Goodwood Festival of Speed!
07-01-2007, 03:24 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Goodwood Festival of Speed!
Lucky, me...living in the UK allows some unique opportunities like the Nurburgring, Autobahn runs, and...Goodwood Festival of Speed!
Went last year and realized it was about the best event for a spectator ever. Attended again this year and just couldn't believe the sights and sounds. Just incredible to hear a full house old school Hemi warm up next to a 19,000 rpm F1 engine next to a V6 Nissan prototype next to a 60's GP V-12.
Everything from latest F1 cars to this years winner at Le Mans (R10 Audi/Aston Martin) to WRC Rally cars to Can Am cars to latest GP two stroke road race bikes to the 'Hemi Under Glass' wheelstander to...
Course the best aspect was the accessibility-walk thru the paddock uninhibited and touch them if you dared (I would hope not).
The focus this year was Land Speed Racing so they shipped in 30 odd American cars for the event as Bonneville is the standard. Cars like 'The Blue Flame' (630 MPH), Al Teagues' 409 MPH Hemi car, Mickey Thompson's Challenger, Flatfire, etc. Also included the JCB which had a few lines in HOT ROD recently-they are a tractor company who set the diesel record (I believe 350+ MPH).
Even the parking lot contained its own 'coolness' due to the heavy rains (imagine that in England!)...how about a Lamborghini Gillardo Spyder in 3 inches of mud or an Aston Martin parked in a swamp or a TVR dragging its undercarriage on the pasture ruts. I left a bit early and can only imagine the mess that followed. Got to hand it to the europeans...they drive their cars!
I'll post a few images...
The event might even be worthy of a plane ticket just for it! Highly recommend it.
Went last year and realized it was about the best event for a spectator ever. Attended again this year and just couldn't believe the sights and sounds. Just incredible to hear a full house old school Hemi warm up next to a 19,000 rpm F1 engine next to a V6 Nissan prototype next to a 60's GP V-12.
Everything from latest F1 cars to this years winner at Le Mans (R10 Audi/Aston Martin) to WRC Rally cars to Can Am cars to latest GP two stroke road race bikes to the 'Hemi Under Glass' wheelstander to...
Course the best aspect was the accessibility-walk thru the paddock uninhibited and touch them if you dared (I would hope not).
The focus this year was Land Speed Racing so they shipped in 30 odd American cars for the event as Bonneville is the standard. Cars like 'The Blue Flame' (630 MPH), Al Teagues' 409 MPH Hemi car, Mickey Thompson's Challenger, Flatfire, etc. Also included the JCB which had a few lines in HOT ROD recently-they are a tractor company who set the diesel record (I believe 350+ MPH).
Even the parking lot contained its own 'coolness' due to the heavy rains (imagine that in England!)...how about a Lamborghini Gillardo Spyder in 3 inches of mud or an Aston Martin parked in a swamp or a TVR dragging its undercarriage on the pasture ruts. I left a bit early and can only imagine the mess that followed. Got to hand it to the europeans...they drive their cars!
I'll post a few images...
The event might even be worthy of a plane ticket just for it! Highly recommend it.
Last edited by No Go; 07-01-2007 at 03:46 PM. Reason: Images
07-01-2007, 08:30 PM
#3
Yes indeed one on the to do before you die list.
The pic of the mud parking lot is just hilarious...a lot of car guys wouldn't even think about driving their high $$ rides in the rain much less park them in a field of mud...but attending Goodwood, it's perfectly O.K. It's funny how the car thing logic works
Again, thanks for posting those pics
07-02-2007, 09:13 AM
#4
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Member Since: Mar 2001
Location: Boston, Dallas, Detroit, SoCal, back to Boston MA
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well it is England, if you were concerned about your car getting wet, you'd never drive it
I'd love to go to that one day.
The only time I was in England was on a layover.
I'd love to go to that one day.
The only time I was in England was on a layover.