The tenth Goodwood Revival, held this year from 31 August to 2 September, looks set to once again establish itself as the world’s finest historic motor racing event.
The world’s only sporting event set entirely to a period theme – no vehicles produced after 1966 are allowed on the circuit and its environs throughout the weekend – this year’s Revival will be bigger and better than before, according to Lord March. “The Revival is arguably the most popular historic motor racing event in the world,” Lord March told CAR Online. “Last year we had over 110,000 people here – with the vast majority of those dressed in period clothing – and our advanced ticket sales are already running ahead of last year, so I’m confident that we will beat that record.” Originally a perimeter road to service the Hawker Typhoons, Spitfires, Mustangs and Hurricanes at RAF Westhampnett airfield during the Second World War, the track itself has been restored to its post-war glory to play host to some of the greatest cars, bikes and drivers of modern times. The top-billed race will be the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration, a one-hour two-driver race of ultra-rare GT racers. Despite a combined value of more than £30million, the cars – expect to see Jaguar E-type Lightweights, Ferrari 250 GT SWBs, AC Cobra, Shelby American Cobra Daytonas and Aston Martin DB4GTs – will battle it out in this hotly contested feature race, with Le Mans-winning ace Derek Bell and ex-F1 favourites Stirling Moss and Johnny Herbert leading the pack. Other highlight races include the Fordwater Trophy – with a wide variety of exotic thoroughbreds like the Porsche 904, Ferrari 275GTB and Alfa Romeo TZ1 competing over 14 laps – the Madgwick Cup for small capacity racers form the 1950s and the St Mary’s Trophy for 1960s saloons which will see leviathans like the Ford Galaxie and Falcon take on smaller European racers including the Mini Cooper and BMW. Biking fans will also enjoy the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy, with Troy Corser, Wayne Gardener and Niall Mackenzie out on a raft of priceless Benelli, Ducati and Aermacchi motorbikes. And if that isn’t enough, there will also be a rather bizarre collection of pre-1967 touring caravans that will take to the circuit to mark the Centenary of the Caravan Club, and the inaugural Freddie March Spirit of Aviation, a concours d’elegance for some of the rarest and most beautiful pre-1967 aeroplanes. Throw in the vast Revival Market, spot prizes for the best dressed show-goers and a collection of mid-1960 hippie-era American choppers bikes and you have one of the most incredible and eclectic weekend-long displays of machinery.