This year's Goodwood Revival also shone with a multi-course motorsport menu of the highest class, which of course included the appropriate dress code. Stirling Moss, a seven-time TT winner at Goodwood in 1961, who had to end his career here due to an accident in 1962, said in 2018: „It is an honor to be able to participate in the Revival.“
A brilliant blue sky, a sold-out crowd, and a rising atmosphere even during the morning „Goodwood Trophy“: This year’s Revival was marked not only by the 75th anniversary of a racetrack that Frederick Gordon-Lennox, 9th Duke of Richmond, had built in 1948 on the former RAF airfield. His grandson, Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox, 11th Duke of Richmond, 11th Duke of Lennox, 11th Duke of Aubigny, 6th Duke of Gordon, and formerly Earl of March and Kinrara, was beaming. In his speeches, he paid tribute to the life’s work of Colin Chapman and Carroll Shelby, each accompanied by a massive procession of rare motorsport treasures. Joining the festivities was not only Colin’s sister, who drove the brilliant designer’s debut creation, the Mark 1. This vehicle, used in cross-country events, was not allowed to carry any ballast on the rear wheels. So Colin simply packed two heavy spare wheels onto the cargo area above, with the cheeky note: „Spare wheels aren’t prohibited by the regulations!“ Colin’s son Clive, who upholds his famous father’s legacy, and his sister Jane were of course also in attendance. With moving words, the Duke commemorated the anniversary of the Queen’s death, exactly one year prior. And here, too, there was an accompanying parade, namely of all the Land Rovers in which the Queen had been chauffeured. The royal glamour was underscored by the 36 bearskin-wearing members of the Irish Guards„ music corps, whose “Colonel-in-Chief„ is King Charles III of England. The “Goodwood Trophy„—won here by Ian Baxter in a 1937 Alta G1 ahead of four ERA models from the years 1931 to 1938—kicked off the motorsport festivities. While Jacky Ickx was still signing autographs, the full family program was underway alongside the track, and the first auction bids were already coming in at Bonhams, the kids were getting ready for their first pedal car race. In this “Setringham Cup„ featuring a Le Mans-style start on both sides, the pedals of the Austin A40 replicas were pedaled vigorously, amid the cheers of fathers, some of whom race themselves. Luca Franchitti finished third and demonstrated the strength of his leg muscles with a fifth-place finish on Sunday.
Le Mans stars Dumas and Kristensen ahead of Jenson Button at the Goodwood Revival
The first highlight of every revival is, of course, the „St. Mary's Trophy,“ in which prominent racing drivers compete in the first part, and on Sunday, the owners of the respective vehicles get their turn. The results are combined. Mark Blundell and Alex Brundle found themselves at the back of the grid, with Tom Kristensen in last place. The record Le Mans winner had broken his Austin A90 Westminster's front right wheel during practice. By the third lap, Tom had already gained 14 places. Jenson Button, in an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti, narrowly avoided a collision when Karun Chandhok's Standard Vanguard spun in front of him during a duel with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, driving an Austin A40. The former F1 driver and TV presenter dropped to eleventh place as a result. At the front, Romain Dumas, in a Ford Thunderbird, and Rob Huff, in a Jaguar Mk1, were engaged in a fierce duel, both drifting at extreme angles at times. At the finish line, only two seconds separated the dueling drivers. Dumas said, „Rob really kept me on my toes.“ Huff commented, „It was fascinating to watch that “ship„ swaying back and forth in front of me.“ And Tom, who had worked his way up to third place, paid tribute to his mechanic Paul: „He only slept for an hour and a half to get the car ready again overnight.„ Jenson Button, at one point side-by-side with Jimmie Johnson, praised the American: “You fought really well!„ Johnson replied, “I've never in my life raced such a big race in such a small car."
In the back rows, Gary Paffett and Jochen Mass, the latter in a Riley One-Point-Five, had completed their stints, while a small BMW 700 was cheerfully mixed in the mid-field. Prominent retirements: Mark Blundell, Richard Atwood, and David Brabham. In the owner's race, an oil slick caused chaos, which also claimed the A40, driven by Kristensen, in third place. However, after a Manderson off-road excursion, the ex-Johnson A40 was able to continue and secure third place in the overall standings, just ahead of Button/Meadon in an Alfa Romeo. After Fred Shepherd had fended off three pursuing Jaguar Mk1s with the Thunderbird, he and Romain Dumas secured overall victory for the second year in a row.
