Goodwood Revival 2017 - A Review

Inspiration. In my previous career it was something that I sometimes asked for during my annual performance review. I felt I needed to be inspired in order to move forward with my role. I can happily state that this past weekend’s Goodwood Revival has inspired me even more and further convinced me that I need to be involved in cars and motor sport, both modern and classic. I had an absolute blast and met some wonderful people there who share a similar passion to me and that really convinced me that I'm on the right path. I now need to work on the direction of that path for me to make this a success. That bit might be easier said than done, but I'm going to use this newly found inspiration as a springboard for my work over the upcoming weeks.

I've lost count of how many of the Revival meetings I've been to but they've all been different and at no point have I ever been bored. This is a big thing for me as boredom is something that falls on me easily. I love F1 racing, but with the current aero regulations I think I'd get bored if the races were any longer than they are right now. The last race at Monza was marginal – it’s usually a terrific race, but not this time. Thankfully Ross Brawn will get this sorted, I'm convinced of that, but in the meantime the Revival is very different!!

The racing was epic - there was shouting and whooping and cheering and clapping (with the odd hand to mouth gasp) on a regular basis (the majority of it was from my wife...). The car control was just brilliant with the racers on their cross-ply tyres slipping and sliding around the place in varying track conditions as Autumn arrived on this September weekend.

I'm going to try and summarise my highlights:

The People

The Revival for me this year was a bit different as I needed to have a more professional mindset - how could I translate my experience into work. As a result, I was much more involved in conversations with different people, and it re-affirms to me that there are some lovely folk out there. They were polite, listened, responded, and reacted to what I was saying. They were kind and supportive of what I was trying to achieve along with being accommodating in that I wasn't going to be spending £150k on a car, but they didn't seem to mind that. It was a really wonderful experience - on Saturday night we were talking late into the evening, so much so that the car was all on its lonesome in the muddy field by the time we returned. The tractor driver was equally kind as he pulled us out of the muddy swamp as well, come to think of it....

The Atmosphere

This was just brilliant. Approaching the main gate and being faced with the brass band with actors and actresses doing their bit, everyone dressed in period clothing, is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. I almost have to pinch myself every year - a bit like a child at Christmas when they can't quite believe that the big day has arrived. And this is even before I've seen a car. The sound of a P41 Mustang or a Spitfire flying around as we sip our first coffee of the day is a very special moment.

The Planes

I'm getting more interested in planes as the years go by, and the display in the Freddie March Spirit of Aviation arena was excellent. The variety and condition was astounding, and to be able to get so close to them is great - they aren't cordoned off in any way. This year marked the 10 year anniversary of the exhibition and I think the organisers surpassed themselves. At lunchtime a number of World War II fighters took to the skies above West Hampnett aerodrome, this is a must see for any Revival meeting. This year we were graced with the presence of the newly restored Lightning. A rare sight and it was great to see this in the air.

Fun

Where else in the world would someone like Guy Martin rock up to race a motor cycle, and then get his hair cut in full view of the public? I did think he needed a trim when I saw him on Saturday but had to have a double take on Sunday as he sat there chatting away very enthusiastically to the barber. In fact, access to the drivers is such a far cry from other racing. My wife managed to have a brief word with Jason Plato (which really made her weekend), I was standing next to Jochen Mass having a chat with a mate of his about the state of his knees, and the Jordan / Franchitti families were happily wandering around with pushchairs and related paraphernalia. Just another family day out!

The Racing

Outstanding. Close. Disciplined. Exciting. Noisy. Wonderful. The value of the machinery being thrown around sideways in the rain is quite frankly scary. Hats off to the owners and the drivers. A special mention needs to go to the mechanics as well as this wouldn't happen without their dedication and skill. Mike Jordan's Austin A40 had to have a new engine fitted on the Saturday night - without this we would not have been treated to a quite phenomenal drive on the Sunday where he diced with Dickie Meaden in an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Ti, this race had more overtaking for the lead in 20 minutes than we'll have in an entire F1 season. It was simply breathtaking. Who'd have thought that journalists would be racing and beating professional drivers a few years ago? I want to be aiming at both of those careers - I'll consider myself extremely fortunate if I am able to achieve the former. I suspect the latter is out of my grasp these days....

Hard Work

The team that work for Lord March at Goodwood have done an outstanding job and hats should be tipped to them. There will be complaints about the car parks following the torrential rain that was experienced and I'm sure this will be analysed so that measures can be taken for next year, but to put on such a quality production, with elements of racing, period dress, Disneyland (the static set pieces really add to the event and the atmosphere), music, historic reference, planes, and of course the cars, is phenomenal. It’s a real achievement.