Engines roar into life and grandstands fill with spectators, but rain continues to fall on this normally sunny enclave of Sussex on Revival weekend.
Whether spectator, competitor or official the delay just heightens anticipation which after Friday’s qualify sessions, indicates the very competitive nature of this year’s race card containing the cream international historic racing – cars and drivers.
Headlining on his Revival debut was 1997 F1 world champion Jaques Villeneuve, equipped with a mighty AC Cobra, joining established Goodwood star and 2009 F1 Champion Jenson Button in his Jaguar E Type, (above) both driving in the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration feature race.
Joining these Grand Prix stars was 1996 champion Damon Hill who was demonstrating Lotus 25 in the Jim Clark tribute parade. Also prominent were two endurance racing legends, Emanuel Pirro and Tom Kristensen, with 14 Le Mans 24-Hour race wins between them: 5 and 9 respectively.
Other motor racing legends included 4-time Indy Champion and 3-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti, Touring Car aces Steve Soper, Rob Huff, Tom Ingram, and Jake Hill. While former F1 driver now TV pundit Karun Chandhok, drove a newly built 850 Mini in the St Mary’s trophy for Pro/Am drivers in saloon cars 1950-59.
Between races, track parades enthralled knowledgeable Revival spectators, including Celebrazione Alfa Romeo marking the charismatic Italian marque’s inaugural 1925 Manufacturers World Championship with a display of some unique models that the Italian company has produced.
The Revival also marked 60 years since Jim Clark’s momentous 1965 championship season when he won 6 of ten F1 races, the world championship, and the Indy 500, F2 and Tasman races. Twenty-eight of Clark’s cars – single seaters, GT and saloons – paraded in homage to the great and sadly missed 1963/1965 British world F1 champion.
But perhaps Goodwood’s piece de resistance was the flock of two dozen sheep that appeared among Clark’s cars on the grid complete with dog, recalling the Scot’s sheep farming profession!
Three days of capricious weather ensured Goodwood’s Earls Court Motor Show, ensconced in a warm and dry replica of the original London version, was constantly busy complete with welcoming coffee shop and vibrant motoring displays including a fascinating BMW Art Car feature (above).
Then there was the Revival drive-in move cinema showing Grease, The Italian Job and Dirty Dancing, what will the creative Goodwood team think of next?
Especially chosen to perform the 2025 track opening parade was the iconic and versatile Volkswagen Type 2 commercial vehicle and 130 examples of these much-loved machines of various ages and guises: transporter, kombi and microbus, gently lapped the daunting 2·4-mile race circuit powered by four-cylinder, 1200cc, air-cooled engines! Since being introduced in 1950, Suburbanites, businesses and hippies have fallen for the Type 2’s practicality and charisma, ensuring it became a familiar site on our roads and a true motoring legend!
As always, the 2025 Revival was a refreshingly idiosyncratic kaleidoscope of theatre mixed with motor top class racing and supported by spectators dressed in a variety of imaginative 1950s/1970s costumes, with umbrellas and wellies as accessories.
Despite the weather the cream always floats to the top! For your diary next year, the Goodwood Revival moves back a week to 18-20 September 2026 – don’t miss it!
© Pictures by Trackside Images
