Beginner's Guide to the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Automotive fever is spreading across borders. Car shows, old and new car races, rallies, and clubs everywhere you go are a global phenomenon.

The UK, however, has two of the best automotive events on the automotive calendar. Both are held at Goodwood in the Duchy of Richmond in southeastern England. I have experienced the Goodwood Revival several times, but this year was my first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Let me explain in detail below what the Goodwood Festival of Speed is, how it works, and how you can enjoy it.

It is a hill climb racing event, but not exclusively so: unlike revivals, which only feature race cars from the 1930s to the 1960s, the festival features street and race cars from the modern era to the beginning of the auto industry. It is also a gathering place for car enthusiasts and has become a de facto British car show where many cars are shown to the public. This year's festival featured several world premieres, including the Polestar Concept BST, the Genesis GV60 Magma, the Red Bull RB17 circuit-specific hypercar, and the limited edition Ineos Grenadier d'Etour.

There will also be a rally stage, off-road area, supercar plaza, concours, auction, and vendor exhibition. Like the Goodwood Revival, enthusiasts participating in a wide variety of classic, sports, and supercars make the parking lot one of the best car shows. Each festival also has a centerpiece, an art installation. This year, in a tribute to the MG 100th anniversary, the MG B appeared to be balanced on one side and the new MG Cyberstar on the other.

This year's theme was “Horseless to Hybrid: Innovation Unleashed”: the “Beast of Turin” of the early 1900s, the 1911 Fiat S, which ran up the hill with a 28.4-liter four-cylinder 76, and Audi's recently completed 16-cylinder Auto Union Type 52 based on a 1934 design, provided a convenient means of classifying cars by era, beginning with such marvels as.

Other classes included racing cars from the early post-World War II period through the 1970s, turbocharged racing cars from the 1980s, racing cars of all types from the 1990s, hybrid and electric cars from the current era, 10 Niki Lauda Formula 1 cars and Mercedes-Benz racing cars from history, Shadow and Joest racers, drift cars, Formula 1 cars from the 1970s through 2017, 20 years of Red Bull racing cars, Grand Prix bikes, dirt bikes, and more.

A variety of categories were available, allowing spectators to get up close and personal with iconic racing cars from Le Mans, Formula 1, rallycross, NASCAR, and more.

The biggest attraction was the hill climb, which in our estimation is the only rule-free race in the world. Well, there does seem to be one rule: don't go too fast with crazy settings--just ask the McMurtry Spearing team, which in 2022 set the fastest time in the history of the event at 39.08. But that car is a 1,000-horsepower electric car with 4,400 pounds of vacuum-generated downforce and weighs less than 2,200 pounds. It was not allowed to compete this year.

Some hill climbs are real races, some are not. The annual shootout is the competition: about half the cars compete for the fastest time on the 1.16-mile hill, with competitors from many classes. The event runs for four days, with competitors competing for time each afternoon. Saturday's session will determine the class winner, and Sunday's session will determine the overall winner. Sunday's runs will be run in reverse order of Saturday's finishing order, so the fastest car on Saturday will run last on Sunday. [The Subaru Family Huckster driven by Travis Pastrana, the 2024 Subaru WRX Project Midnight driven by Scott Speed, and the Ford Super Van 4.2 with Romain Duman at the wheel. The Family Huckster is a thorough homage to the 1983 Subaru GL wagon, complete with the craziest active aero you've ever seen. Project Midnight is a rallycross race car with a downforce-oriented carbon fiber body and suspension tuned for tarmac. The electric supervan nailed the pavement with nearly 2,000 horsepower at all wheels and 6,000 pounds of downforce.

In Sunday's competition, the Super Van took the crown with a time of 43.987, about 1.1 seconds faster than Saturday, while Project Midnight finished second with a time of 46.075, about 1 second slower than Saturday. Pastrana's aggressive driving caused the huckster to hit the Hayveld wall and miss the finish line.

The race, held in England in July, is sometimes blessed with good weather. At other times, the weather can turn bad quickly. Expect temperatures in the 70s and 80s, but rain can fall and temperatures can plummet. Bring layers of clothing, a hat, and a rain poncho or other waterproof jacket (ask me how I know).

Walk through the paddock, check out the parking lots, find a good vantage point from which to view the races, and look through the program for any exhibits that interest you. You may even get to see your favorite historic cars up close and talk to one of the racing heroes. What more could an enthusiast want?

Motor Authority was able to bring you this report thanks to travel and lodging expenses provided by SUBARU.