Goodwood Festival of Speed

[willtel]

I have an opportunity to go to the 2012 event and I was wondering if anyone had any tips for a first timer.

It looks like complete overload for a car guy.
Goodwood Festival of Speed Tickets | Tickets for FOS


Happy Car. by Alex Penfold, on Flickr

Happy Anniversary Porsche 917 by Nigel Smuckatelli, on Flickr


Porsche 935/78 Sportscar. Goodwood Festival of Speed 2007. by Antsphoto, on Flickr

[petrolhead611]

Yes, be prepared for horribly expensive everything in England.!!!

[BRPORSCHE]

Wow I thought it would have been much more expensive. 120 pounds for four days is not that bad at all. I guess an F1 race ticket jaded me.

I would love to go. It looks like a blast!

[kach22i]

Nice photos, really gets my heart pumping and my blood flowing.

[StevoRocket]

Go and do all 3 days if you can, they are each slightly different with the practice following through to the fastest runs up the hill on the final Sunday.

Those in the know go to the Sunday evening prize-giving at the right hand side of the Goodwood house, all the famous drivers and riders turn up and Lord March presents the prizes.

He usually follows this by saying:

"Thank you all for attending and now please come into the house for champagne and cake." Naturally you do this - because you are then in the same room as all the famous drivers while you wander around supping your champagne.

photos here on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/83374345@N00/sets/72157626970126969/


Untitled by Stevorocket, on Flickr

[Zeke]

Very cool. I don't have any advice except savor.

Champagne and cake. Love it.

[StevoRocket]

The best tip is to get your accommodation booked early - like NOW.

[Jim Bremner]

It's one of very few things on my bucket list.

[onewhippedpuppy]

On my list of top motorsports events to attend, that would be very near the top. It's hard to find a better variety of awesomeness.

[intakexhaust]

On my bucket list and dying to get there. Wifey gifted me a neat book on the event and I guess that tells me she wants in. May the Lord Goodwood satisfy your hardon.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

I've been to F1 races, Le Mans 24hrs, Le Mans Classic, San Marino Rally Legends and Goodwood has all of this and more. No racing involved just the sights, sounds and smells of every car imagineable

Only suggestion is to clear you mind as motorsport overload comes on very quickly and once you've greyed out just keep taking photo's so you can remember what you saw.

Thanks for posting the McLaren picture, a lot of my blood, seat and tears went into making that car, brings back happy memories.

[tevake]

Check the dates. the Le Mans Classic may be with in a couple weeks of Goodwood.
If you could pull off the two events back to back you will have seen most of the important historic, classic, and vintage race cars in the world. Stunning to think of it! Go have fun.

Cheers Richard

[masraum]

Originally Posted by jim bremner

it's one of very few things on my bucket list.

+1

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

I've been to F1 races, Le Mans 24hrs, Le Mans Classic, San Marino Rally Legends and Goodwood has all of this and more. No racing involved just the sights, sounds and smells of every car imagineable

Let me be the first to say "you suck!" Just kidding, I'm just jealous.

Thanks for posting the McLaren picture, a lot of my blood, seat and tears went into making that car, brings back happy memories.

You're not allowed to drop a bomb like that without a lot more info. I find the whole McLaren F1 thing absolutely fascinating. We (I) need more info.

[Doug E]

Incredible event that you will remember forever ! I was fortunate enough to go back in '00 and hope to return one day soon.

Some suggestions:
- stay as close as possible to minimize the time spent in traffic
- see if you can get in on Thursday afternoon / evening if possible ... we just happened to drive over and got onto the grounds ... very cool to see the cars being unloaded / tested / set-up with-out the crowds ... highlight for us was being able to take a drive up the driveway to the top of the hill
- plan on getting there early and staying late
- wear your most comfortable walking shoes
- take extra bags to bring home all your souveniers
- bring extra memory cards for your cameras and videos ... you don't want to have to buy any over there

Enjoy yourself and be sure to post some pics when you get back !

[MattKellett]

I went in 94, 95 and 96 and although much has changed, even larger crowds being one of them, my only piece of advice would be to go as early as you can possibly bare in the morning. Being an early riser and the excitement of going to to the event, it wasn't hard for me to be there as they opened the car parks and let the first cars in.

There's nothing quite like seeing the event come to life, the sun rising and the covers being pulled off the cars. The crackle as the first car comes alive and still there's few around! The all of a sudden, it's packed! So enjoy that brief moment first thing in the morning, when it seems the whole event was created for yourself.

Oh and don't forget your sun cream! Believe it or not, you can get roasted in ole blighty too!

[s_morrison57]

Originally Posted by Jim Bremner

It's one of very few things on my bucket list.

Same here, I want to take my son with me too.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

Originally Posted by masraum

Let me be the first to say "you suck!" Just kidding, I'm just jealous.

You're not allowed to drop a bomb like that without a lot more info. I find the whole McLaren F1 thing absolutely fascinating. We (I) need more info.

Sorry, wasn't trying to brag just trying put into perspective how good this event is. I would go to Goodwood before any of the other mentioned events. Better value for money, more to see and do, more family orientated, more touchy feely get up close type of event, more variety.

As for the 'bomb' I dropped, the picture just got me reminiscing. I started work on the project as a junior engineer and worked there from the beginning to the end, 5.5yrs in total.

Back then we just made it up as we went along as we were doing stuff no one else had ever done before. I don't think many of us relised what an iconic car it would become as we were too busy trying to make the road car and race car versions the best we possibly could.

Probably the highlight for me was our works outing watching Le Mans in 1995 and totally dominate the race on our first atempt finishing 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th.

Anyway back to Goodwood, its a mega event, nothing else like it in the world for sheer variety of cars, there is the main hillclimb but also a small wooded rally stage to get your Group B fix, concours displays, lots of shopping, new car displays, an amazing centre piece car inspired sculpture, race, rally, offfroad, even motor bikes of every variety you can think of both. Its very well supported by most of the major auto manufacturers so they tend to dust off some of the rarer cars in their collection and bring them out to play with. You will find rock stars, movie stars and racing stars past and present, some just wander around the same as the general public.

[recycled sixtie]

Tip #1 TAKE ME WITH U

[Embraer]

i just bought my tix for Le Mans...wish I would have remembered this. I would have scheduled my vacation to knock out both Le Mans and Goodwood this year. ARRRGGHHH