Goodwood Revival (2024)

In a world where time-travel is still far from reality, the next best solution can be found on the South coast of England in early September. As the curtains draw to a close on the English Summer, one last hurrah exists in the most evocative and atmospheric racing event on the planet.

Thousands upon thousands flock to the Goodwood race circuit in West Sussex, on the estate of Goodwood House, home to the Duke of Richmond, where on the site of an airfield, an unassuming 2.4 mile track becomes a Mecca for nostalgia-driven race fans. Celebrating the glorious years of racing held on the circuit in-period between 1948 and 1966, where the circuit regularly held prestigious races, including non-championship Formula One races, and the Goodwood Nine Hours endurance races for sports cars of the time.

The annual Goodwood Revival meeting attracts some of the worlds finest racing drivers, eager to leave behind the modern intricacies of contemporary racing, and return back to basics, to compete in races which ooze nostalgia, returning to the purer, raw race cars of this period.

Where drivers such as Andre Lotterer, Dario Franchitti and Jimmie Johnson line up on the grid alongside historic specialists like Patrick Blakeney-Edwards, Oliver Bryant and Nigel Greensall. The historic machinery serves to level the playing field, stripping away any familiarity with hybrid power-units, modern tyre nuances and aero-dominant downforce, placing pure driving talent at the forefront.

Diversity in the presentation of the grids is also tantamount to the success of the Goodwood Revival. Whilst sports cars of the period are widely celebrated, there is also the less common opportunity to view historic Formula races, where lesser-seen machinery creeps out of the woodwork, to dance around the West Sussex circuit.

Indeed, one of the most hotly contested races of the weekend is the Settrington Cup, where a huge field of children between the ages of 4 and 11 pilot Austin J40 pedal cars in a race along the Start/finish straight, to the fevered support of parents and spectators alike.

Continuing the theme of 2024, rain played a large role in the development of the weekend, with heavy showers and unrelenting precipitation dominant for large parts of the weekend. Whilst challenging for drivers, spectators and most certainly photographers, all three groups have had plenty of practice in the wet in this most miserable of meteorological summers.

Spirits however were not dampened. The enthusiasm and energy at the Goodwood Revival is unparalleled. Whilst the action on track transports you back to days of old, the atmosphere from the moment of arrival is unlike any other event on the calendar. Arriving in the car park, one is greeted by a tidal wave of period-correct dress, as tweed suits, vintage race overalls and immaculate 1950s fashion stylings grace almost every arrival. Once through the circuit gates, the heady nostalgia increases tenfold. Almost every detail is period correct, with retro markets and stalls, 1950s style catering units, and swing and rock and roll bands playing live to enthusiastic fans.

The three days flash by in a heartbeat. Akin to breaking open a time capsule, carefully pieced together with the most evocative moments of the UK racing scene of the post-war years, the Goodwood Revival delivers immaculate experiences off-track, with a true expression of the period coursing through the veins of every attendee, whilst on-track the racing is fervent, the curation of the entry lists sublime, and the atmosphere is one in which everyone shares a slice of a meticulously put together event, which oozes style, class and grace.