Did you attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018? If you did, I think you’ll agree that it was a stellar twenty-five year anniversary event.
Even before I began operating South Downs Secure car storage I’ve been a fan of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend FOS for over fifteen years. Over that time, I’ve witnessed the event grow in popularity and size, though, importantly the event’s soul has been carefully preserved.
What makes Goodwood Festival of Speed unique?
Firstly, the Festival of Speed has a depth of content like no other motorsport event anywhere else in the world.
Additionally, attendees can enjoy unparalleled relaxed access at FOS, particularly around the paddocks. Members of the public can get up close and personal with the cars, race teams and drivers. I believe that this unique access sets the Festival of Speed above any other motorsport event.
Highlights at Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018.
Of course, this is always going to be a personal view. Everyone will have a different opinion, but for me, it’s always going to be about the shootout. The element of competition is exceptional. What I find interesting is that at FOS the teams don’t get a 40-minute test session to go round and round like they would at Silverstone or Monza. They get two runs a day, six runs over the weekend, so they have to build from the first run. Drivers have to start to take risks in qualifying, and in the final run, it’s all or nothing this makes for an exciting finale.
Then, of course, there has to be a standout car. This year, I’d say it was the 1958 Lola Climax MK1 prototype. Lola was a racing car engineering company founded in 1958 by Eric Broadley and based in Huntingdon, England. Enduring more than fifty years, it was one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of racing cars in the world. To see the very first prototype in its original condition powering its way up the Hill after all these years was truly incredible and a testament to the ingenuity of our engineering and racing heritage.
Didn’t make it this year? How to get the most out of Festival of Speed 2019.
Firstly, sign up for ticket alerts. I would recommend attending for more than one day if possible, as the site is vast and you do need time to get around and enjoy everything. However, if you’re only planning to spend the one day at FOS, my top tip would be plan your day. The event can be a sensory overload, even for the most seasoned motorsport enthusiast. If you’re not careful to plan you can easily miss things. Goodwood launched a great app this year which had some really useful features helping attendees plan ahead. Also, if there is something you especially want to do, for example, the Jaguar experience this year, arrive super early and head straight for that feature to get signed up.
For motorsport enthusiasts, there’s more to Goodwood, than FOS.
While the flagship events for Goodwood are indeed the Festival of Speed and Revival. If you happen to be a GRRC member or part of the fellowship, then the Members Meeting is a fantastic event to attend. All through the year, the Goodwood open approach extends to numerous track days where members of the public can go along to see a wide variety of cars and drivers pushing their skills around the famous track. You can also sign up for an experience day, these are a lot of fun. And, of course, don’t forget the extremely popular breakfast club meets across the year. For more information visit the GRRC website.
How South Downs Secure car storage can help you enjoy Goodwood more.
At South Downs Secure car storage our proximity to Goodwood means you are never too far from the action. Just like Goodwood, we pride ourselves on being the best. The quality of our car storage facility on the Hampshire and West Sussex border is unrivalled. We ensure that all our clients experience a professional concierge service with a personal quality.
If you are taking part in a track day or motorsport event at Goodwood, South Downs Secure car storage can transport your vehicle to the track. We operate a range of highly professional transport services using our Woodford Galaxy triple axle enclosed transporter with independent suspension. Our team is fully trained to transport classic, collectable and irreplaceable vehicles. Every car is treated with the utmost respect and travel is carried out with care and diligence.
Contact us to find out more.