Hi all.
My wife and I and another couple will be attending our first Goodwood Revival this next weekend. I was hoping to get a little information from others you have attended in the past.
We are staying in Portsmouth and plan to drive our rental car to the event. Our first question is about the traffic we will encounter. It’s a short drive, but we expect a lot of traffic. How bad is the traffic? How long should we anticipate the drive to take? Are there other public transportation options that are a better choice?
Do other listers ever get together at the event?
Thank you
- prepare for rain. We went for 10 days…it rained every single day
- Prepare for MUD, see #1. You will be parking a farmer’s field so mud will be deep. With all the vendors there…you would think someone would be selling Wellingtons. Nope. There are no shuttle busses from parking lot to track gate. There are no parts vendors.
3.Make sure your phone maps work. We had to make arrangements for overseas use with Verizon. We did. Ours were useless and got us lost several times. In fact for one destination, it took us 30 miles out of the way and said “you have arrived”. Until we called Verizon and complained and after two attempts and some “properties” changes it began to work ok. It was still not fast enough for the roundabouts as in “exit now” did not come fast enough to make the turn, although entering the roundabout it did warn 'take second exit" , eg. - It is ******* dark in England and they took down the street signs in 1939 and never put them back up. When they do have street signs they may be in stupid places like on the second floor of a building. You may decide that it is impossible to find some place in England unless you already know where it is. I did.
- we went 5 mi to a restaurant in Portsmouth and got hopelessly lost in the dark on the way back. There are no parking lots or strip malls where you can pull off for a minute and get your bearings. and don’t dare stop because someone will come up behind you and if they don’t hit you they will at least lean on the horn. There are few streetlights and none of the buildings have any light escaping from them, not even a Ring doorbell. They are still in Blitz mode.
- On the M road, if you see a slow car ahead , pulling a utility trailer or some such (likely) stay way back so you can accelerate to high speed because the idiots in the passing lane are closing on you at 80 mph and they don’t respect the fact that you have a directional on and are going to pull into that lane and are trapped behind a slow vehicle. Even though you pulled out about 6 car lengths ahead of them. When you finally make your best effort to pull into the lane with SPEED, a closing car will “horn” you for an impolite length of time, then when you pull to the slow lane to let them by, they will pull along side you, matching your speed, screaming, horning and fingering at you for about 45 seconds…forgetting that they were in a hurry. People familiar with Boston Massholes will understand this syndrome although, Boston is less bad and I can’t believe I am saying that.
Mind you. The English you meet while a pedestrian are charming, polite and friendly. Put them in a car and well… - There are no breakdown lanes on the M road. There is pavement and about 12 inches of rougher pavement then, a curb. I can’t imagine what you do if you get a flat.
- Taking the M road down to Portsmouth in significant traffic at some point you may have to slam on the brakes and come to a complete stop…BECAUSE they have put a STOP LIGHT on their freeway.
- Traffic approaching the track can get heavy. Long race track experience in the US has taught me to plan to be there at gate opening time. About 7 AM IIRC. That works well and traffic is manageable, you will also be able to park closer to the gate.
- What the English call breakfast bacon is terrible. We actually got the best breakfast in our 10 day stay (included touring) at the Holiday Inn buffet. And that includes the hoity toity English country house/inn.
- Food. At track is awful. There is a breakfast buffet where you can at least get scrambled eggs. There are many food stands but 98% of them only sell either a greasy sausage sandwich or a “Cheese on Toast” which is a greasy grilled cheese sandwich. Wife had the sausage sandwich and got sick. Bring a lunch. there is a Fish and chips stand at the far end of the track but I did not get a chance to try it.
- don’t go through the village on the way to the track. There is a particular exit to take and a way to go that will get you there better, not great…better. I don’t remember the actual name of the exit.
- People will tell you to go to the “little privately owned pubs” to get the home cooking. Don’t believe them. The only serve steak “well done” and they tell you that up front. And in 2018 the price for 225 GRAMS of Ribeye was 35 Pounds. The English are thin because the food is not very good. The best Pub was a chain pub in Portsmouth and they had the best beer. It was surprisingly hard to find a good beer in England. But, drunk driving is a RIDICULOUS low blood level like 0.4 or something.
- I met up with Pekka Telluvio and another fellow from Germany. Try DM ing him. It’s good going with another couple the experience will be better to walk around take in the sights and discuss them. You will walk a lot. The shuttle system is a joke-a tractor puling a wagon-seats about 30. AND it doesn’t even go around the whole track. So you will have to wait or walk. In the mud.
