There may not have been cheers and applause from crowds of motor racing fans, and the paddock might have been eerily quiet without parents showing their children the glorious speed machines of yesteryear but that didn’t stop Goodwood Speedweek from putting on a spectacle that was still enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of armchair spectators.
Speedweek offered up an action-packed three days of race and rally action on the historic British circuit. Among the highlights were former F1 champion Damon Hill driving his father Graham Hill’s 1964 BRM and rally champ Stig Blomqvist taking the chequered flag at the age of 72. However, the drive of the entire event belongs to 2018 British Touring Car champion Sam Tordoff who swapped his Honda Civic Type R for a massive Ford Galaxie to take part in the historic touring car races – and battled his way to a podium place after starting from last on the grid.
During the first race on Saturday Tordoff had to retire from the lead, which meant starting from the back of the field for race two on Sunday. By the end of the first lap Tordoff had passed 12 cars, dispatching a further five on lap two. The Galaxie may have had a straight line speed advantage over its rivals, but the lightweight Mini Coopers and Lotus Cortinas in the competition could brake later and corner faster. Tordoff’s drive to a podium position was an amazing display that can be enjoyed by those who missed it, by watching Goodwood’s highlights reel.
Goodwood’s YouTube Channel includes all the action from SpeedWeek, but the runs of legendary Group B rally cars and the Shootout fastest lap challenge [below] featuring a 1977 Lotus Formula 1 car are some of our highlights from this unique event.
While those present at the circuit described the atmosphere as being eerily quiet, the drivers who battled it out during Speedweek can take comfort from knowing that their fans were still cheering them on, albeit from afar.
Roll on 2021, when hopefully Goodwood’s grandstands will be full of spectators once again and motor sport fans can enjoy the soak up all the atmosphere that the special circuit has to offer.
