The Goodwood Pageant of Velocity is a Mecca for all issues motorsports. Held in late June or early July, you may discover every little thing there, from pre-war vehicles to prototypes and trendy electrical race vehicles. The most effective half? Simply it is the races, particularly watching classic rivals interact in wheel-to-wheel fight.
Fortuitously, Goodwood makes many occasions obtainable on its YouTube channel, together with the classic races, like this one that includes 10 minutes of pre-war vehicles battling and drifting. And earlier than you flip up your nostril, pooh-poohing the concept of some stuffy aristocrat main a parade of vehicles earlier than the unwashed lots, know that there is extra passing and drama in 10 minutes at Goodwood than a season of Method 1.
Automobiles on spindly wheels fly by, going flat out on the straights. The drivers pitch them into the corners, slim tires sliding on a humid observe. Drifting could also be pretty new to motorsport, however the artwork of drifting a automobile on a moist observe is as outdated as motorsport itself. Watch one 90-year-old automobile take a nook sideways, and also you’re hooked.
A Bentley pulls away from a Talbot-Lago, chased by a Frazer Nash. The climate continues to deteriorate, as does the observe floor. Some drivers seem to let up on the chase, deciding prudence is the higher a part of valor. Others appear to not care. They’re hellbent on sustaining the tempo.
The most important battle is between two Frazer Nash vehicles, a crimson roadster and a darkish inexperienced saloon nicknamed “The Owlet.” Each vehicles weave by visitors but are alone in a personal battle. The tempo picks up with each lap, and the slides develop longer and wilder.
Roy Salvadori as soon as stated, “Give me Goodwood on a summer time’s day, and you’ll neglect the remainder of the world.” Watching these drivers will their vehicles round a humid observe with a mix of stamina and focus will try this. It is work, wrestling a giant steering wheel and controlling the automobile by its throttle. Shifting a non-synchromesh gearbox requires persistence, finesse, and the occasional swear phrase. However whether or not you are behind the wheel or watching a video of one in every of these epic battles, there’s nothing prefer it.
