Goodwood had to cancel both its Festival of Speed and its Revival in 2020. But to provide a dose of nostalgic motorsports entertainment despite the coronavirus pandemic, announced a one-off Goodwood SpeedWeek for the weekend of October 16-18.
And now the Goodwood Motor Circuit has announced details of just what will take place on its historic 2.38-mile raceway, including “The Shootout,” which it says will be “a once-in-a-lifetime battle to set the fastest time around the Goodwood Motor Circuit.”
Cars will race one-at-a-time and from a standing start around the track throughout the weekend to see which qualified for the “winner-takes-all finale,” scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Among the drivers registered are three multiple-time 24 Hours of Le Mans race winners, including Romain Dumas, Tom Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro.
Dumas will drive the electric Volkswagen ID.R, which a year ago set a record in the Festival of Speed hillclimb. Kristensen will drive the Porsche WSC-95, the car in which he claimed the first of his record nine Le Mans victories back in 1997. Pirro will be in an Audi R8, the model he drove to three consecutive victories at La Sarthe from 2000 to 2002.
Also taking part will be cars from Formula 1, NASCAR and Trans-Am, V8 Supercars and various touring car series.
“It will be, quite simply, the fastest and most exciting competition ever staged at Goodwood,” organizers said in their announcement.
SpeedWeek also will feature the inaugural “Goodwood Gymkhana,” celebrations of 70 years of Formula 1 and of Porsche at Le Mans, as well as a variety of races, as well as “new car launches, technology, design and lifestyle features, and a host of opportunities for viewers to interact from the comfort of their own homes, to create the most immersive motorsport event ever broadcast.”
A website has been established so viewer/fans can sign up for a series of alerts.
Here’s the racing schedule:
Friday, October 16
Race 1: Edwardian Specials up to 1923 (5 laps)
Race 2: Grand Prix and Voiturette cars, 1935-1951 (20 minutes)
Race 3 — Touring cars 1970-1982 (45 minutes, 2 drivers per car)
Saturday, October 17
Race 4 — 1.5-liter Grand Prix cars 1961-1965 (20 minutes)
Race 5 — Touring cars through 1965 (20 minutes)
Race 6 — World sports prototypes 1960-1966 (20 minutes)
Race 7 — Pre-1963 Closed-cockpit GT cars of 3.0-liter or more (60 minutes, 2 drivers)
Sunday, October 18
Race 8 — Front- and rear-engine F1 cars 1954-1960 (20 minutes)
Race 9 — Touring cars through 1965 (20 minutes)
Race 10 — Edwardian Specials through 1922 (5 laps)
Race 11 — Touring cars 1970-1982 (15 minutes
Race 12 — Sports racing cars 1953-1960 (20 minutes)
Race 14 — Closed-cockpit GT cars 1960-1964 (60 minutes)
(Note: No Race 13 was included in the Goodwood announcement.)
Bicester Heritage cancels Scramble
Because of projections regarding the coronavirus pandemic in England, Bicester Heritage has canceled its last Scramble event of 2020. The event was scheduled for October 4.
“The inclusivity of the Scramble events means that, by their very nature, enthusiasts are encouraged to congregate in close proximity within Bicester Heritage’s Technical Site which, even in a distanced fashion in the coming weeks, would be inappropriate,” according to the news release.
“Looking ahead to October, we believe that cancelling the event is sadly the most appropriate decision to take at this time. “
Minnesota’s Magical Mystery History Tour
Glenwood, Minnesota is about 130 miles west of Minneapolis, or about midway between the Twin Cities and Fargo, North Dakota, just off I-94. It also is home to the Car Care Program, which donates and repairs vehicles “for those who could use a helping hand inDouglas and Pope counties.”
“Without reliable transportation, it is difficult to get or maintain a job and without a job, it is hard to maintain your independence and dignity,” the group says on its website… “Our goal is to remove the transportation barrier for needy members of our community.”
To date, the group has given 327 vehicles and repaired more than 600.
On October 3, the Car Care Program hosts its fall cruise, the Magical Mystery History Tour, a 66-mile roundtrip from Barsness Park, from 9 a.m. until noon that it promises will feature autumn beauty, history and fun, with “games to play on the way” and a photo contest for vintage vehicles.
After the tour, there’s a car show in the park from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Dates announced for 2021 Groesbeck GP
Dates have been announced for the second Groesbeck Grand Prix – A Motorsports Festival based at the Old Fort Parker in Texas. The inaugural event was held recently and the 2021 dates have been set for September 4-6.
Plans call for expanded activities in 2021 with off-site activities including an automotive art show and “one of a kind unique experiences,” according to event founder Michael Satterfield.
McPherson’s ‘Wheels of Change’ available again
If you missed the “Wheels of Change” presentations featuring McPherson College professor Ken Yohn and guests discussing various topics related to the car’s role in society, the entire 6-episode series is available for viewing on YouTube.
Yet another virtual car show announced
Classic Motorsports magazine has announced the Concours d’Cancelation, a virtual online car show running through October 30. For information, visit the show website.
Fall car-show calendar
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the fall car-show and concours calendar continues to evolve. Here’s the updated schedule, based on official announcements but subject to change, as of September 29, 2020:
October 2-4 — Fall Carlisle, Street Rod Nationals South (Knoxville, Tennessee), Jagstravaganza Concours (California), Holley Ford Intergalactic Festival (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
October 9-11 — AACA Eastern Fall Nationals (car show only), Chico Concours d’Elegance (California)
October 16-18 — Goodwood Speed Week, Keels & Wheels, Lake Mirror Concours d’Elegance (Florida), Mid-American Street Rod Nationals (Missouri), Astin Mansion (Texas), Off-Road Expo and Sand Sports Super Show (Arizona)
October 19-23 — AACA Central Divisional Tour (Oklahoma), Astin Mansion car show (Texas)
October 23-25 — Charlotte Auto Fair
October 30-November 1 — Copperstate 1000 vintage rally car show, Western Street Rod Nationals (Bakersfield, California), Rennsport Collective (England)
To share news of your local car shows and cruises, email [email protected]
