A thrilling weekend comes to a close as the 81st Members’ Meeting marks 10 years since its revival in 2014.
Sustainable fuel mandated for use in the Ken Miles Cup presented by LGT Wealth Management and the Gordon Spice Trophy.
Spectacular demonstrations celebrated Niki Lauda and the infamous Shadows from the Can-Am racing series.
Circuit’s first-ever competitive sidecar Shoot-Out thrilled onlookers.
Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50s made its global dynamic debut in an on-track demonstration with Dario Franchitti at the wheel.
Tyrrell Shed opened for the first time at its new home.
Dario Franchitti collected the House Trophy on behalf of Torbolton who accrued 19,877 points across the weekend, as their new House Captain.
After a thrilling weekend of racing action - and with the spring sun shining down on the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit - the 81st Members’ Meeting has kicked off another unmissable motorsport event season here at Goodwood.
Sustainable racing
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 three-time 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.
The Ken Miles Cup and Gordon Spice Trophy follow Goodwood’s first sustainably-fuelled race - the Fordwater Trophy - at the 2023 Revival, and come ahead of the 2024 event in September where the entire weekend of racing will take place exclusively using sustainable fuel, serving as a landmark moment for historic motorsport.
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. Goodwood’s celebration of John Surtees will continue at its headline motorsport events, with an on-track tribute at Goodwood Revival and the new Surtees Pavilion at the Festival of Speed with food from Michelin-starred chef Ollie Dabbous.
Spectacular demonstrations
Eight modern racing sidecars went head-to-head across the weekend for the first time at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, showcasing the precise teamwork between driver and co-driver as they tackled the challenging combination of high speed straights and tight turns around the track. 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, including 50 years since his first Grand Prix victory in the 1974 Spanish Grand Prix, 40 years since his third and final World Championship, and 75 years since the Formula 1 Champion’s birth. A special on-track demonstration saw Lauda’s 1985 Dutch Grand Prix-winning McLaren MP4/2B on track and the legendary driver will also be honoured later in the year at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard.
On Saturday afternoon, Gerhard Berger returned to the cockpit of his 1989 Ferrari 640 Formula 1 car. The Ferrari, which raced in the 1989 F1 season with drivers Berger and Nigel Mansell, was the first to ever use a sequential paddle-shift transmission.
Tyrrell Shed
The historic Formula 1 building 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 Championship-winning Formula 1 racing team, the Tyrrell Shed housed its former creations the Tyrrell 001 and 008. Goodwood is delighted that the building has found a new, permanent home at the Motor Circuit. The Tyrrell Shed will officially open to the public at the Goodwood Revival in September.
Gordon Murray Automotive T.50s
The highly-anticipated T.50s track-only hypercar made its global dynamic debut on Saturday, with four-time IndyCar Series Champion Dario Franchitti taking part in the two-car demonstration. Each year, Gordon Murray Automotive brings together an exceptional collection of cars at the Members’ Meeting to celebrate Professor Gordon Murray’s extraordinary career in automotive design, with this year serving as no exception. The GMA paddock display showcased the story of the T.50s, alongside the T.33 Mule, with the Pit Lane Lawn display featuring a series of GMA cars and engines.
Around the event
The 81st Members’ Meeting saw a changing of the guard in the annual competition to win the House Shield. The event welcomed its new House Captains, World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx (Aubigny), nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen (Darnley), three-time British Touring Car Champion Gordon Shedden (Methuen) and IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti (Torbolton).
From the hotly contested Tug-O-War to duck herding, there was something for everyone at the Members’ Meeting as guests competed to earn points for their respective Houses. A firm favourite amongst our Members, Fellows and drivers, the House Games and racing over the weekend saw Torbolton take home the trophy with 19,877 points.
Auction Action
A collection of impressive and unique vehicles went under the hammer at the Bonhams|Cars Auction on Sunday afternoon. Among the catalogue of vehicles on offer was the 1954 Bristol 45- Le Mans Sports Car World Championship-acing Coupé recreation, the 1936 Frazer Nash TT Replica Roadster, and the Crown Edition of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Festivities
Driving into sunset on Saturday evening, the Gordon Spice Trophy was followed by the start of the much-loved Members’ Meeting party. With a spectacular fireworks display and live music, the party was a real celebration for our Goodwood Road Racing Club Members and Fellows.
