Goodwood Festival Of Speed - A - Z

M

Marshals

OK so Marshals are pretty much the most important people at the festival, they should have been listed higher but this is how the alphabet works so here we are.

Without Marshals you couldn’t have any hill runs or rally stage, they control the start and finish lines, they control the crossing points, they are there to stop the session in case of emergency, tow away broken-down vehicles and also do things such as first aid and rescue services when required.

They control the timing markers and the check-in desks, they ensure the right cars are in the right classes and in the right places at the right time. They control the crowds and keep them safe when vehicles are moving in and out of the pits. They are also a really good source of information if you are trying to get somewhere specific and they will often have the best route to take or shortcut to utilise.

All of the marshals are volunteers and they do it for the love of motorsport and helping other people, you can tell of the pride they have as they rove around in their bright orange or white overalls making sure everything is safe and secure. I mentioned earlier about the crossing points and how many questions they get asked, both new and repeated yet I have never seen any of them be less than polite and courteous even after 4days of the event.

We are very lucky to have these ladies and gentlemen around and I can’t begin to express my thanks to them. Especially my friend’s dad Derek who is a marshal and very much a legend in his own right.

Moving

I have been to many motor shows across the UK in previous years and whilst there may be a display arena or a test track these are pretty much always stand-alone areas that are small and unique within the event itself. The rest of the show is just parked up cars on stands or with a little white fence or rope around them clearly defining that these vehicles are to be looked at from afar and nothing else.

Then when you come to Goodwood and every inch of the place is alive with noise and movement you realise just what every motor show and festival should be, from the track beneath your feet to the skies above your head there is always something on the move, it's not just on the track it's in the pits as those wonderful marshals blow their whistles and edge you off to one side so a parade of cars and bikes can roll down the hill towards the start line.

As you wander through the trees at the top of the hill, on one side a roaring popping engine that kicks up a shower of twigs and pebbles just as a screaming engine blasts past on the other, looking over to see what it was but to no avail the car is gone and up past the finish line.

I think this is why I am constantly on the move when at the festival, the ever-changing parade of cars and bikes, drawing me in, drawing me on to the next thing, where can I go next what can I see after that. The whole event just energises you to carry on rather than a slow walk around some fenced off vehicles.

Mechanics

So, beyond the drivers and the marshals, there is another group of people who literally keep everything moving and that is the mechanics, the often-unsung heroes who spend a lot of their weekend either running or repairing the vehicles, some will just be a solo mechanic, some will even just be the owner and potential driver who is wearing multiple hats through the course of the weekend.

The F1 teams will bring a small contingent of mechanics who are easily spotted both off track in their team-branded clothing in and around the pits but also on track as they all clamber into the back of a van along with the equipment required at the top of the hill to get the cars going and back down again.

It's also not uncommon to see the lower half of a mechanic as they have their heads buried in engine bays with tools in hand or even laying under a car that has been jacked up and with the wheels off, this is even more common when walking up the hill or in the paddocks at the rally stage as these are the cars that take a real pounding as they make huge leaps with suspension taking the brunt of any landing or when threading through the trees and sadly the bodywork taking the full impact of any missed turning point or sudden wet patch.

Often at a festival like this it’s a case of mend and make do rather than a full repair job that will be completed later and it's not uncommon to see a car back on track within the hour, patched up to the point of being safe again, the mechanics job done for now…

McLaren Stand

Oh no not again, after saying I wasn’t going to name brands and cars, I have managed to do it twice in two letters, I think this might be the last time but no promises.

So why am I again making an allowance for a specific manufacturer, well its more to do with their stand at the festival, it is one of the more permanent ones in terms of both location and on my list of ones to visit as they tend to come up with something unique each year rather than just putting their stand up and having cars dotted around, they encourage you to get involved in creating something so you feel like you are doing something with them rather than just looking at them.

The first example of this is when (with the help of fans and attendees) they built a full-size Lego McLaren 720s, everyone who attended got the opportunity to add a brick to the build with the final piece being put into place by Lord March. Watching the car take shape and fill with the bright orange-coloured bricks through the weekend was a real treat, this wasn’t the last time they bought a Lego McLaren either, a couple of years later they bought an already completed Lego version however this time children were allowed to climb inside and even had the opportunity to use the lights and turn the steering wheel and press the throttle, I can’t even imagine the delight my 8year old self would have had to be able to sit inside a real Lego car like this.

The other one that I want to mention is the year that you could have your photo taken (or choose a picture you had) and it was then added to a wall to create a mosaic of tiny photos that when you took a step back created a much larger picture of a McLaren cruising along a sun-kissed road with palm trees in the background. Again, the way it bought people in and together across the weekend working towards a complete image by the end was a very clever and inclusive idea.

Its activities like this, that not only make it one of my first stops at the festival but makes me return several times before the end just so I can see things taking shape and of course, the final results are always stunning.

Military

Yet another thing you might not expect from the Festival is being able to get up close and look around military machines such as tanks, jeeps and armoured transport vehicles, these tend to be fairly static displays although there is often an army and or RAF jeep being run around the rally stage. You can even find the Tank racer from Wacky Racers although I doubt this has any place in real battle.

The number of vehicles does go up and down and they are often moved from year to year so you may need to look for them but your best bet is to start down by the shopping area or near the G.A.S. Arena, you won’t be far off from there.

The one thing that has been missing for a few years now is the Army Cadet Kit Car display team, they used to run several shows throughout the day. It would always start with two mini jeeps completely stripped down and wheels off laid out in perfect order next to each other before the starting hooter set off a flurry of activity.

Two teams going to work in perfect harmony lifting the base and slotting on wheels, bolting them into place as the rest of the team use struts to lift the engine and walk it over their heads and drop it into the engine bay, hooking up the drive shaft before setting to work on the steering wheel and peddles, finally the fibreglass body work goes on, the team climb on board and drive the jeep up and across a finish line with the first team across winning that round.

It's all done in a matter of minutes and you can’t help but be impressed with how the whole thing goes together but also the speed and accuracy the cadets work together to get everything done. I haven’t seen them for a couple of years now and it’s a real shame.