Air combat with Spitfires at the Goodwood Revival
The golden age of Bentleys between 1925 and 1929 is documented in the „Rudge-Whitworth Cup,“ although behind the winning Bentley Speed Model of Ben Collings and Gareth Graham, a Bugatti Type 44 and a Vauxhall Brooklands Special finished ahead of other Bentleys. The „Freddie March Memorial Trophy“ saw the Maserati 250S of „Gentlemen Drivers“ Wilson and Bradley finish ahead of an HMW-Jaguar and a Jaguar C-Type front. Jenson Button also competed for the first time in a C-Type here. Speaking of Freddie March: the „Spirit of Aviation“ is dedicated to him. „Freddie,“ the 9th Duke of Richmond, was an aviation expert and an RAF pilot in World War II. Thus, each Goodwood Revival commemorates that era with selected aircraft. In addition to six Supermarine Spitfires, which also practiced aerial combat, and a 1940 Hawker Hurricane Mk X, a 1928 Travel Air 4000 and a 1936 Focke Wulf also stood out. Alongside Freddie's private aircraft, larger flying machines like a Douglas Dakota C-47A, a Fairey Swordfish Mk 1, or the Grumman Albatross flying boat were also showcased. So much for Freddie's Air Force!
Exclusive Ferrari 250 Showdown
Ferrari 250 GT SWB, 250 GTO, 250 LM, and the 250 GT „Breadvan“: A total of 16 cars, valued at over 100 million Euros combined, are not participating in a parade of treasures – no, they are competing in the „Lavant Cup“ race on the track. Just think, in 2018, the GTO belonging to former Microsoft Chief Architect Gregory Whitten found a new owner for 48.8 million dollars. At the forefront, Rob Hall in a 250 LM and Emanuele Pirro in a 250 GT SWB/C battled as if there were no tomorrow. Pirro jostled so much on the first lap that Hall spun off the track, lightly touching the barrier, before immediately starting a chase. The „Breadvan“ had stumbled over a minor issue during technical inspection and therefore started last. With Alexander Ames at the wheel, it had soon left a dozen competitors behind. Karun Chandhok in a silver GTO was still the one to beat. Karun: „I came out of the “Lavant„ onto the straight when I heard a bang and the rear wheels briefly locked up. Then I saw the giant fireball at the rear, steered the car left onto the grass, and peeled myself out of the cockpit.“ Oil on the hot exhaust pipes – the engine had exploded, and a piece had punched through the oil pan! Quick firefighting prevented the worst. Chandhok: "A real shame, but repairable – the GTO is one of my absolute dream cars." Hall, who was super-fast with a 1:27.8 on the fourth lap, won, followed by Pirro and Ames.
Something like a Porsche Cup
Chaos in the first lap of the „Fordwater Trophy,“ a race of 30 Porsche 911s, all from 1965. In a crash into the tire barrier, it was so severely damaged that the repairs took a long time. Gaby von Oppenheim, the only woman in the men's field, which also included Jenson Button, Mark Webber, and Emanuele Pirro, had a bad start and finished in 20th place. Her fastest lap time, however, was only 1.5 seconds slower than that of the former Formula 1 World Champion, who, along with his co-driver Bates, took ninth place, just ahead of the Pirro/Orjuela pairing. Webber seemed to enjoy the 911 gathering and was heavily involved. The Webber/Crimes duo thus finished in fifth place. Clear winners: Andrew Jordan and Matthew Holme. While the 911s were circling the track, couples twirled across the dance floor to Rock 'n' Roll rhythms.
CanAm Feeling
McLaren vs. Lola – just like in the best CanAm days! James Davison, McLaren-Chevrolet M1B, held on by a hair's breadth (1.9 seconds) ahead of Oliver Bryant's Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyder and Stuart Hall's McLaren in the „Whitsun Trophy“ for sports prototypes up to 1966. Behind them, Andrew Hadden, McLaren-Chevrolet M1A, and Anthony Sinclair, Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyder, were jostling. A crash had caused a safety car period. Bad luck for the Japanese driver Katsuaki Kubota: his yellow Lotus 30 dropped out on the last lap with engine damage. While Jackie Stewart completed his victory lap in a Tyrrell 006, the folk festival raged everywhere, with the first original costumes being awarded and craftsmanship being demonstrated. The two-wheel contingent, fighting for the „Barry Sheene Trophy,“ was again particularly well represented.
