2005 Goodwood Revival
(The 2004 report follows after this)
The Goodwood Revival meeting has become the most prestigious
historic meeting in the race calendar. It isn’t difficult to see why. Despite
this year’s event being a week later than previously, his Lordship has an
uncanny knack of choosing a dry sunny weekend. The period dress code has really
taken hold, and this year there were more visitors in historic dress than ever.
Lastly, and by no means least, the standard of racing is as high as you will
see anywhere.
The event can now be described as entering its maturity. It
has had to adapt to its huge success. Several changes this year were
generally regarded as retrograde. The establishment of a competitors’
transporter and motorhome ghetto on the far side of the Lavant Straight proved
unpopular, involving a 15-20 minute walk through the circuit crowds if one
wasn’t lucky enough to catch one of the spasmodic courtesy jeeps. Likewise the
removal of the competitors Pre-66 Car Park to the circuit infield, with an embargo forbidding competitors to
move or remove their vehicles during the day. For some, the final straw was the
holding of the Friday evening cocktail party not in wonderful Goodwood House as
before, but in a dank and chilly forest glade at the Cass Sculpture Park, a
mile away.
Charles March knows that his event is permanently at risk
from a high profile accident. This year competitors were left in no doubt that
they were obliged to behave, or they would not be invited back. Deputy Clerk of
the Course John Felix announced that cars would be photographed for damage
before and after each track session, that all track activity would be videoed,
and that any incident (including spins) would result in an interview with the
Clerk of the Course. The ultimate threat to competitors who misbehaved would
involve their names being written down in the Goodwood Diary – a black book
recording all the incidents and misdemeanors of the weekend to which the
organisers would refer when next years’ selections are made.
Initially it looked as if the threats and admonishments
were in vain. Race 1 was the Goodwood Trophy for pre-54 single seaters, and
several competitors drove as if they had only been allotted a few hours release
from the lunatic asylum. The pace was frenetic, and there were spins aplenty.
Then Willie Green lost Ian Wades 4CLT Maserati at Woodcote, and drivers were
obliged to drive past his body lying prostrate and motionless on the circuit
while the red flags were waved. As we all now know, Willie has thankfully survived
this grim incident. After Willie was taken away for treatment the race was
restarted, but only lasted another lap or so before the ERAs of Diffey and
Rickets touched and spun at Lavant, causing the race to be abandoned after a
total of 4 laps.
Luckily the madness of Race 1 failed to infect the other
grids, and the spectator was then treated to some races of wonderful pace,
control and maturity thereafter.
Goodwood gives a fast driver a chance to shine, and the St
Mary’s Trophy for ‘touring’ cars stands as an example. Several bright
international stars of the current scene had been paired with the cars’ owners
over a two-part race. Thus Narain Karthikeyan found himself transposed from the
wheel of a Jordan F1 to a Lotus Cortina, and Vivantonio Liuzzi to a Plymouth
Barracuda. These young blades really showed the oldies the way round:
Karthikeyan was reportedly sideways from the entry of Madgewick to half way
down the straight. Liuzzi set a fastest lap in practice, and then came into the
pits complaining that the car was stuck permanently in 4th gear. In
the end the Trophy went to Greek Leo Voyazides and Alan Jones in the formers
Ford Falcon, a well deserved prize for a superb drive.
The Brooklands Trophy has become a crowd favourite. This is
for pre-war racing cars, and included no less than 4 P3 Alfas, two Monzas, and
5 Bugattis on the entry list. Where else can one see that? With Julian Mazjub’s
Pacey Hassan Bentley hors de combat, the race was won for a second year by
Duncan Rickets in the former’s Riley Dixon Special, with the two P3s of Bscher
and Tony Smith behind. The oldest car in the race (1923), with an even older
engine (1917), was 6th overall.
Two TOPS members deserve special mention. Michael Steele won
the Freddie March Trophy in his HWM against strong pre-54 opposition. Secondly
Ted Rollason led Race 10 for pre-60 racing cars in his Cooper T53. This was a
remarkable achievement which sadly could not last: Michael Schryver’s Lotus 18
overtook the Cooper and later in the race Ted had a huge spin at Lavant which
badly damaged the car but mercifully left him unhurt.
No report about Goodwood could omit mention of the premier
race on Sunday: the TT Celebration. A truly remarkable field recreated the
Cobra-Ferrari wars of the 1960s. In this case the Cobras were pitted against 7
assorted Ferraris, with 3 Astons, 5 E-Types, and 4 Corvettes thrown into the
mix. What a feast! If the cars weren’t enough on their own, consider the
calibre of the drivers: Derek Bell, Attwood, Pescarolo, Alan Jones, Jackie
Oliver, Arnoux, Rahal, Berger, Mass, Pirro, Surer, Whizzo, Franchitti to name
but a few. Even the most cynical observer would be obliged to describe the
line-up and the racing as awesome. From the start the pace was frantic, as if
the two hours had been distilled into a 10 minute sprint, but the standard of
driving was exemplary. Ludovic Lindsay battled for the lead against Dario
Franchitti in an extraordinary Lightweight E-Type duel. Eventually the
Franchitti/Pirro car took the honours, with Lindsay/Berger second, and a hard
charging Peter Hardman/Bobby Rahal in Harry Leventis’ 330 LMB Ferrari, 3rd.
