Report: Goodwood Revival Meeting, West Sussex, 13-15 September

The 2013 Goodwood Revival Meeting proved a record breaker, attracting a sell-out crowd of 148,000. The range of attractions were expanded to include an enlarged trade village, and more stars than ever made it to the Revival - but the core of the event's appeal is close, classic car racing, and thanks to changeable weather, it was more dramatic than ever on track.

This year, special features included a tribut to Jim Clark, including an emotional homage to this extraordinary driver by Lord March. The 70th anniversary of the Dambusters raid was also marked with the attendance of surviving Dambusters 617 Squadron air man, Flight Lieutenant George ‘Johnny’ Johnson, and bouncing bomb inventor Sir Barnes Wallis’ daughter, Mary Stopes-Roe.

The 100th running of the famous Tour de France bicycle race was celebrated by Goodwood with a peloton of cyclists in pre-1966 garb riding period racing bikes on the track – including British Olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy MBE (below) – with a traditional caravanne of authentic French support vehicles, classic cars and boisterous French characters.

The 50th anniversary of the Ford GT40 saw a parade of over 40 genuine examples of the model, many housed in a 1960s Le Mans-style pit when not in use.  The Whitsun Trophy race was dedicated exclusively to GT40s; the first time such a race has ever been held. Adrian Newey and former Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack claimed victory in this exciting 45 minute race.

The jewel in the Revival’s racing crown – the annual RAC Tourist Trophy Celebration race – was made all the more unmissable when the heaven’s opened at three-quarter distance, with Simon Hadfield seemingly coming out of nowhere to ultimately take the chequered flag (with driving partner Wolfgang Friedrichs) in the Aston Martin Project 212, an appropriate first for Aston Martin in its centenary year.

The second Settrington Cup added exciting low-level, low-speed on-track action and some of the most memorable images of the whole event, as young children pedalled their Austin J40 pedal cars as fast as they would go.

The 2013 Goodwood Revival Meeting was a phenomenal success, and tickets for both of these sell-out Goodwood motor sport events for 2014 going on sale on Thursday 31 October. You can order them at www.goodwood.com