Almost everyone knows Jackie Stewart's famous quote: "When motor racing was dangerous and sex was safe". Visitors to the Goodwood Revival (September 17 to 19, 2021) will be taken back to those times when they see the very Jackie Stewart from whom the quote originated rolling past the edge of the track in historically appropriate clothing.
Of course, this was around 60 years ago and Sir Jackie Stewart hasn't gotten any younger, but anyone who thinks that the event is therefore a leisurely procession will be proven wrong after just a few minutes.
Fast men in fast cars
What certainly sets the Goodwood Revival apart from most other historic racing events is the seriousness with which old cars are driven at the limit. Whether it's a Ferrari 250 GT SWB, Alfa Romeo 8C Monza, Jaguar Mk1 or Lotus 25, the cars are pushed to the limit, just like 60 years ago and more.
It quickly becomes clear that this also requires experienced and well-qualified drivers. And that many of them are still active racing drivers in the modern era or at least recently retired top drivers can be seen just by looking at the start lists.
Some of them really had a lot to do at the weekend. Jochen Mass, for example, drove five different racing cars, from the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza from 1932 to the Riley 1.5 from 1959, the Austin Mini Cooper S, the Jaguar E-Type and the Ferrari 250 GT SWB/C. Romain Dumas sat in a 1959 Ford Thunderbird (winner of St. Mary's Trophy Part 1), the 1963 AC Cobra and a 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S. During the interview, he explained that this was probably the first time he had ever driven a front-wheel drive racing car. The fact that these top drivers are able to quickly adapt from a Mini to a Cobra and still be fast shows their class.
Jenson Button also proved his class by skillfully driving an AC Cobra around the circuit in difficult conditions in addition to his participation in the Mini race. Although he dropped back a few places at the start out of caution, he fought his way back to the front and was certainly one of the fastest drivers in the RAC TT Celebration field. "Keep it on the black stuff", he said cheerfully before the start of the race.
Swiss driver Marcel Fässler also drove a Cobra, among other things, but also took the wheel of a Mini Cooper S and an Austin A40. Compared to his former Le Mans cars, he coped very well with the weak-chested small cars and was usually up front.
The same applies to Emmanuele Pirro, who stood out above all in an Alfa Romeo Giulietta TI, but also left nothing to be desired on board the Mini and the Lister-Jaguar Coupé.
Heroes on two wheels
Breathtaking moments were also provided by the motorcycle riders, who took to the starting line twice on 500cc machines from the early 1960s and demonstrated impressive lean angles and daring overtaking maneuvers in both dry and slightly damp conditions.
The fact that the three-cylinder MV Agusta with Michael Dunlop and Steve Plater was able to prevail twice was certainly also due to the material superiority of this legendary machine. But the riders were also able to cope with this and Steve Plater in particular had to fight his way through part of the field until he ended up in front again.
The field was dominated by single-cylinder Norton Manx 30Ms, which were involved in exciting battles for the front places. Racing doesn't get much more exciting than this.
David against Goliath in ever new facets
One thing that actually characterizes the Goodwood Revival every year is the duels between completely different cars. It is always fascinating to see how the characteristics of the race track, which actually has hardly any real straights, the quality of the drivers and the technical regulations applied make it possible for an Austin A40 to fight against a Jaguar Mk1, a Giulietta TI against a Ford Thunderbird or a Blower Bentley against a Frazer Nash saloon.
Nevertheless, there was ultimately no match for the displacement of the 1959 Thunderbird in the race for the St. Mary's Trophy; the other cars from 1949 to 1961 simply had no real chance against the power of the American with Romain Dumas and Bill Shepherd at the wheel, even if the Kahn had to contend with fading brakes towards the end.
Almost Cup character
In addition to the Austin/Morris Mini race for the John Withmore Trophy, there were also sub-fields in other races that were almost Cup-like in character. A total of six Austin A40s and Jaguar Mk1s took part in the St. Mary's Trophy.
And in the final race of the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration, as many as eleven AC Cobras fought it out for the top places.
Racing like back then
In fact, almost every race was exciting, even if some cars were clearly superior. This was initially the case in the race for the Whitsun Trophy, in which Oliver Bryant initially drove away from the front in the Lola T70 Spyder without any problems. But in the closing stages, Phil Keen in the Lotus-Ford 30 caught up and fought off the Lola.
This race in particular was an interesting example that showed that exciting racing is also possible between cars that are hardly comparable. After all, the races back then were also similar.
Impressive field of vehicles
It is an honor for most racing car owners to be able to compete at Goodwood. The cars that can be found in the starting fields of up to 30 cars are correspondingly high-caliber. Nobody will bother to add up the value, but the sum is likely to easily reach nine figures. Who will have to pay for the numerous damages that were a consequence of the courageous driving style? Only a small part of it is likely to be insured ...
It is difficult to single out individual vehicles, in fact almost every car that crosses the start/finish line at Goodwood is a highlight. Jaguar C-Type, Maserati 300 S, HWM-Jaguar, Connaught ALSR, Aston Martin DB3S, Tojeiro-Birstol, Allard j2X, Ferrari 250 MM or Austin-Healey 100 S sound impressive? Well, that was just part of the field of a single race, namely the Freddie March Memorial Trophy, and halfway through the race the first three cars touched each other.