The Goodwood Revival aspires to historic raceday
perfection, reflecting the meticulous standards of its progenitor. The
attention to detail is remarkable, but his Lordship must beware that success
brings its own problems, and that huge flows of cash from corporate sponsorship
and entertainment are only there while the performers are prepared to perform.
Drivers and entrants need to be pampered, and the ghetto alongside Lavant was
an awful mistake. Many who made the event possible were seen to leave
early……Lord March has to achieve a balance on so many fronts: he is to be
congratulated upon a truly remarkable achievement.
J.B.
Goodwood Revival Meeting, 2004
If you are a serious historic petrolhead and enjoy
dressing up in 50’s and 60’s gear and want to O.D. on the subject then there is
no better aphrodisiac than the Goodwood Revival. It is simply the best historic race weekend on the calendar with
a true element of ‘sport’ firmly on the agenda.
The revival is a time-warp, the ambience indescribable and
with Goodwood House as the backdrop for the ‘First Over’ the performance
begins.
Thursday – The cricket match on The House Lawn – what is
the difference between ‘bowling’ and ‘throwing’. What are the rules – it really does not matter. Watching The Duke of Richmond and Gordons XI
play The Earl of March & Kinrara XI while you enjoy your champagne picnic
cannot be a bad way to spend the afternoon and as the match comes to a draw a
WWII air display comes over so low that you loose your hat and your partner her
‘hair-do’ that’s only been done the morning you got here. Cocktails are served in the Pavillion and
the drivers briefing takes place – “the races are about sportsmanship with no
over aggressive driving that could incite an incident” Any infringements will lead to
disqualification and a future ban. – More about what happened later.
Friday – It is time to dress up – easy for the chaps as an
old sports jacket or blazer does not date and we have still all got some form
of old school or club tie but it is not so easy for the ladies as fashions
change and a suspender belt is not the only way to hold up your stockings which
have now lost the seams – pity pity.
The daunting Goodwood circuit awaits you – its ‘flat’ all
the way apart from Levant and the Chicane complex they tell you, but do you
dare? – it is a show for the public but can you bury that competitive spirit
and the will to win? The day went
fairly smoothly and no severely slapped wrists. VC have sponsored a cocktail party back at the house for drivers
and their guest and if you have not been to the house before the grand entrance
hall and galleries await you – breathtaking.
P.S. the ‘spitfire’ boys have scrambled again and seem to be even lower
than last night – what an airshow!
Saturday – The racing begins and the circuit comes to life
– you really are back in the 50’s or 60’s – there is no show like this on earth
– by now you will have read the results and seen the coverage on Channel 4 so
we won’t go into a race report other than to say apart from a last-race
incident the day went off in fine fashion with spectacular racing throughout
the day – P.S.gentlemen could remove their jackets we were told as temperatures
sweltered in the 80’s.
The ball awaits the invited guests and this year it is to
be a Venetian Theme on the grand canal.
The guests arrive and enter a set as spectacular as ever and party away
till the early hours – do the drivers remember to take it easy as they are on
duty early next day – perhaps the majority but certainly not a few!
Sunday – Another gorgeous day, the highlight of the
weekends racing we are told, are the second leg of the saloon car race and the
two driver one hour Tourist Trophy. The
cars and racing on the whole were truly fantastic but sadly the standard of
driving, especially in the TT, reminded one of a modern BTCC round on
television. Those GTO’s, Lightweight ‘E’s and Cobras did however sound and look
sensational and were driven as they should be, drifting and sliding their way
around the circuit.
As
the sun starts to go down and later than programmed due to incidents in the
last two races of the programme, it is time for the final rounds of Champagne
and Cake. Can there be any VC left in
France because the amount that’s been consumed over this Summer weekend could
not be counted on tenfold the number of peoples fingers who may read this
article. Our Host opens the Prize
giving ceremony and works his way through the awards, introducing the winners
most of whom reply with words that all present would wish to extend
themselves. Again by now you will have
read who they were and had time to reflect if you were personally involved.
You cannot explain what The Revival is about, how stunning
the re-creation of life in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s and the racing of the same
era – even the ‘smells’ are the same.
Lets not forget the Officers Mess where we dined, probably over
indulgently, all weekend nor the Pilots who flew those WW II machines in such
spectacular style.
We all owe our gratitude to Lord March and his team for
putting on this event and for any of you who have never been book your tickets
for next year now as if you don’t you will miss the “best show on earth”. It was, not astonishingly, a ‘sell out’.
C.P.