Each September, the clock turns back to a bygone era of the food, the fashion and fastest cars of the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s for the Goodwood Revival in the south of England.
This year, the focus was “Life in 66,” the year the Goodwood Motor Circuit first was closed to motorsports competition, to real, non-vintage racing. It also was the year Jack Brabham won his third Formula 1 racing championship, as well as the year the British soccer team won the World Cup tournament.
The Revival this year also featured something new, the Kinrara Trophy, a 60-minute race into the dark in which each car has two drivers. Tom Kristensen took the checkered flag in a drive he shared with Joe Macari.
“The Kinrara Trophy was really special,” the multi-time Le Mans winner Kristensen said. “It was pure racing and such beautiful weather as we took off into the sunset. The circuit here is such fun to drive with its fast and long corners, especially when you get into the rhythm.
“I have now driven here five times, and I look forward to receiving my invitation even more now I have retired. Goodwood Revival is a fantastic event and has a spirit like no other. Everyone here, gathered from around the world, is part of the act, part of this amazing time capsule that Lord March and his team have created. Goodwood demonstrates the incredible and unique heritage of motor sport.”
From beautiful weather at the start, it was wet Saturday, challenging drivers with a wet and greasy track on which vintage cars slid sideways through standing water. But the skies cleared on Sunday when 150,000 people came to see a real-time time capsule.
“The Revival is the only historic race meeting to be staged entirely in full vintage regalia; authenticity and attention to detail is paramount, with what you are wearing considered just as important as what you are watching,” the post-weekend news release from Revival sponsor Rolex noted.
As the racing ended, Lord March, who founded the Revival meeting in 1998, announced the Rolex Driver of the Meeting would go to former world touring car champion Rob Huff, who drove a 1962 Oldsmobile-powered Lotus 19 to victory in the Whitsun Trophy race.
