Goodwood Revival (HB) - Description
Goodwood House
and its estate, home of the Earl and Countess of March, are synonymous with
some of the finest aspects of English history. A magnificent mansion in a
parkland setting at the foot of the South Downs,
it was the seat of the 1st Duke of Richmond, born in 1672 and son of King
Charles II. More recently, it was home to RAF Westhampnett during the Battle of Britain and it was from here that Douglas
Bader flew his last mission.
But Goodwood is
also synonymous with racing, both of cars and horses. It was the 9th Duke of
Richmond, Freddie March, who created Goodwood's motor circuit, using the perimeter track of the wartime airfield to host the first post-war
event at a permanent circuit. The spectating public, having been starved of
track action since Brooklands closed in 1939, were enthusiastic and some 15,000 attended that
first event. Fifty years later to the exact day, in the September of 1998, the
circuit was reopened for the purpose of historic motor racing by the Duke's
grandson, the present Earl of March. Hence the creation of the Goodwood Revival, a three day event each September
which commemorates motor racing legends, both cars and drivers, from the period 1948 to 1966 along with aircraft associated with that period and the end of World
War II.
Following the
first day's practice and qualifying track action, Saturday and Sunday each
feature eight races, brimful of action and spectacle, interspersed with track
parades and air displays. The jewel in the crown is undoubtedly the one-hour
RACTT Celebration race with a starting grid line-up which has been valued at a
staggering £85 million, driven by some of the greatest names in motor racing
history. All of this and more is captured in this stupendous new book by
master-photographer Andy Stansfield, containing over 140 action-packed images
which exude nostalgia for the glories of Britain's motor racing past.