Magical moments
It has probably been more than half a century since three BRM 16 cylinders were heard roaring at Goodwood, if ever there were so many on the track at the same time.
They now drove around the 3.8 km circuit as part of a BRM special race and showed up with a large number of BRM racing cars and BRM-engined cars from other manufacturers. The famous Yardley-BRM and the Rover-BRM with gas turbine were also there.
Hardly less impressive were the side-by-side duels, which in almost all races got the audience off their picnic blankets.
And you don't see a Mini field of 30 Cooper S from 1962 to 1965 every day, and you don't see such spirited driving anyway.
The pre-war racing drivers in the Brooklands Trophy also provided spectacular images. A damp track led to drifts that Hannu Mikkola could hardly have managed better in a rally escort on snow. And all this with cars worth millions!
Stirling Moss, who died last year and who had many associations with Goodwood, not least an accident that ended his active career, was particularly celebrated at Goodwood. In any case, the Duke of Richmond's speech moved us to tears and the parade around the circuit with cars that Stirling had once driven was breathtaking.
Extensive supporting program
Visitors who got tired of the constant hustle and bustle on the racetrack had several options for entertainment. There was a movie theater with old films, you could go to the hairdresser, buy clothes or enjoy culinary delights.
And if you still had a few British pounds to spare, you could buy a car for the next Goodwood event at the Bonhams auction on Saturday afternoon.
Good weather conditions
Overall, the weather in England showed its good side, with only Sunday bringing a few showers and some adventurous drifts. It will be exciting to see how the Goodwood Members Meeting, which has been postponed from March to October, will fare weather-wise. Then the fast drivers will be back behind the wheel of old racing cars, only some of the magic of the whole event will be missing.
Many visitors are therefore already looking forward to the next Goodwood Revival, which will probably take place again in September 2022.
Results
Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy
1st place: Harvey Stanley and James Cottingham - Jaguar E-type
2nd place: Phil Keen and Jon Minshaw - Jaguar E-type
3rd place: Remo Lips and David Franklin - Ferrari 250 GT SWB
Festival of Britain Trophy
1st place: Mark Gillies - ERA A-type R3A
2nd place: Michael Gans - ERA A-type R1B
3rd place: Duncan Ricketts - ERA E-type GP1
Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy (Part 1)
1st place: Michael Dunlop and Steve Plater - MV Augusta 500/3
2nd place: Peter Bardell and James Haydon - Matchless G50
3rd place: Michael Russell and Michael Rutter - Norton Manx 30M
John Whitmore Trophy
1st place: Andrew Jordan and Nick Swift - Morris Mini Cooper S
2nd place: Romain Dumas and Chris Middlehurst - Morris Mini Cooper S
3rd place: Matt Neal and Jeff Smith - Austin Mini Cooper S
Glover Trophy
1st place: Andy Middlehurst - Lotus-Climax 25
2nd place: Timothy de Silva - Lotus-BRM 24
3rd place: Mark Shaw - Lotus-Climax 21
St. Mary's Trophy (Part 1)
1st place: Romain Dumas - Ford Thunderbird
2nd place: Andrew Jordan - Austin A40
3rd place: Marcel Fässler - Austin A40
Whitsun Trophy
1st place: Phil Keen - Lotus-Ford 30
2nd place: Oliver Bryant - Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyder
3rd place: Tony Sinclair - Lola-Chevrolet T70 Spyder
Sussex Trophy
1st place: James Cottingham - Tojeiro-Jaguar
2nd place: Sam Hancock - Ferrari 246S Dino
3rd place: Roger Willis - Lotus-Climax 15
Chichester Cup
1st place: Peter de la Roche - Lola-Ford Mk2
2nd place: Will Mitcham - U2-Ford Mk2
3rd place: Chris Drake - Terrier-Ford Mk4 Series 1
Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy (Part 2)
1st place: Michael Dunlop and Steve Plater - MV Augusta 500/3
2nd place: Michael Russell and Michael Rutter - Norton Manx 30M
3rd place: Peter Bardell and James Haydon - Matchless G50
Richmond Trophy
1st place: Ben Mitchell - BRM Type 25
2nd place: Miles Griffiths - Lotus-Climax 16
3rd place: William Nuthall - Cooper-Bristol Mk2
Brooklands Trophy
1st place: Duncan Pittaway and Edward Williams - Frazer Nash TT Replica
2nd place: Patrick Blakeney-Edwards and Nick Swift - Frazer Nash Saloon 'The Owlett'
3rd place: Patrick Blakeney-Edwards and Theo Hunt - Frazer Nash TT Replica
RAC TT Celebration
1st place: Oliver Bryant and Darren Turner - AC Cobra
2nd place: Emanuele Pirro and Frederic Wakeman - Lister-Jaguar Coupe
3rd place: Shaun Lynn and Andy Priaulx - AC Cobra Le Mans Coupe
St. Mary's Trophy (Part 2)
1st place: Bill Shepherd - Ford Thunderbird
2nd place: Grant Williams - Jaguar Mk1
3rd place: Richard Meaden - Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti
Freddie March Memorial Trophy
1st place: David Hart - Maserati 300S
2nd place: Steve Brooks - Jaguar D-Type
3rd place: Martin Hunt - HWM-Jaguar
