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Goodwood, July 8, 2001
The ”WOW” Factor
 Each
year you think that the Goodwood Festival of Speed can’t get any better, but
somehow each event seems to surpass the preceding one. Lord March with his event
committee and enthusiastic band of helpers, produce a stunning array of
machinery of all descriptions, to delight the enormous crowds who make the
annual pilgrimage to his estate near Chichester in West Sussex. This year
attendance figures broke all previous records, with around 123,000 people
attending over the three days. Almost every corner that you turned there was
some delight to feast your eyes upon, such that you were constantly uttering or
thinking ”Wow”, the diversity and quality of the cars and motorcycles
presented almost defied belief.
Anniversaries
The theme of this ninth festival was ”The Will To Win”, a
reflection on some of the greatest names in motor sport history, including a
number of anniversaries that formed the core of the 2001 gathering. These
included the centenaries of Mercedes- Benz and Ford in racing, 90 Years of the
Monte Carlo Rally and Indianapolis, 75 years of Maserati and Ducati, 40 years of
Brabham, and the fiftieth anniversary of Ferrari’s first F1 World Championship
victory.
 To
celebrate these events there were themed displays, the largest being that of
Mercedes-Benz in front of Goodwood House. Here, around the main circular
carriage drive were an incredible array of the company’s racing heritage,
whilst in the centre was an enormous conical structure reaching skyward, atop
which was perched a 300 SL ”Gullwing” coupe.
Formula One
The area which has formed the main paddock in previous years,
was exclusively for the use of Formula One, Indy and current Le Mans cars. Apart
from the display of historic F1 Ferraris and Grand Prix Maserati's along the top
boundary of the paddock, there was a wide selection of other historic F1 cars,
including an ex-Rob Walker Lotus 49B, a Renault RE 60 from the mid-eighties
turbo era, a wide variety of Brabham’s including the first public appearance
since 1979 of the BT 46B ”fan car”. This car won the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix
driven by Niki Lauda, but was immediately outlawed by the governing body, and
never raced again.
 One
of the nicest aspects of the current F1 teams attendance, apart from the
spectacle that their drivers put on, was the ability of the public to see the
cars and personnel at close quarters. Special mention should be given to the
Ferrari mechanics, as they showed that there is a human side to Formula One,
lifting young children into the car at the end of Saturday afternoon, so that
their parents could take a photograph. The delight and surprise evident on both
the children and parents faces, that a Formula One team would provide this
opportunity, was a joy to witness.
Another gesture worthy of note was that Steve Tarrant, the track marshal who
lost a leg in last year's fatal accident that claimed the life of a colleague
and driver John Dawson-Damer, was given a ride up the course in a mid-engined
Renault Clio Sport by Jenson Button.
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