There’s no place on Earth quite like Goodwood. After all, name another historic track with its own weather system, where even the greyest of days give way to golden sunsets that cast sweeping shadows over this iconic circuit. Thankfully, the UK has been relishing in some much-needed blue skies of late, and for the 82nd Member’s Meeting, racing royalty rubbed shoulders with the latest prototypes under clear skies. What's more, Spider-Man’s race-ready Aston Martin even made an appearance.
GT3 Goodness finally at Goodwood
Consistently aiming to set the bar higher with every edition, this year’s event welcomed something entirely new to the tricky corners of Madgwick and St Mary’s: a GT3 shootout that showcased the full range of homologated GT3 cars from 2006 through to 2012. Attendees were treated to a 20-car demonstration featuring racers from Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz, before six cars took to the circuit for practice and qualifying sessions ahead of the timed shootout on the Sunday afternoon. Within the paddock, more mouth-watering GT3 cars could be found, including a duo of Nissan GT-R racers which traded paint in Japan during the early 2010s. For members of the PlayStation generation, this fleet of racing legends served as the perfect reminder of the many hours spent flicking through the menus of Gran Turismo to outshine your sibling at the Nürburgring.
Seeing these mid-2010 GT3 race cars pounding around this notoriously difficult circuit, where pin-point accuracy is a pre-requisite, was truly a marvel to behold. Speaking of Marvel, one of the standout entrants during the shootout was Phil Keen behind the wheel of an Aston Martin V12 Vantage sporting a full Spider-Man livery, created to promote the launch of the sequel movie released in 2004. After setting a blistering lap time and filling the surrounding area with glorious V12 exhaust notes, it was the turn of BTCC and Goodwood racing regular Andrew Jordan. Behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Corvette Z06.R GT3, Jordan set the timing screens alight by completing a lap in just 1:13.618, leaving the crowd and his fellow competitors utterly lost for words. Finding new disciplines and activities on such a jam-packed event is never an easy task, but the contrast between witnessing a pre-war Bentley lapping the circuit, followed shortly after by these GT3 legends is something only Goodwood can provide!
The Senna Reunion
Any time a Formula 1 car bearing the name ‘Senna’ on its rollover panel rolls out onto a pristine race truck, you know it’s going to send the adoring crowds into a frenzy, and this year’s Member’s Meeting didn’t disappoint. Marking the 40th anniversary of Ayrton’s maiden win, Classic Team Lotus brought the iconic John Player Special 97T, which has become something of a regular at Goodwood events over the years, to be reunited with Ayrton’s nephew, Bruno Senna, who treated fans to some high-speed demonstration laps.
Excitement for the Edwardian
We’ve well and truly fallen in love with the joy of pre-war motoring, especially after spending some time with the Getley sisters and their fleet of race-winning Bentleys. Experiencing a leisurely drive in such a car is an unforgettable experience, but Goodwood takes it one step further with two separate races celebrating pre-war excellence. The first is the Earl Howe Trophy while the second is the S.F Edge Trophy, a definite highlight of the weekend which celebrates Edwardian cars up to 1918, and an era where safety was overrun by the joy of speed and excitement. Every car on the grid only has rear brakes, with a standout being the Beast of Turin, 1911 Fiat S76 driven by Duncan Pittaway who can regularly be seen commuting the car from Bristol to Goodwood ahead of the events. Setting itself apart from any other car on the grid, the Beast is powered by a 28.6-litre inline-four engine, making it the largest car engine ever built, with each piston being 7-litres!
Despite having no doors, no seatbelts, minimal seating in general, tyres narrower than most motorcycle tyres and sheet metal as body panels, these century-old machines are driven to their absolute limit, being wrestled by only the bravest of drivers. While young timers and future classics remain ever popular with the new generation of car enthusiasts, races such as these only add to the growing buzz around pre-war machines and racers!
The Coolest Cadillac
Making its UK debut and adding flashes of gold to the sun-drenched circuit, Cadillac’s V8 JOTA V-Series.R Hypercar was truly a highlight of the weekend. After silently gliding out of the paddock, the now-iconic thump of the V8 bursting into life was enough to get any onlooker smiling. Watching it roar around the circuit was enough to leave us wishing for a LMP1 reunion shootout at a future Member’s Meeting.
Alex Lynn was behind the wheel, and he did not hold back, despite it being the first time a Hypercar has appeared on a UK circuit. As we edge closer to Le Mans season, seeing this marvel of technology, power and agility on track only adds to the anticipation!
Three Wheels on my Wagon
As always, the racing at Goodwood is not for the faint of heart. Many who view the footage on social media believe the cars being driven wheel-to-wheel in anger are replicas of racing icons, but that simply isn’t the case. Whether it’s a priceless Ferrari or an iconic touring car of the 1960s, the racing is hard, just as it would have been back in-period. With this level of racing, the odd mishap does happen, and this year saw a Ford GT 40 lose a wheel and perform a show-worthy 360-degree spin, narrowly avoiding major damage and serving as a harsh reminder of just how tricky this unchanged circuit really can be!
Photos by Rob Cooper for Classic Driver 2025
