The Goodwood Revival 2007

The racing this year

By Adam towler / Wednesday, 11 July 2007 / Loading comments

Expect more thrilling racing this year

There're some changes to the Goodwood revival line-up this year. This is an outline of what you can expect from the on-track action:

An all-new grid of production-based sports and GT cars from the mid-1960s: The Fordwater Trophy has always been a name synonymous with road-based racing GTs, and this year, for the first time, it will feature a grid full of rapid racing versions of the popular production sports cars that adorned Europe’s roads and race tracks from 1963 to 1966. This will cater for a wide variety of cars, from exotic thoroughbreds such as the Porsche 904, early 911, Ferrari 275GTB, Alfa Romeo TZ1 and rare TZ2 models, through to the more specialist British sporting vehicles such as the Lotus 26R and 47, Marcos 1800GT, Sunbeam Tiger and TVR Griffith - as well as rare specials such as the Elva GT160, Mini Gem GT and Lenham GT. .
The Madgwick Cup: a diverse grid of small-capacity sports-racing cars from the mid-1950s. These lightweight and streamlined baby racers were the mainstay of sports car racing at Goodwood, forging a thriving industry of ‘production’ race cars for a long line of enthusiastic customers. At the forefront was Colin Chapman, and a gaggle of his sleek Lotus 11 and Lotus 15 cars will race against stiff opposition from Elva, Lola, Kieft and Willment. Taking them on will be the ground-breaking rear-engined Cooper ‘Bobtail’, as well as overseas thoroughbreds such as the Ferrari 500TRC, Maserati 200S and Porsche 718 RSK. These diminutive cars take to the Goodwood track for the first time since 2003 for what is effectively a miniature version of the ‘big banger’ Sussex Trophy. The action promises to be fast, furious – and extremely competitive.
The one-hour, two-driver Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race: the grid will once again feature a breathtaking £30million array of internationally-renowned historic cars. Expect to see Jaguar E-type Lightweight; Ferrari 250 GT SWB, GTO and 330 LMB; AC Cobra and the original Shelby American Cobra Daytonas; Aston Martin DB4GT and Project car; plus thundering Chevrolet Corvettes. Drivers expected to take part include Le Mans winner Derek Bell and F1 aces Sir Stirling Moss and Johnny Herbert.
Following last year’s thrilling St Mary’s Trophy saloon car race for 1950s machinery, in 2007 it’s the turn of the 1960s cars again. Once more leviathan American saloons such as the Ford Galaxie, Falcon and Mustang will battle with the nimbler Mini Cooper, Lotus Cortina Mk1, Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA, BMW 1800 Ti and Jaguar Mk2. It is expected that they will be joined by more unusual racers such as a Dodge Dart, Plymouth Barracuda, Mercedes-Benz 300SE, Hillman Imp and Vauxhall XX4/90. The St. Mary’s Trophy continues as a two-part race staged on both Saturday and Sunday, with an aggregate result. Celebrity touring car drivers will again pair up with the cars’ owners.
The Sussex Trophy for sports racing cars ‘in the international spirit’ (1955-1960) is certain to be one of the weekend’s most exciting races. This will be a full-on battle of the 1950s ‘big banger’ sports cars, featuring Lister ‘Knobbly’, Jaguar D-type, Aston Martin DBR1 and DBR2, Ferrari Dino, Maserati 300S and T61 ‘Birdcage’, plus rare hybrids like the Tojeiro-Jaguar. Professional racers Stuart Graham, Tiff Needell, Peter Hardman, Tony Dron and Barrie ‘Whizzo’ Williams should set a cracking pace.
The Freddie March Memorial Trophy, for cars that contested the legendary Goodwood Nine Hour race, will once again take the form of a 12-lap sprint, featuring classic sports-racing cars such as the Jaguar C-type, Aston Martin DB3S, Maserati A6GCS, Ferrari, Allard and HWM.
Other Goodwood Revival racing highlights will include the single-seaters, with the Richmond Trophy for Formula One cars (1948-1959); the Goodwood Trophy, which now becomes a race entirely for GP ‘titans’ based on designs from before the Second World War; and the Glover Trophy for 1960s Formula 1 cars, which should see a spectacular gathering of 1.5-litre GP cars using fabulous-sounding V8 engines. Meanwhile, the Chichester Cup for Formula Junior cars heralds a return for the rear-engined cars with drum brakes, which last appeared at the Revival in 2004.

The Goodwood revival meeting is being held at the Goodwood Motor Circuit from 31st August to 2nd September. To order advance tickets, please contact the Ticket Hotline:

email bookings@goodwood.co.uk; call +44 1243 755055 or fax: +44 1243 755058

www.goodwood.co.uk