Goodwood 81st Members’ Meeting kicks off season
After a thrilling weekend of racing action – and with the spring sun shining down on the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit – the 81st Members’ Meeting kicked off another unmissable motorsport event season at Goodwood.
Sustainable fuels were mandated across two races at the 81st Members’ Meeting – the Ken Miles Cup presented by LGT Wealth Management and the Gordon Spice Trophy – with drivers and owners encouraged to use sustainable fuels elsewhere at the event. Both races were joined by Indy NXT driver and threetime W Series Champion Jamie Chadwick, who made her Goodwood racing debut this weekend.
Renowned for their powerful engines and iconic design, the inaugural all-mustang race saw a herd of the magnificent muscle cars gather on the grid to celebrate the model’s 60th anniversary. The dramatic battle saw the pairing of Michael Whitaker and Andrew Jordan take home the trophy.
The Gordon Spice Trophy raced using sustainable fuel for the first time. The 45-minute two-driver race saw Craig Davies and Ashley Sutton take home the trophy on Saturday evening, ahead of Fred Shepherd taking the final win in the Gordon Spice Sprint on Sunday evening.
Other racing highlights at the 81st Members’ Meeting included the Hailwood Trophy, which hosted a fleet of 250cc and 350cc Grand Prix Motorcycles and Formula 750 motorcycles with Phil Atkinson the overall winner; and the exhilarating head-to-head battle between the Edwardian giants for the S.f.edge Trophy, with Julian Majzub taking first place in the Sunbeam 'Indianapolis'. The racing programme also saw the welcome return of the Surtees Trophy for sports-racing prototypes between 1960 and 1966, honouring the legendary John Surtees, who would have celebrated his 90th birthday in 2024.
Eight modern racing sidecars went head-to-head across the weekend for the first time at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. Winning the spectacular Shoot-out on Sunday afternoon was Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clement.
With an almighty roar, Goodwood welcomed a fleet of incredible cars from the Canadian-american Challenge Cup, including examples from Mclaren, Shadow and Porsche – three of the most successful marques in Can-am’s history.
The 81st Members’ Meeting also remembered Niki Lauda with 2024 marking a series of significant anniversaries for the three-time Formula 1 World Champion. A special on-track demonstration saw Lauda’s 1985 Dutch Grand Prix-winning Mclaren MP4/2B on track.
On Saturday afternoon, Gerhard Berger returned to the cockpit of his 1989 Ferrari 640 Formula 1 car.
The historic Formula 1 building – the Tyrrell Shed – opened its doors to Members and Fellows of the Goodwood Road Racing Club for an exclusive preview at the Members’ Meeting. Once home to Ken Tyrrell’s Championshipwinning Formula 1 racing team, the Tyrrell Shed housed its former creations the Tyrrell 001 and 008.
The Tyrrell Shed will officially open to the public at the Goodwood Revival in September.
The highly-anticipated T.50s track-only hypercar made its global dynamic debut on Saturday.
The 81st Members’ Meeting saw a changing of the guard in the annual competition to win the House Shield. From the hotly contested Tugo-war to duck herding, there was something for everyone as guests competed to earn points for their respective Houses.
A collection of impressive and unique vehicles went under the hammer at the Bonhams|cars Auction on Sunday afternoon.
Driving into sunset on Saturday evening, the Gordon Spice Trophy was followed by the start of the much-loved Members’ Meeting party, including a spectacular fireworks display and live music.
For those who couldn’t make this year’s event, catch up on all the action on Monday, April 22, ITV1 at 10.45pm.