now on display next to the car at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.