Goodwood Festival of Speed
‘Spark of Genius’ banner unites ingenuity and talent at 2007 event
Brooklands and Bonneville will be central themes at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 22-24. It’s 100 years since the first purpose-buillt racing circuit opened, and Brooklands greats, including the Napier-Railton and Guinness V12 Sunbeam, will be in action on the hill.
A fabulous array of record breakers is promised for a (small-scale!) recreation of the famous Bonneville salt flats with several machines synonymous with the venue planned, including the Mickey Thompson Challenger 1 LSR holder, the Blue Flame rocket car in which Gary Gabelich hit 630.478mph in 1970, JCB Dieselmax and Flatfire, a 300mph Ford-powered streamliner.
Also new this year is a class for Pikes Peak cars. Current record holder Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima should be spectacular in his 900bhp Suzuki while event regular Rod Millen will be out in his Celica ‘silhouette’ car (Toyota being the event’s principal sponsor). Former winner Michèle Mouton will drive a bewinged Audi Quattro while Per Eklund demonstrates his monstrous 750bhp Saab 9-3. Look out for rally stars Colin McRae, Hannu Mikkola and Paddy Hopkirk and great machines like the Stratos on the revised rally stage.
Ferrari’s 60th anniversary brings a slew of Maranello metal, including recent F1 cars and the gorgeous Can-Am 712. Other standout machines will be the Holden Torana which the late Peter Brock drove to victory at Bathurst in 1979 – the first time the car has left Australia. If you’ve a taste for the unusual, look for the TARF and Nardi ‘catamaran’ racers, Voisin Laboratoire, Howmet TX, Milliken ‘Camber Car’, Chaparral 2J ‘sucker’ and the extraordinary 1969 Pininfarina Sigma safety concept.
Among drivers expected, Jenson Button, Mark Webber, Derek Bell, Riccardo Patrese, Jochen Mass, Richard Attwood and Allan McNish plus Stateside heroes Al Unser Jr and Jim Hall will join UK legends Moss, Stewart, Surtees and Hill. Away from the hill, the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ concours hopes to reunite all six Bugatti Royales – magnificent!
Tickets
Entry is by pre-booked tickets only: none will be sold on the day. Book on-line at www.goodwood.co.uk or call 01243 755055. Prices start at £25.
Schedule
Friday: free practice with all hillclimb cars and motorcycles running twice; forest rally stage in action all day; initial viewing of the concours. Gates open at 7am with the first hillclimb runs at 9am. Gates close at 7pm (same for all three days).
Saturday: official practice day – all hillclimb cars and motorcycles will make a morning and an afternoon run, as will supercars; forest rally stage in action all day; viewing of the concours; air displays.
Sunday: timed competition – all hillclimb cars and motorcycles making morning and afternoon runs; supercar run; forest rally stage in action all day; final judging of Cartier concours.
How to get there
From M25: leave at J10 and head south on the A3. At Milford continue on the A3 signposted ‘Goodwood Festival of Speed – Alternative Route’ or turn off the A3 in the direction of Milford. From Petworth, take the A285 towards Chichester and follow blue signs to the event.