Goodwood Revival 2014 Sunday

Goodwood Revival 2014 Sunday
Goodwood Revival 2014 Vintage Car Race Sunday
Starts: 2013-09-12
Ends: 2014-09-14
Goodwood Estate
Chichester, West Sussex
UK

Images© by Mark J. Willison Contact Photographer For Information on Photos of this Event

Sunday

Saturday

Friday

Thursday

Prologue


History of circuit. Reams of paper have already been written about the history of Goodwood Circuit, but those that are interested, please read on:

The kernel of Goodwood circuit can be traced back to Dec 1938, when, after being approached by the air ministry, the then Duke of Richmond, the current Earl's grandfather, granted a lease on a parcel of farmland at Westhampnett, for the building of an aerodrome. The primary purpose of which, was to act as a feeder station for aircraft and supplies to frontline aerodromes, such as Tangmere, Ford and Lydd, which were frontline fighter stations for the Battle of Britain. It remains grass runways to this day, being home to Hawker Hurricanes, but I've also seen photographs of Typhoons.

Fellow RAF colleagues of the Duke of Richmond, were also motor-racing enthusiasts such as Tony Gaze and Raymond Maze. The potential was beyond doubt when the Duke took his Lancia Aprilia around the concrete of the then perimeter road, with grass growing between the slabs. Despite a few reservations, chiefly, how the race horses might react further up the hill of the estate to motor racing, and also local opposition from local villagers, who, in 1990's put up a massive, but ultimately unsuccessful campaign to prevent racing returning to Goodwood.

The Festival of Speed was initiated with the idea to fund the redevelopment of the circuit to pacify Chichester Council, for sound limits of track days, silent days, mostly Sundays, along with db meters being installed around the circuit, with a direct link to the Council offices, for real time sound monitoring. Sadly, this has on occasions; resulted in some difficult conversations with one or two driver/ owners on 95db limit track days, not fully understanding that the loud pedal doesn't only make their car go faster.

The Goodwood Supporters Association was formed in 1995, by Mike Lawrence, with the primary purpose of gaining the necessary permissions from the planning authority at Chichester for motor racing to return to the Goodwood Circuit. My father and I joined immediately. Dad's first meeting at Goodwood was in 1951, and for me, 1983, and I have the photographs from that first visit. I should've taken more, as it was at the time when the circuit was dormant, apart from sprint based track days, Once permission was obtained for racing to return, the Earl hosted a wonderful evening on 21st Dec 1996. The State Rooms only illumination was by night lights and old movie footage of racing at the circuit being projected on to the ceiling. The effect of low light on a wondrous collection of Canaletto's and Van Dyke's was a memory that'll always live with me. The evening's finale was a mass invasion of Ferrari's approaching the House, with blipping throttles, to be topped off with a firework display. The Earls speech thanked us for what we'd all achieved, it was the largest guest count to the House at the time and to stay as long as we liked. Mulled wine was served from trestle tables throughout the crisp winter evening.

From the G.S.A., grew the Goodwood Road Racing Club, benefits among which are track days at the circuit, including the Spring Sprint and, now the Members' Meeting. Along with special tours and events throughout the year, such as factory tours of various Formula 1 teams and manufacturers, such as Rolls Royce, whose factory, is leased from the Goodwood Estate. It's even possible to ask the Farm Shop to butcher a Goodwood grown lamb to your requirements from the Estates Organic Farm Shop. Needless to say, my Dad and I were early on the list of members. For me, it's always good to give friends our allocation of four Paddock Passes for the Revival.

In addition, one of the many prerequisites of the Revival, are the many parties that take place over the weekend: Friday evening is the Spirit of Aviation party, which commemorates the static display of Aircraft, which has become a Concours Event. Saturday, there is Drivers Ball hosted by Lord March and are usually themed, masquerade balls. Antics of which, have already passed into Goodwood lore: A hanger, over-looking has been transformed to an Egyptian Palace and an Ocean Liner. On one occasion, following the aerobatic display of a brace of Spitfire's, that skimmed the ground, a little too closely, the pilots landed and taxied over to the party hanger in front of the assembled guests. The aircraft were parked and the pilots pulled back their canopy's, climbed out onto the wing, unzipped their flying suits, under which they were wearing their Dinner Jackets for the evening: How to make an entrance? Another innovation of Lord March's team is to create the 'over the Road' funfair to continue the fun for his guests to continue the fun into the evening. Other smaller scale parties and picnics take place around the circuit, where friends and family meet to soak in the atmosphere that goes with the golden days of motor-racing. And, in some cases, take a well earned break:

RAC TT Celebration: One hour two driver race for closed GT cars, that competed in the R.A.C. Tourist Trophy races, from 1960-1964. The jewel in the crown of the Revival weekend, the value of the grid, weighing in at an estimated at £200m.

