One of the truly great events we can always count on as moto enthusiasts has to be the Goodwood Festival of Speed. From the hill climb to the car show everything about the event is as good as it gets. The 2017 Goodwood Festival is going on as we speak.
1993 was the year we were gifted the festival by Charles Gordon-Lennox, or Lord March as he’s known. It was his way of bringing racing back to the beloved Goodwood Estate. He wanted to have an event held at the Goodwood Circuit but did not own the rights, forcing him to hold them on the Estate grounds instead. The first event was a total success, drawing in over 25,000 spectators while being held on the same weekend as the 24 Hours of LeMans. This started the chain reaction of annual events, with Lord March stating he would never let the event conflict with the LeMans or Formula One ever again. The event grew bigger every year, eventually becoming the 4-day platform we know and love it as today. It has gotten so big in fact, you must now reserve your tickets far ahead of time or else you won’t be getting in.
So what is the Goodwood Estate? Well, the house was built in the 1600’s eventually becoming a hunting lodge for the first Duke of Richmond at the end of 1697. It was then renovated and upgraded in 1757 to 1802, making way for a racecourse for horse and dog racing. From there the estate continued to grow, making it a fitting venue for such a prestigious motorsports weekend.
This year’s Festival of Speed is looking to be one of the best to date. Ferrari is celebrating its 70th birthday while Williams is celebrating its 40 year anniversary. They are also housing the main feature dedicated to ‘the five ages of Bernie Ecclestone.’ The event is also a hotbed for all sorts of celebrities as well as a slew of motorsports legends. Combine that with a total 210,000 spectators across the 4-days and you are in for one hell of a party.
Nothing is better than the hill climb. Covering just 1.16-miles and 9-turns the Hill climb at Goodwood will witness hundreds of cars taking off up the hill, all in spectacular fashion. The will swing drastically, from a Formula One cars all the way down to a Mazda Miata. Because it’s such a short run they can easily cycle through cars in rapid order, making it that much more entertaining for the spectators.
Now, thanks to technology you don’t have to miss any of the 3-day action. That’s right, you can stream the hill climb at home, 3-piece suit not required. So buckle up, and take a gander at some of the coolest cars in the world cruising up the famed Goodwood Estate hill climb.
