Goodwood Revival - Saturday 13th September

Short notice on Tuesday… Hey Scott (Nick, a former work colleague and thoroughly lovely chap), I have an admission ticket going spare, would you like to join me… Without hesitation, it was a “Hell Yes !!”

Now I have never been to the Revival, many, many years I have been attending Festival of Speed, and year in, year out, friends have fallen over themselves to tell me how good the event is. This time it was time to indulge, even if it was as a spectator and not working as a Photographer.

As promised, Nick was on my doorstep at 06:20hrs on Saturday morning, looking all the gentleman that he is. I had my waistcoat on, a flat cap, and matching attire to blend in with the others who were attending. Rucksack, umbrella and camera and then we were off on our travels.

Nick owns a lovely little Lotus Evora, and even though the heavens had opened that morning, the Lotus was keeping us firmly planted on our journey towards Goodwood.

On arrival at one of the many waterlogged fields, we managed to get the car into a semi-decent spot without too much mud, and then we were off to the entrance and into the 1940s, 50s & 60s

Nick and I enjoying the rather wet racing at Goodwood.

On the reacetrack, the morning began much like the day before, with a colourful procession of classic ‘Splitty’ Volkswagen Type 2 Campers. Not long after, we were thrust straight into the excitement with the Goodwood Trophy — a thrilling contest featuring Grand Prix and Voiturette machines reminiscent of those that competed at Goodwood’s inaugural events back in the 1940s.

That opening act was just a taste of what became a day packed with unforgettable historic motorsport. Sleek GT icons — from the timeless Jaguar E-type to the muscular AC Cobra — roared through their second Official Practice for the prestigious RAC TT Celebration. Meanwhile, the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy brought a touch of two-wheeled elegance to the day, showcasing beautiful classic motorcycles in action

Elsewhere on the circuit, the younger crowd had their moment as the tiny racers of the Settrington Cup took to the track in their charming Austin J40 pedal cars. The Madgwick Cup delivered style and speed with its field of open-top sports cars, while the St Mary’s Trophy kept fans on edge with its relentless touring car duels. From the graceful GTs of the Fordwater Trophy to the ground-shaking power of the Whitsun Trophy prototypes, every race brought something special.

Plenty of action towards the end of the day in the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy. The Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy is a race for pre-1963 closed-cockpit GT cars, the kind of cars that the great man himself raced to victory numerous times around the Goodwood Motor Circuit.

Two Austin Healeys were involved in a scuffle with a Jag; one of the cars unfortunately rolled over and caused serious damage to the vehicle. The driver was checked over and didn’t sustain any injuries. Then we had another Austin-Healey catch fire and was retired after a restart. There was certainly enough drama to keep us all entertained.

We managed to get a look around the stalls and the paddock, and even got close to the man himself, Damon Hill.

While on our ventures around the event, Nick introduced me to Ian and his lovely wife, Kimberly. Ian is one of the many faces of Alfaholics, who has over 40 years of concours-winning restoration experience and 28 years of race-winning knowledge and product development.

Off to the stalls to look at what was on offer from the traders. Luckily, I have some restraint and I don’t splash out on £100’000 cars lol. Very tempting though, especially when you're in love with PPW’s R33.

Time as usual was against us, and as the day came to a close and the recing finished, it was time to go and find the lotus, take the weight off our feet and head out into the queues of those eager to make their way home.

In my honest opinion, the three-day event needs you to be there for all three days to soak up the atmosphere and transport yourselves back in time. If you have the means, grab a B&B locally if there are any available; if not, a camper would be a good option. I hear the nightlife around the event is fantastic, and if all else fails, bring a tent and a change of clothes. Until next year…

Stay safe, stay happy…

Scott