Formula Junior: Lotus Domain at the Goodwood Revival
Thirty cars from the most diverse chassis manufacturers – the Formula Junior of that era was supplied by 28 brands – competed in the „Chichester Cup.“ This included Marco Werner in his Lotus 22. However, the car already had minor problems during practice. First, the starter failed because the teeth on the flywheel had worn down, then a wheel carrier had to be changed after practice, but the main problem was insufficient power. Marco: „At the start, I revved to 8000 rpm, but the revs dropped within the first hundred meters to a range that made the engine stutter. Although I could regain the lost positions, the power was not enough against Tonetti in front of me.“ Roberto Tonetti's Brabham BT6 was the best „non-Lotus“ in tenth place. Sam Wilson, sometimes with “nose-to-tail touches,“ hounded the pole-sitter Horatio Fitz-Simon, and Clive Richards, all in Lotus 22s, was only 1.3 seconds behind. Sam groaned after the race: „Following Horatio was an extremely difficult task.“ Clive, with a victory cigar in his mouth: „I got held up for too long behind a backmarker and lost touch because of it.“ Alex Brundle's racing debut in a Lotus-Ford 27 was extremely successful: he finished fourth. In the sports car race of those years, Sam Hancock's 1960 Ferrari 296S Dino, in the „Sussex Trophy,“ found itself sandwiched between the 1958 Lotus-Climax 15s of Oliver Bryant and Miles Griffiths.
The swan song of front-engined cars and downpours at the Goodwood Revival
Under a cloudy sky, Miles Griffiths in his 1958 Lotus-Climax 16 and William Nuthall in his 1960 Cooper-Climax T53 engaged in a magnificent duel until the sixth lap of the „Richmond & Gordon Trophies.“ But then the Lotus retired. Andrew Willis, driving a BRM P48, took on the role of Nuthall's pursuer. Behind him, Andrew Beaumont completed laps in his Lotus 18. Marino Franchitti, piloting a Maserati 250F, finished in sixth place, making him the best front-engine driver ahead of Mark Shaw in a Scarab-Offenhauser. Unfortunately, Rudi Friedrichs„ Cooper-Climax T53 retired in the fourth lap. Just as the Formula 1 cars from 1962 onwards were called to the grid for the “Glover Trophy,„ a wall of black clouds opened up. In the pouring rain, pole-sitter Andy Middlehurst in his Lotus-Climax 25 initially took the lead but was soon overtaken by Ben Mitchell in an LDS-Climax F1 and Andrew Willis in a BRM P261. In the fourth lap, Willis went off onto the grass, briefly dropping him two places. Spins were the order of the day: for Mike Shaw, they were certainly lasting, as he rammed the front of his Lotus directly into the barrier – much like Frederico Burati had done earlier with his Lotus-BRM. Willis ultimately won in a BRM once driven by Jackie Stewart. Behind second-placed Mitchell, Samuel Harrison secured the third podium spot in a Brabham-Ford BT10. The second BRM P261, driven by Philipp Buhofer, finished the “wet race" in sixth place.
While the Cobra pilots were able to fully unleash the power of their burly engines during Friday's qualifying session in glorious weather, the downpour on Sunday put a serious damper on all their victory ambitions. The Jaguar E-Types simply handled better on the wet track. While some Cobras slid wildly around the course and into the gravel trap, Andy Priaulx in the E-Type really took off. With a nine-second lead, he and William Paul won ahead of the E-Type of Richard Kent and Nicolas Minassian. Only after them did the AC Cobra crews Marino Franchitti/Oliver Bryant, Bill Shepherd/Romain Dumas, and Saif Assam/Karsten Le Blanc finish. Prominent „Cobra tamers“ like Alex Brundle and Jimmie Johnson had to settle for ninth and tenth place. While the audience hadn't expected such an outcome for the „RAC TT Celebration,“ they were grateful that the bad weather zone soon moved on. The conclusion from the rain-tested Jacky Ickx: „It was only a few drops, after all, what we were able to experience here for three days was fantastic.“
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