With the Revival going on this weekend (9/10 September), I feel it's time to have a look back at my first circuit-based Goodwood experience, which came at the 75th Members Meeting.
For nearly 25 years, Goodwood has provided a haven for any petrol head. When the current Earl of March, Charles March, took custody of the Goodwood estate in 1993, one his targets was to bring motorsport back to the estate, with one of his projects coming in the form of reinventing the venues famous ‘Members Meetings’.
Between 1949 and 1966, Goodwood played host to 71 British Automobile Racing Club Members Meetings, bringing together a selection of the best cars and drivers from around the world. Drivers such as Mike Hawthorn and Graham Hill, made their competitive motorsport debuts at Members Meetings, on the Goodwood Circuit, which was built on the perimeter track of former RAF Westhampnett.
The Members Meeting made its return in 2014, and has proven popular among drivers and spectators, becoming a landmark event ever since. This year’s 75th Meeting saw no less than a dozen races for cars with historical links to the circuit, along with three high-speed demonstrations for cars between the 1970s and 1990s. Some of the machinery on show ranged from the flame-spitting 1912 Fiat S76, to the 1998 Le Mans winning Porsche 911 GT1-98.
Such is the reputation of the Members Meetings, that motor-racing legends from all over the world are drawn to Goodwood, with names such as Formula One race winner Gerhard Berger, and three time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti playing their part in the on-track action.
The Members Meeting’s also hark back to tradition, starting off bright and early with a horse and hound hunt, and ending in the Great Hall, with a Bonhams car auction and three course meal for the esteemed members. Saturday’s festivities also included a ferris-wheel, carrousel and helter-skelter for some of the younger attendees.
With daffodils lining the edge of the circuit, bringing further colour to the dazzling display of historic machines thundering around the track, Saturday’s racing action finished with the pro-am Gerry Marshall Trophy race, for touring cars from the 1970s and 80s.
Cars in the race ranged from small 1200cc Mini’s, to 5.7L V8 powered Chevrolet Camaro’s, which duked it out in to darkness in a one hour endurance race. After an hour of wheel-to-wheel racing, it was Chris Ward and touring car ace Gordon Shedden, who came through to take the win in their Rover SD1.
Whilst it's the Festival of Speed and the Revival taking a majority of Goodwood's plaudits, the Members Meeting offers a much more intimate experience, making it more representative of the Goodwood of old. Whilst the cars are central to the event, the additional camaraderie brought by the traditional off-track adds something to the event that is rarely experienced in the modern day.
Here's a gallery from the Saturday of the event, featuring some of the highlights both on and off the circuit. Pictures in the order they were taken.
