Festival of Speed

[adam1330]

Just got a leaflet through the post about the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Was going to pre-book some tickets, and as it will be my first time going, I wasn't sure which was the best day to go on. I'm sure that many people here have been so I thought this would be a good place to ask what the best day was?

Adam

[dimmadan]

I believe Sunday is the best day, but is thus most crowded, followed by Sat, less crowded. you wanna go on a day when the F1 cars go up the track I would say, I've been on a Sat and was not dissapointed, saw Montoya in his Williams scream up the track, and a few other F1 cars, various other racing stuff inc motorbikes. I'm sure some peeps on here go religiously every year and would be far more qualified than myself to comment..

[Agent006]

The schedule for saturday and sunday tends to be the same. The cars might have different drivers. Last year some of the F1 cars had 'proper' drivers on saturday, and the team test driver on sunday.

There's really nothing to beat standing 6 inches away from an F1 williams as it blows its radiators to pieces.

Is it listed on the PH calendar yet?

[AJLintern]

I'll be going again this year - I've always gone on the saturday, mainly due to going by public transport. I might drive there on the sunday this time, specially if there's going to be a Goodwood PH meet Do they have areas set aside for car clubs to park?

[iguana]

Sat & Sun do my head in, as the crowds just get too big. Its Friday for me.

[Purple Cat]

I agree, Friday is the best day if you don't want the crowds, even then get there early to avoid the que for the car parks, worth it anyway if you want to see everything.
A great day out, where you can get right up close to some of the best cars ever made.

[sb930turbo]

Can't comment about Friday....always been on Saturday or Sunday myself.Went both days last year!
Steve

[Guy Humpage]

I've found it best to go to both Sat and Sun, getting a grandstand seat on the Sun. You spend the Saturday looking round the paddock and sideshows (which will take all day as there's so much) and then watch the on track action on the Sunday.

[srider]

My favourite weekend of the year! Went all 3 days last time

Friday is best for looking round the paddock, Sunday best for action on the hill. Saturday and Sunday get *very* busy though. It's worth the hassle though, it heaven for a PHer

I have some pics from last year here (a tiny sample of the fantastic machines there) :

www.pbase.com/srider/goodwood2002_rally
www.pbase.com/srider/goodwood2002_dragster_nascar
www.pbase.com/srider/goodwood2002_f1

[robp]

I have been on Saturday and Sunday. I would agree that Sunday is more busy but it was never too busy to stop you seeing/doing stuff. THe schedules are normally the same so in my opinion Sunday is the one. Better atmosphere aswell I reckoned.

[Super_Marv]

I went last year on the Sunday - which was also my first time - it was a too bit crowded (lovely weather tho!), and if you like taking allot of photos of the rare exotica on show (like i do!) then you may be a bit frustrated by the volume of people passing by as you're taking a picture.
Sunday has supposed to be the big day though...

Im thinking of going on the Saturday this year, but my only question is, how much less croweded is it than the Sunday?

Cheers,

Marv

[srider]

Super_Marv said: I went last year on the Sunday - which was also my first time - it was a too bit crowded (lovely weather tho!), and if you like taking allot of photos of the rare exotica on show (like i do!) then you may be a bit frustrated by the volume of people passing by as you're taking a picture.
Sunday has supposed to be the big day though...

Im thinking of going on the Saturday this year, but my only question is, how much less croweded is it than the Sunday?

Cheers,

Marv

If you want to get shots of static stuff, Friday is the only option really.

[robp]

I got plenty of snaps of the cars in the afternoon on Sunday. If you are prepared to wait until later on, when most people are leaving (4pm onwards) it thins out quite considerably.

[scoobychick]

I've only ever been on the Sunday and, as has already been said, it is definitely too busy in the paddocks throughout the morning and early afternoon but the atmosphere is great and, the last two times I've been the weather has been blisteringly hot

If you go for just one day get there very, very early to avoid car park queuing. There is so much to see and do it takes a whole day to do it all anyway!

The FOS is one of the highlights of my calender, a definite must for petrolheads

>> Edited by scoobychick on Sunday 16th February 15:43

[ahonen]

I've only been once - Saturday 2001 - because I was always either racing, living in Blackpool (a long way) or both. Bloody brilliant day, one of the best 'at the races' days I've ever had. The huge Porsche racing history video screen was worth the entry price alone. So civilised, too - earl grey at every tea vendor.

From what I've heard the Saturday crowd is noticably smaller than Sunday, but not by that much.

[klein]

If you live in England and haven't attended the Goodwood Festival of Speed then you must go! I went for all three days in the summer of 96, and loved every moment. My father use to live in Chichester for seven years so it was a fortunate situation to combine a car show with a parental visit.
I was shocked to see so many american cars and motorcycles! Amazingly Harley Davidson brought a full tractor trailer full of new bikes. The final assembly plant for Harley is about 20 minutes from my house. It was ironic to travel so far to see something so common.
We had grandstand seats at the molecomb corner for all three days. They were not the best seats but it was nice to have a spot to sit that wasn't on the grass.
If you can only make it for a day I would go on sunday. The sight and sound of the F1 cars running was worth it. If anyone remembers 96 was the year that Eddie Irvine nearly blew the tires off of his Ferrari by doing burnouts for the crowd. Nice, very nice.
Crowds!! I quess perspective is everything. Attend the Hershey PA fall AACA show on a satuday. There are 26 miles of full vendor space! When I was at Goodwood for the first day, I was wondering when everyone was going to show up?

[MoJocvh]

Just got a leaflet through the post about the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Was going to pre-book some tickets, and as it will be my first time going, I wasn't sure which was the best day to go on. I'm sure that many people here have been so I thought this would be a good place to ask what the best day was?

Adam

So what would be the best road route from the north (very far north)to get to the festival of speed?

[Tam Girl]

We are thinking of going on the Saturday - can anyone recommend which is the best grandstand to sit on?

[corozin]

iguana said: Sat & Sun do my head in, as the crowds just get too big. Its Friday for me.

I agree. The FoS organisers have actually capped the number of tickets for a few years now.

But the event still gets "busier" each year because they are stuffing so many corporate hospitality areas in there now that the breathing room for us normal plebs is getting less and less.

Last year for example, the whole of the (large) house courtyard area where the Gravity racing teams displayed, was taken over by Mercedes as a corporate area reserved for prospective purchasers of the Maybach (all three of them??).

It was so much more pleasant a few years ago I think. WRT the Goodwood Revival Festival, I skip that, because you can mostly see the same cars all year round at regular HSCC & VSCC events for a fraction of the Goodwood price.

John

[eric mc]

I've been going regularly since 1994 (I've only missed the 1995 event). I have to admit that the crowding is getting more severe each year and getting access to the cars on display in the paddocks is getting more difficult. However, patience is usually rewarded as the crowds move about and sometimes whole rows of cars appear to have no-one looking at them at all. I always find a spot near the assembly area in the Paddock. It's a good location to stand as the cars are driven (or pushed)in prior to runs up the hill. It's graet to be standing right behind a an ex-Jim Clark Lotus 49 when it fires up.

In the last two or three years, the increased involvemnt of current F1 teams has placed undue accomodation pressure in the paddocks. Current teams can't travel anywhere without two or three articulated transporters and a mobile home the size of Buckingham Palace. I thought last year the situation aas ridiculous and one Paddock looked more like a trailer park than a racing car display.

>> Edited by eric mc on Monday 17th February 07:56