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Ready for the show to begin

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Eventual winners, Torro Rosso Formula 1 driver, Giedo van der Garde and David Hart, taking it seriously, practicing the obligatory mid- race driver swap.

The winner of the TT, Giedo van der Garde, was quoted after the race, "F1 has a lot of grip, this one", referring to his Cobra, "you have to dance with it, like your wife."

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Robin Liddell and Matt Nicoll-Jones, by the '61 Jaguar 'semi-lightwieght'. The car is the first racing car owned by Sir Jackie Stewart, entering races as, A.N. Other, so his mother wouldn't find out he was racing!

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The Fiskens' prepped AC Cobra of Rory Henderson and Darren Turner. This is Rory, ready for the first stint

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Corbra vs Ferrari

Parades and demonstrations:
Fast demo laps from Jaguar D-types, and the road-going variant, the XKSS, a tribute to the B.R.M. the racing career of Jackie Stewart. Three times World Champion, 1969, 1971 and 1973: Winning 27 races from 99 starts. He also won the Indy 500, competed in the Can Am series, Team owner/ constructor, with his son Paul and winning the Monaco Grand Prix in their second year of racing.

Off Track Action and the Skies:
Dawn and dusk patrol, along with the Memorial flight. Aircraft: two Lancs, x no of Merlins, and the Packard Merlin. Canbara and Hawks of MidAir. £36k to take licence to fly a Spit., and some years ago, £6k/hr to run: Just superb that there such people that can go to such expense to keep such history flying, and, on top of that, relish at sharing the sight and the sound of keeping such beautiful aircraft flying. I was also interested to hear the air display commentator, mentioned that the Packard built Merlin was a superior engine to that of the Rolls-Royce example, as it was built to finer tolerances.

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looking back at Lavant Corner.

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The TT underway from the Lavant Bank GRRC Enclosure, looking back at Lavant Corner.

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Peter Rutt's beautifully presented '65 Porsche 911. Whilst talking to him in the paddock, we discussed the lack of roundels. Peter thought it evoked a more period feel of Club Racing of the period, when entrant drove to and from meetings.
Fordwater Trophy.

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Peter getting on the ruff!
Fordwater Trophy.

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Alan Collett's, '64 ISO Rivolta GT
Fordwater Trophy.

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Tony Jardine ex-Lotus and TV presenter, in the assembly area.
St. Mary's Trophy,

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Lord March's own BMW motorcycle, bought new by his Grandfather in 1936, and in original, unrestored condition.

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Hosts of the BMW sponsored RevivalFest, waiting for their first customers of the day. Beer is served in German glass tankards, with plenty of froth.

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A rather battered Austin A35, driven by Neil Brown, when I confronted Matt Neal, BTCC Touring Car Champion, that I thought a Touring Car driver had got at it?, he replied "Not guilty Guv".
St. Mary's Trophy

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Aston Martin DP212 1961
The Aston Martin DP212 was a prototype sports car developed by Aston Martin for use in the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans built on the chassis of a DB4 GT, with a streamlined body designed to handle the high speeds of Le Mans.

Powered by a 4.0-litre Inline-6-cylinder engine, based on the DB4 GT's 3.7-litre Tadek Marek unit. After Le Mans, the car was modified with a Kamm tail design, which waslater be used on the Aston Martin DB6.

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Lavant Bank GRRC Enclosure: Register your pre-'66 car, and you can be there next year.

Remembering the early Revival's, I've attended all of them, since '98, the early meetings included racing for '50's Formula 3 cars, such as Cooper 500's and Kieft's, that started the career of Sir Stirling Moss. There was also a handicap race, reliving the idea of Cyril Posthumus' performance indicator and handicap racing, reminiscent of those post war racing when racing cars were rare and was a solution for a number of cars from different categories running in the same race: Formula Libre.

Following the Revival I will just part with one final thought: quoting Roy Salvadori, the ex-works Cooper and Aston Martin driver, "Give me Goodwood on a summer's day and you can keep the rest of the world." Just maybe, there is a little bit of heaven on earth, and it can be found at a little piece of West Sussex, and it's called Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit. I look forward to seeing you and my firends there next year.
Mark J Willison

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