Saturday Goodwood Practice - I could put on a better show!

[Mrs BlackX]

Or obtain pics of half naked drivers?????

I did warn Graeme Wight Jnr that I would post this on the internet....hahahahahaha

[DaveM]

Such controversy! To be in the presence of so much history (metal and flesh) and still complain beggars belief!

Some of you seem to miss the point of the FoS. I am in the Chigley/Mrs BlackX (wow, you sound exotic) camp. The FoS is first and foremost a celebration of cars - competition cars from all walks of motorsport, exotic road cars, humble cars (eg the early British hot rods, VW camper and other 'summer specials' in an imaginative beach setting with real sand, surfboards, palm trees and lifeguard lookout!),and drivers - nowhere else could you dream of seeing so many of motorsports greats from yesteryear, today and all points between, and all so accessible too. The 'hillclimb' is incidental in my book.

I set off before midnight on Saturday, arrived in a virtually empty carpark at 4.30am, had a kip, wandered round paddocks, drooled over and photographed cars, chatted to drivers, got autographs, lost half my wallet in the book stalls, experienced the M25 traffic calming system and arrived home at a quarter to midnight, knackered. Hardly saw any of the hillclimb, competition, parade, call it what you will - BUT I WAS HAPPY!

Roll on next year, and if all those who are moaning don't bother to go there'll be a bit more room for the rest of us!

[Mrs BlackX]

Hear Hear DaveM.....

[DaveM]

And I forgot to mention the motorbikes and riders - Agostini, Doohan, Redman, Graham, Grant, Nation, etc!! Brilliant!

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by redshoes
Lee, I've never heard so much rubbish spouted before. As others have said, if you want to watch a competitive hillclimb go to Prescott.

If you lose the demo runs then you can kiss goodbye to most of the entries. Would you rather these cars were kept locked up in private collections and never shown in public?

Oh, I wish I could be there! Alas, it's not in the cards for an impoverished student.

A bit of brisk driving will hardly be damaging to the cars, though. As I said, you need not be right on the limit, trying to get a fast time, to open up the throttle going up Park Straight and let the engine roar, or let the car drift gently through the first turn.

I'd certainly understand if a car is struggling to maintain 20mph, but for any real race or performance car build in the postwar period, there's really no excuse for not at least letting the motor take a big gulp of air and fuel going up Park Straight.

For those who won't do such, it's still wonderful to see their cars, but such drivers really don't belong on the hill in my view.

Of course, does it really matter what any of us think? It's Lord March's driveway, after all.

[josvandeperre]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Oh, I wish I could be there! Alas, it's not in the cards for an impoverished student.

Yeah like Prescott charges GP money to get in and you're not spending one hill climb entry amount of money drinking once a week - sorry don't buy this sob story - I've just realised this reply may need translating - the conclusion remains the same

[Peter Mallett]

Jos,

I might say that's a little harsh. For a start Lee's got to cross the pond just to get there. Then accommodation etc.

Anyway. Hopefully you'll make it one day Lee then you'll see what it's all about.

[Goggles]

Become a marshal then you will be a part of it. !

[eldougo]

I can,t believe the rubbish that CRBox has came out with to be so close to the GREATEST show of cars to assemble at what
is a (Festival for the eyes) an the sound an the smell i
find it hard to understand that some people who live a few
miles away go there an come away complaning to people like
me who live on the other side of the world an would give
anything to be there it,s just unbelivable ???
Just think yourself lucky you have eye to see a noise to
smell .However i feel you have no feeling for what 99% of
real people who went there to injoy themself something you
seem incapable of doing . please don.t go next year .

[simon drabble]

I think a lot of people have missed the point here. Everyone is in agreement that its a great "Festival" and deservedly second biggest motorsport attraction in UK.
This disappointment was the pace of some (not all) of the demo runs. As someone who is sitting at work rather than qualifying at Silverstone today because I have a climax engine in bits I know exactly the cost and fragility of these old engines. However if honoured enough to take my Eleven to the FoS (and given my car's extensive period history at Goodwood its not unreasonable!) I would try a little harder than the main car in question. I personnaly think it undermines the occassion. If he was that concerned he should have had it as a static display.

[C R Box]

Originally posted by eldougo
I can,t believe the rubbish that CRBox has came out with .......etc,etc

Look, I think anybody who got the point, observed that I was critical of part, of what is a great festival. Namely that I can't tolerate poseurs in historic race cars. Thats it and all about it.
However I'm full of admiration for millionaires who possess or learn racecraft, adore their cars history, are not the slightest interesed in their car's value and drive it to the maximum of their ability. Geddit........
To labour the point for you; If a footballer wasn't trying hard enough during a World Cup match, fans would say he shouldn't be on the field. It doesn't mean they regretted going to the match.
Anyway, as I was the one who was there,I can tell you that I certainly wasn't alone in my view, within the informed crowd, as it wasn't hard to tell who was trying and who wasn't.
If you ever do 'give up anything to be there' I hope you find it entirely satisfying exprience.

[Lee Janotta]

Originally posted by josvandeperre
Yeah like Prescott charges GP money to get in and you're not spending one hill climb entry amount of money drinking once a week - sorry don't buy this sob story - I've just realised this reply may need translating - the conclusion remains the same

Oh, sure, why don't I just strip down and swim over there?

Not everything worth going to is within a three hour drive for all of us.

[Peter Mallett]

Nuff said I think.

[Mrs BlackX]

I give up!!!! Some of you just cant grip the facts here...

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is celebration and demonstration of rare and beautiful cars and NOT a racing/competitive event!!!!

Go with that in mind and you will not be disappointed...

[simon drabble]

glad we thrashed that one out!
have a good weekend and lets all hope the GP is not a procession!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lee Janotta]

And how do you celebrate _or_ demonstrate those cars (or bikes) plodding up the hill like a granny?

Of course, you can sometimes go a bit overboard in trying to please the crowd.

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/vin...fs-dd-0165.jpg

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
And how do you celebrate _or_ demonstrate those cars (or bikes) plodding up the hill like a granny?

Of course, you can sometimes go a bit overboard in trying to please the crowd.

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/vin...fs-dd-0165.jpg

nothing overboard about that!! in fact, we collected his hat as a trophy when it fell out at our post !!!

[Peter Mallett]

I was once lambasted by a CoC for doing that in a Metro race at Donington. The observer in question actully said afterwards that whilst he'd reported me for being "over exuberant" (an oxymoron I think) he wasn't too surprised because it was only one wheel less than normal!

[Craig]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Indeed. If you're not going to put your foot into it, keep it off the hill. The hillclimb is not an auto parade!

Actually it's a wonderful mixture of both... add a splash of classic car show and some famous faces to meet and talk to and I think you start to get a glimpse at the FoS. A truly wonderful event (NOT competitive event note) which gets better and better - the only downside is the size of the crowd and the entry price.