|
Standards at the
Goodwood Revival 2009
WHP 109 parked in
the paddock
For the last few years I have been
writing a review of the Goodwood Revival with a view to trying to
convey something of the flavour of the event, the excitement of
historic car racing and a comment on any Standards which caught my
eye.
This year will be slightly different.
As a result of a last minute phonecall just two weeks before the event
from fellow Standard Car Club member and Standard 10 owner, Lloyd
McNeil, I am now in the deeply privileged position of being able to
comment from the perspective not of spectator, but as a participant in
the event itself.
|
You can
click on any of the thumbprints to see an enlargement
Rubbing
shoulders with VIP's |
This year, as well
as a celebration of fifty years of the Mini, there was also a
tribute to Stirling Moss, whose 80th birthday fell
over the weekend itself. For the tribute parade, a gathering
of cars which Stirling had actually raced over his long
career, or cars associated with his racing career, were
gathered together. More than 80 cars in total were displayed
in the racing car paddocks and paraded around the circuit
track every day of the three day event.
In the early fifties Stirling
owned a sliding window Standard 8 with an unusual two tone
paint scheme (does anyone know the colours? Stirling thinks it
was silver green – one of the Renault colours, but he’s
not entirely certain) and fitted with a tuned Standard 10
engine and wire wheels. |
| He also raced a
works rally car, PRW 532 in an Oulton Park saloon car race in
1955. My works prepared rally car would have been perfect to
represent that car –right down to the colour. ( All the ex
works rally cars were the same spec.).Unfortunately, this car
has been off the road for some time whilst the engine is being
lovingly rebuilt, very, very slowly - so my trusty 1958
Standard 10 WHP 109 in Cotswold blue, was pressed into service
to represent the marque on Stirling’s birthday. It’s been
rather fetchingly styled to look like a rally car although the
engine is entirely standard, a bit of a sheep in wolf’s
clothing, you might say. |
The 10 in
the paddock |
|
Driving to
the Grid
|
So what’s it
like actually taking part? Well the excitement really starts
with the arrival of the participant pack. When Lloyd had rung
me at work I hadn’t really thought about any perks – after
all I’d already bought my tickets and arranged my
accommodation for the long weekend so it was no additional
burden to park my little 10 somewhere on site and drive it
round once a day. All I needed was to bring my modern car to
shuttle backwards and forwards to the circuit every day –
arriving at the event in a modern car just isn’t as much fun
as driving your own classic, but at least you don’t have to
panic about overheating in the slow moving traffic funnelling
into and out of the car parks. |
| I couldn’t
believe the extent of the hospitality shown to participants.
There was seemingly no distinction between the owner of a
£2,000 car and a £2 million one. Included in my pack was
admission (for two) to the racing drivers’ hospitality area
and the chance to rub shoulders with all my motorsport heroes
both young and old.
Ironically, my work was not
exactly thrilled for me when I asked for an additional day off
to attend scruitineering on Thursday. So I was distinctly
frazzled when I arrived late, still smarting from the ear
chewing I’d had at work earlier that day. I don’t know
what I had imagined, but I simply wasn’t prepared for the
huge scale of the preparations in full swing. Security was
tighter than at an airport. |
On the
starting Grid |
|
Rowan
Atkinson with other participants |
My car – freshly
overhauled - began coughing and spluttering in a very
"maiden aunt at a strip show" sort of way. I had oil
on my knuckles from a roadside stop to sort a blockage in an
idler jet and I had more badges and passes than I could manage
whilst feathering the accelerator. A queue of American motor
homes built up behind me. Millions of pounds worth of
trailered cars waited whilst I fussed about. I listened to the
directions from the security guard with half an ear – after
all I’ve been coming to Goodwood since the very first
revival more than ten years ago and I know my way around. |
| Driving in, I got
lost.
It looks so different covered
in scaffolding! Buildings were still being painted, rehearsals
of dancing girls were in progress and the set pieces were
receiving the final touches. I was strongly reminded of a film
set, there were people bustling about purposefully and I was
in the way. Feeling distinctly foolish I found my way to the
drivers signing in only to discover that I had a place in the
paddock. The signage has of course come home with me as a
wonderful souvenir. I hadn’t expected to find myself so much
a part of the main event and I was feeling distinctly
overwhelmed by the time Beatrice turned up to collect me.
Friday was better. At the
drivers briefing, every one else seemed just as disorganized
as I felt which made me feel better. Best of all was realizing
that the chap sitting next to me was none other than Rowan
Atkinson! |
Ready for
the off |
|
Marshals
wave the cars away |
Driving through
the crowds in the Paddock down to the circuit was incredibly
stressful. Driving at walking pace is terribly difficult. The
proper racing cars were in real trouble as they queued, many of
them had the ignominy of being pushed by marshals down to the
racing track – oh the irony. The Aston Martin sports racing
car DBR1 apparently oils its plugs at less than 20 mph. Friday
was very much a dress rehearsal for the weekend. At the Saturday
briefing those at the front of the queue were told off for
getting out of their cars and chatting with spectators and
making the rest of us late on the track. Getting out on to the
track on time meant more track time, on Friday we only managed
one lap. But on Saturday and Sunday we had three circuits – oh
the joy.
|
| On Sunday we were
all formed up on to the Grid for a pseudo race start. We
listened to various speeches, the Countess of March sang, and
we had lots of time to wriggle out of our cars and take some
fabulous photos. We scuttled back to our cars at the eight gun
salute. I was very anxious about starting off, as I’ve never
been so closely surrounded by other cars, but fortunately the
marshal was absolutely in control of events and even a novice
like myself was reassured. |
The 10 at
speed |
|
Coming into
the chicane |
On the circuit
itself the track opened up invitingly. Ahead were the proper
racing cars, behind the Humber Sprite and the Morris Minor –
they had no chance! I had the track to myself and I took full
advantage, taking the car as fast as I dared around the famous
Madgewick corner where I have spectated on so many occasions.
The car handled like a dream – all blockage problems
forgotten. The chicane is as tight as it looks, but it was
great fun skimming the car from wall to wall (well it was the
chance of a lifetime). Stirling Moss led the parade but only
drove round once, pulling over and waving the rest of us past.
Beatrice took a photo of us passing him, I shall dine out for
the rest of my days on the story of the day I overtook
Stirling Moss on a race track. |
| Of course with all
of this excitement I didn’t manage to tour the rest of the
circuit and search out other Standards. Beatrice had spent her
weekend exploring the opportunities afforded by the privilege
pass we sported, so I spent much of the weekend trackside in
the viewing areas that money can’t buy. I did see the hippie
standard 10 that I missed last year and of course Lloyd
McNeils’s Standard parked in the paddock. I spent a great
deal of time in the main car parks helping my mother-in-law
find her misplaced car, but sadly didn’t get to browse
through the classic car park which I normally park in, so I
missed any Standard’s parked there. |
The
"hippy" 10 |
|
Standard
Flying 9 |
Finally, if anyone
has a photo of my car driving around the circuit I’d be very
pleased if you’d get in touch. I’m determined to collect a
copy of every photo documenting my Goodwood debut. I’m
already looking forward to 2010 when the St Mary’s race will
feature ‘50’s cars and possibly Standards. Long term,
Beatrice has expressed an interest in racing… so maybe I’ll
be on the Goodwood track again one day in the future.
My mother-in- law loved every
minute of her day out at Goodwood, if you’d like to go next
year see: www.Goodwood.co.uk
Tel no: 01243 755000
See you there!
Tony Pounder |
These pages take a considerable time to
prepare and produce. If you are enjoying these pages please
let me know. webmaster@standardmotorclub.org.uk
I aim, of course, to have no mistakes or broken links so if you find any please tell
me.
All photographs and material on this
website is copyrighted and should not be used without permission, which
will not be unreasonably withheld. Ask me if you would like to be sent a
high resolution version of any photo.
Return to Event
Reports
| Hosted
by Web Mania |
Webmaster:
Contacts |
| Best viewed in Internet Explorer |
copyright,
S.M.C. - 2009 |
|
