Revival Racing: The Headline Races
A guide to the competitive heart of the Revival weekend
The racing at the Goodwood Revival is the event's reason for existence, and the quality of the machinery, the skill of the drivers and the competitive intensity of the contests make it the finest historic motor racing meeting in the world. The programme typically features a dozen races across the weekend, each named in honour of a race, a person or a tradition from the circuit's original era between 1948 and 1966.
The RAC Tourist Trophy Celebration is the Revival's most prestigious race. Named after the Tourist Trophy that was held at Goodwood from 1958 to 1964, it features closed-cockpit GT cars of the type that competed in the original TT. Ferrari 250 GTOs, Jaguar E-types, Aston Martin DB4 GTs, AC Cobras and other iconic sports cars fill the grid, driven by a combination of professional historic racing drivers and enthusiastic owner-drivers. The value of the cars on the grid runs into tens of millions of pounds, and the sight and sound of these machines racing at full commitment is one of the great spectacles in motorsport.
The St Mary's Trophy, a two-part race for 1960s touring cars, is the Revival's most democratic event. Saloon cars of the type that ordinary families drove in the early 1960s, including Mini Coopers, Ford Anglias, Jaguar Mk2s and Austin A40s, are raced with an aggression that belies their origins. The racing is close, the overtaking is frequent and the entertainment value is enormous. Part one of the St Mary's Trophy is raced by professional drivers, and part two by celebrity and amateur drivers, with the results combined to determine the overall winner.
The Whitsun Trophy features sports-racing prototypes from the early 1960s, including Lola T70s, Ford GT40s, McLaren M1As and other machines from the era when sports car racing was at its most dramatic. These are fast, powerful cars that demand respect, and the racing they produce is both thrilling and spectacular. The Whitsun Trophy grid is one of the most valuable in historic racing.
The Sussex Trophy for 1950s and early 1960s sports cars brings together Jaguar D-types, Lister-Jaguars, Maserati 300Ss, Aston Martin DBR1s and other magnificent machines. The pace is slightly lower than the Whitsun Trophy, but the quality of the cars and the racing is no less impressive. The Sussex Trophy is often decided by strategy and consistency rather than outright speed.
The Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy, named after the motorcycle racing champion, features pre-1954 racing motorcycles ridden with a passenger sidecar-style on the back. The sight of riders and passengers hanging off vintage motorcycles at speed through St Mary's corner is one of the most visceral experiences in motorsport, and the crowd's reaction to the bravery on display is intense and vocal.
The Richmond and Gordon Trophy for Formula One and Formula Libre cars of the 1950s and early 1960s features single-seaters that contested Grand Prix races during the circuit's golden age. Maserati 250Fs, Cooper-Climaxes, Lotus 16s and BRM P25s race on the circuit where their type once competed for championship points, and the historical resonance of seeing these cars at speed on the Goodwood circuit is powerful.
The quality of the driving at the Revival is remarkable. Many of the professional drivers are successful in contemporary motorsport as well as historic racing, and the standard of competition ensures that these are genuine races rather than gentle demonstrations. The cars are driven hard, the racing is close and the results are uncertain until the chequered flag falls.