historic motorsport

Goodwood Members Meeting 2022

This past weekend the motoring world saw the running of this year’s Goodwood Members Meeting, one of the highlights of the historic racing calendar across the world.

This year saw the usual door-to-door, wheel-to-wheel action across a dozen, if not more, categories through the West-Sussex countryside. The 79MM also was a series of firsts, the first being the public unveiling of the Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 alongside its T.50 sibling. Another first was the introduction of F1 cars from the 1960s through to the 1990s on track. Everything from small Lotus Climax to 1990s Jordan Racing machines going through Fordwater in front of the awestruck crowds.

The highlight of this year’s Members Meeting was the reunion of legends. The Group C Porsche 962’s taken out on track by some of the greatest names in the motoring world to be celebrated and adored by fans who remember them in the hands of names like Derek Bell, Hans Stuck and Jochen Mass or brand new fans of these unhinged icons.

And, for the first time in Goodwood history was the introduction of Tandem Drifting around the historic course with pro-drifters from around the world taking part in a smoke fueled display of automotive dance.

There was the usual displays in the wonderful Gerry Marshall trophy, a celebration of touring cars from years gone by. One of the only times in the world you’ll see a Morris Minor having a go up the inside of Cadillac on full lock. The Graham Hill Trophy, which sees some of the most infamous pre-’63 GT cars go head to head for the bragging rights of being the bravest driver.

This year saw the conclusion of an incredible spectacle that so many enjoyed, the S F Edge Trophy. A loud, fraught example of pre-war racing which the world so seldom sees but at somewhere like Goodwood is celebrated and revered. However, towards the end of Sunday, an incident involving an early-chain driven Frazer Nash caused the race to be put on hold whilst emergency personnel dealt with a situation on the track that required the medical services and the eventual airlift of the driver, who is thought to be receiving treatment in hospital. And, in the last hour or so, it’s been announced is recovering at a hospital in Southampton with several broken ribs and a cracked sternum. All of us at Bridge Classic Cars want to wish the driver, Paul Waines, a speedy recovery.

We look forward to every event at Goodwood and we cannot wait for the Festival of Speed and the Revival later in the summer.

To see our round-up of last year’s 2021 Goodwood Members Meeting 78MM, watch our video below:

Goodwood Members Meeting 2021 – Day One (Part 1)

After we had built up the stand it was time to get some rest before the first day of the 2021 Goodwood Members Meeting.

We were up before dawn and on-site before the first members had even come through the gates. What surrounded us, was pure motoring heaven. The first group of icons we found were not destined for life on the tarmac. This selection of rally cars was absolutely mind-blowing. From the Peter Solberg 2003 Impreza WRC all the way to the Mk2 Escort driven by the master that was Ari Vatanen.

However, things hadn’t even begun yet…

The morning was cold and the dampness hung in the air. The clouds threatened the morning’s proceedings with their presence alone. As the movements of people ebbed and flowed through the tunnels under the main straight, the excitement built. The stillness of a mid-October morning was broken by the opera that could only come from a herd of classic touring cars.

We had stumbled into the staging for the Gerry Marshall Trophy. This was a practice session before the afternoons qualifying for these Group1 Touring Cars. To be eligible, they must have been raced between 1970 and 1982 with full FIA period history.

A varied stable of classic racers lined up along the leafed road. Before being allowed out to appropriately stretch their legs. The ground shook with the war cries of the 8 cylinder Opels and Mustangs while the buzz of the 4 cylinder cars finished off this symphony of speed.

Find out more about the first day at the 78th Goodwood Members Meeting on our next blog post!