PH Rides With Block And Andreas At Goodwood
Garlick enjoys the Festival of Speed, along with two extraordinary passenger rides too
The PH stand was nestled amongst the other traders near the cricket pitch, and we thank all of you who paid us a visit to buy some merchandise from Dread Dave as he stood in the shade all weekend listening to the noise of cars he couldn't see. Top man! It was good to meet some of you there, and hopefully those that visited were able to meet at least one of the PH team on the stand and have a bit of a natter.
Watching the cars run up the hill is obviosuly the main attraction of the event, and later this week our own Chris-R and RacingPete will tell you their experiences as they drove the GT by Citroen and the 370Z roadster up the hill on Saturday lunchtime in front of packed grandstands.
A GT2 RS-shaped wake-up call
This man knows how to drive, believe me.
I would have been happy enough if he has asked me to step out at the start line, as in the 20 minutes or so that we were in the car before our run he had told me more about fast Porsches than I imagined possible. We chatted about the 964 RS, the current popularity of the 993 models, the great 968 CS and the brutal 993 GT2 before reaching the later 996 and 997 cars. As you might expect, Andreas knows a thing or two about the GT cars, but what shone through was his all-consuming passion for the cars he helps to create. He's not speaking the company line here; he genuinely wouldn't want to drive anything else and hearing about the minute amount of attention to detail he gives every single aspect of a GT Porsche you are left in no doubt that every single car that leaves the plant has a little of his heart and soul built into it.
As we reached the line the cameras were on us, and the commentators were talking about us too; the new GT2 RS is the car that people want to see. He blasted us off the line and took super-fast, flowing lines through the corners, helping us to carry an immense pace along the straight past the house. The crowds watched us blast past, but my eyes were on Andreas as he made tiny adjustments here, and gave a feather of corrective throttle there.
I know for a fact that I would not be anywhere near as fast as this were I behind the wheel and I was grateful just to sit and witness the spectacle of what this race car with number plates can do. As we worked our way down the hill a bit later on he told me that it's his fifth year at Goodwood and 2010 is a great year for him as he has showcased both the GT3 RS and GT2 RS which makes him incredibly proud. I asked him where can he go next after creating a car so brutal (yet with the usual 911 usabilty) as the new GT2 RS. "That's a difficult question," he replies, "as this car is phenomenally fast on road and track, but we will try to better it. But you can be sure that we put just as much passion into a 911 Carrera as we do the GT cars." I know he is telling the truth, and a nicer chap you are unlikely to meet.
Ken Block Craziness
Not content with one ride at Goodwood, I was absolutely blown away to receive a call asking if I would like to passenger with none other than US legend Ken Block as he attacked the rally stage in his Focus WRC car.
Mr Block was 0.5secs away from the lap record and had it all to do, and as I signed my life away (literally) I started to feel a little nervous. Suited up, helmet on and with a huge crowd watching I was ushered to Ken's car.
As soon as I was strapped in and intercoms were on I introduced myself to Ken and instantly relaxed. He is a lovely guy and, being cautious not to appear like an over-keen fan boy, I tried to appear calm and collected. His laid back manner made conversation easy and we discussed everything from the UK weather to how he finds the pressure of the WRC quite intense.
In fact I was quite happily gassing away as we were moved to the start line, but it was time for Ken to get serious and I shut up. "It's a tight course here," he said, "and if I get things wrong it can go badly very quickly." Only to continue: "In fact, my WRC car is a bit too fast for this stage in all honesty." At this point I checked my harness and held on as launch control banged behind us and Ken stared at the starting lights.
Three, two, one....F**k me, we're off! Before I knew it we were sideways into the first corner and Ken was focussed on the matter in hand. He had the car sideways long before the corners ever registered with my untrained eyes and we barreled along at an immense pace with the noise of gears and gravel in the arches attacking the senses. Flashguns exploded as the crowds got their shot and I did my best to take in the moment while being violently thrown around.
Just when you thought he couldn't get a slide back he would effortlessly bring it back into line and we were off again. I knew there was a jump somewhere on the course and soon enough we hit it, a momentary period of quiet hit, before a 'crash' and we were back down and on a 90-degree angle for the next corner. Like most great things in life it was all over rather quickly (not much over two minutes actually), but it felt like far longer; I certainly sweated more in that two minutes than I thought possible, thanks to the immense heat in the cabin, and the battering my body took.
I got the time card stamped by the marshal and I barely had time to shake Ken's hand at the finish before he was swamped with autograph hunters. I doubt he remembered much about me within minutes of me leaving the car, but my memory of him will stay with me until I die. What a legend.
 This was my run. I'm pleased you can't see the look on my face |
 |
Snappy snapping
Only at Goodwood can you stand a few feet from the worlds greatest cars, talk to owners, smell the engine oil and be deafened as the crews perform engine warm up routines as you stand and gawp. Where else can you see Button and Hamilton burning out their company cars a few hay bales away from where you are standing, witness Bathurst legends drifting their way around the second corner, go and take a look at all of the latest cars on display from the major manufacturers or look skywards to see a Vulcan bomber skimming the grandstands?
It's a fantastic sight to behold, and to provoke the memories of those that were there, and to show those that weren't what they missed, we present our pick of the scenes from the weekend taken by snapper and PHer Nick Williams.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Getting Camper...
I really should mention my Goodwood accommodation too, as it contained an engine. Shunning the usual hotel, I decided to try the new California from Volkswagen, which seems expensive at first glance, priced at just under £40k, but after spending a few days with it, it all starts to make sense. It just works as well thought out accomodation. Thanks to Honda I had power too as they kindly loaned me a rather large generator used purely to keep the beers cool. Well, you have to cover the essentials don't you and I must say that it worked wonders and was quiet too.
Okay, so you need to find somewhere to wash as the California contains everything except a washroom, but if you want a driveable camper van without the usual chintz this is it. On site I was approached by seven people over various evenings who asked if I could show them around. I did just that and realised that I had become rather proud of it. I'm not ready to subscribe to Practical Motorhome just yet, but if you want a good looking camper for weekends at the track, or BBQs with your mates at Le Mans I doubt you could beat the California.
 My van, Dread Dave's tent and Honda Genny |
 Small but perfectly formed |
ard 
Looks excellent.I was meant to be going this year but the plans fell through ufortunately 
Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff