Goodwood Revival 2006
- 20 May 2013
The advertising blurb describes it as a magical step back in time, and for once there is truth in advertising. Everything, from the stunning array of cars, to the staff, mechanics and most of the 100000 strong crowd who dress in period costume, to the squadron of Spitfires growling overhead. Everything helps you suspend reality and you may well believe that you are in fact at a 1950’s Goodwood race meeting. When Lord March first floated the idea that everyone should come in period dress most cynical press folk thought it would never work. It quickly did however, and now you are more likely to see kilts and deerstalkers than jeans and baseball caps. Those of you who are a bit self conscious may feel a little daft as you get ready to leave for the circuit on the Friday morning but as the weekend progresses you notice that it is the few spectators that dress in modern clothes who stand out like a sore thumb.
From the parking attendants wearing long white coats to the mechanics in their period overalls, women resplendent in dresses and fur stoles, kids in period school uniforms and gentlemen in sports jackets and ties, or those that elect to go in military outfits, everyone gets into the spirit of things for what is essentially a marvelous, three day fancy dress party. And of course, there is some brilliant motor racing as well.
Even getting to the circuit is part of the enjoyment. You could just take the motorway and save about ten minutes but where would be the fun in that? It is best to arrive from the north, even if you are coming from the south, as the drive through the country lanes in the South West Sussex Downs is just splendid. You motor through the rolling hills and valleys that are so green they are almost glowing then you pass through a dark green tunnel of trees through the forest where only a few rays of sunlight break through, ignore the cops attempting to herd you in to the wrong parking area and arrive at your destination.
If you have timed it right you exit the car to the growling roar of a couple of Rolls Royce Merlin Supercharged 12 cylinder aero engines as the Spitfires or Mustangs go thundering their way past at maybe 50 feet or so. The period feel is immediate as you stroll past the ancient busses, breath in the scent of cooking bacon, pass the child playing on the swing made from rope & an old tyre, the mods squabbling with the rockers, the military medical tent surrounded with jeeps, the Bobbies directing traffic. All this even before you see a single race car.
And what a sublime collection of race cars there are. Everything from Alfas, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Maseratis and Bentleys to Mark 1 Jaguars, Morris Minors and Austin A35s. Some of them are there year after year, but there is also something new each time. Like the Gordini T16, that still leaks water everywhere, or Peter Brock’s FX Holden, which had been built up in just three months.
Brock, who also drove a Corvette Sting Ray, was just one of numerous Australians in the field this year. Bob Harborow was there again with the stunning Mark 1 Maybach that Stan Jones had driven with such success here in the early 50’s and Ray Jones had his 1925 Chrysler powered Bluebird Special on hand for the Brooklands Trophy. Former World Champ Alan Jones also turned up to drive yet another Corvette Sting Ray in the RAC T.T. race and a splendid BMW 502 V8 in the St Mary’s Trophy for touring cars. Absent, unfortunately was Greg Snape in the glorious Kieft GP car that he drove with some success at Goodwood last year and also at the Monaco Historic meeting in May. Wayne Gardner again dominated the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy for motorcycles, this time on a Matchless G50. He qualified an astonishing 4 seconds faster than the second quickest rider and won the first 8 lap heat by over 20 seconds.
Bob Harborow controlled the big Maybach well in the wet Glover Trophy race for pre-war GP cars but could only manage to finish 14th, one lap down one the winning Maseratis. This was followed by an exciting battle in the Chichester Cup for front engined Formula Junior cars in which the winning pair was separated by just two tenths of a second at the flag. Next up was the Fordwater Trophy for sports and GT cars which was dominated by a pair of Morgan Plus 4 SLRs who beat an impressive field that included a lovely Porsche-Abarth Carrera GTL and a pack of Austin Healy Sebring Sprites, one driven to 11th place by Sir Stirling Moss.
Frank Sytner and Nick Whale had a terrific scrap in the Whitsun Trophy for Sports Prototypes in which Sytner in a Lola T70 Spyder just held out Whale’s McLaren M1B for the win. Not only did this race contain the Lolas and McLarens but three Ford GT40s and David Pipers glorious Ferrari 330 P4, one of only three ever built.
The St Mary’s Trophy was split into two heats with Derek Bell in a Jaguar Mk1 just pipping a dramatic Tony Jardine in an Austin A35. Brock finished an excellent fourth in the first heat and was awarded the “Spirit of Goodwood Award” for his performance in the Holden FX. The second heat had the same two cars winning this time driven by Barry Williams in the Jag and Rae Davis in the Austin. Unfortunately the oil pressure had dropped in the Holden so co-driver Bob Harborow was not able to start in the second heat.
Next was the Glover Trophy for 1½ litre Formula One cars, which featured two excellent scraps. Duncan Dayton beat home Bobby Rahal, both in Brabham BT11s and Richard Attwood in his BRM P261 swapped places several times with James Hanson’s Scirocco before cementing third place.
Sunday dawned still damp, which made for some entertaining, and very sideways, driving in the first race, the Brooklands Trophy. This race is a recent addition and has become one of the most popular over the last three years, featuring such beautiful machinery as Bugatti T35s and Mercedes SSKLs. It was won, not surprisingly, by Mark Hales in one of the Bugattis from Andrew Bell in an Aston Martin Speed Model. Unfortunately Julian Majzub was an early retirement in the fire spitting Bentley “Pacey Hassan Special” while Ray Jones in the Bluebird Special finished in 16th place.
Following this was the Richmond Trophy for front engined Formula One cars (1948-61) which was one by Gary Pearson’s BRM P25 from Gregor Fiskin in a Ferrari D246 and the spectacular Barry Williams in the four-wheel drive Ferguson P99. In the RAC T.T. race Barazi and Vergers had an easy win in the lightweight E-Type Jaguar from Bendall and Manning in the earth-shatteringly loud AC Cobra and the exuberantly driven Ferrari 330 LMB of Hardman and Minassian. Both Brock’s and Jones’ Corvettes retired at about mid race. McLaren F1 designer Adrian Newey added to the list of historic cars he has bent recently when he stuffed his lightweight E-Type Jag into the wall on his very first practice lap. He had also destroyed his Ford GT40 at the Le Mans Classic meeting a few months ago. I guess we now know what he will be spending all those Red Bull dollars on.
Both Gary Pearson and Jaguar (this time a long-nose D-Type) had another win in the Sussex Trophy from Jean-Marc Gounon in an Aston Martin DBR2 and Shaun Lynn’s Lister-Jaguar. This race also included two very sexy Ferrari 246S Dinos, two Maserati “Birdcage” T61s and the stunning Chaparral 1 of Rob Walton that finished fifth and set the fastest lap.
The final race of this marvelous weekend was the Madgwick Cup for sports prototypes in which Simon Hadfield in an Elva-BMW had a relatively easy victory over Tony Hancock’s Lotus 23B and Danny Wright’s Cooper Monaco. Carlos Monteverde again bent the nose of his yellow Ferrari 206SP Dino. Some things never change.
Then it was all over for another year. As one mechanic put it to me, “Even when the weather is miserable, it’s bloody marvelous.” A magical step back in time? Yes indeed. Most definitely!
Sam Snape
5-9-06