- I don’t plan on going again unless I take one of those expensive junkets, with celebrities, banquets, cocktails, special access etc.
- Unfortunately, though I bought a grandstand pass, the stands I most wanted to be in were reserved for club members or some such.
- there seem to be a lot of people in the crowd who are not actually race fans. They seem to be there more for the “happening” experience. I say that because they are milling around, or at the bar or just being “seen” when some of the best racing classes are on track.
Enjoy. If your wife is not into this type of thing she will be doing you a great favor to endure 3 days of discomfort.
The first time you use one of the somewhat rare indoor plumbing facilities and experience the electric hand dryers that are as warm as dog breath you will gain a new appreciation of HOME.
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Bill. Are you sure you didn’t mean to post this in the Humor thread? 
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there’s a “humor thread” ?
Strongly disagree with point 9…at least our bacon looks like its been sliced off a pig…rather than the tiny thin wafers iv had in US.
…as for everything else…fair comments…iv been towed out of the mud by a tractor befor…parking in a field is pathetic for a huge event…if the sun shines you will have a great time…Steve
You will have a great time! I was there in 2017, we had an absolute blast! Just the parking lots alone could take day to see the all the interesting cars. Don‘t be put off by the previous post, focus on the fun! Driving ist just fine, I found the road signs were quite adequate and We really enjoy the drive through the wonderful countryside. The weather looks like it might turn out to even be quite nice! Lots of people dress up in yesteryears attire for the event which works out for a really nice atmosphere - consider doing likewise, even if just a hat scarf or whatever. We opted to stay on a campsite east of the Circuit. Our great campsite neighbors have been visiting for years and gave us their forward parking license which let us park the E with a lot of other old cars. They came with Bentley 4 1/2 (replica) What a gourgeous car! Arrive early as possible in the day, I mean really early. That way you get to see all the guest cars arriving. You will be able to waste time looking at arriving cars without worry of missing a race. Bill is right in that parking was on the farmers fields. The fun is - everbody gets stuck in the mud, Rolls, Bentleys and my E-Type as well. As a first timer I found it intimidating to orient myself what was happening when, and where, how to get there and which tickets would get us into which grandstands. I was happy with the tickets we had, but to get in some the places you’d have to be member of the Racing Club which I am clearly not. You can spend a lot of money in Goodwood - but lot of the fun is had without the priority tickets asf. Go look at the paddocks, as close as possible. That‘s where the cars go out to and come back from the races. Fun to watch. To actually go inside the paddocks again IIRC members only. I don’t know if a mere mortal can get access? 2017 still had some beautiful planes come to the aerodrome, that might not longer be case though. Go have fun. Waste time looking around. Don’t put up a too tight itenerary. Waste time. Talk to people. Enjoy your trip! P.S. the bacon is just fine! Especially if comes with a most enjoyable full english breakfast!
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Hi,
Been there only maybe about 5-6 times, this time arriving in our 1972 V12 E-type OTS #1S20183 via Eurotunnel. Staying in Bogror Regis all three nights, this time not with my wife but our youngest 19 yr old son and a dozen on my fellow Finnish Jaguar Drivers’ Club members.
I hope for good weather, or at least better than 2016!
Cheers!
But that‘s part of the fun! If your not part of a racing team helping getting the cars on, what else better to do than walk around, having a cuppa!?
We met in Goodwood 2017, with Pekka, although way too short.
Here some pics of my muddy E, the neighbors Bentley, and the uninterested experiencing the „happening“ 
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Thanks for all the comments and replies. We are planning to “dress up for the affair”. As for the mud I grew up on the farm and we raised a lot of ‘Bacon’, so I’ve seen Real Mud. so from the pictures this looks like a walk in the park!
As for the chance of getting lost, that’s just part of the vacation, we get to see something that we hadn’t planned on seeing.
We are looking forward to this experience .
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Absolutely, the experience is just as entertaining as the racing.
You’ll have a wonderful time, mud or no mud, but I also love spending time in the UK and do it as often as is possible.
My one piece of advice, FWIW, if you dress up (which you should do), pick something comfortable - my last time I wore my old breeks and horridly stretched out wool socks / it felt like taking ski boots off at the end of the day… 
Have fun - it’s a bucket list item that every car nut should experience.
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Russ…you sound just like a Brit…get on and deal with it as it comes…you will have a great time
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That may be the funniest thing I’ve read this week, possibly in the last year!
As with anything we organise in Britain the revival is wonderful, even with all the foreigners that turn up.
You WILL enjoy it.
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And there it is…
We in Colorado feel pretty much the same way about Texans!
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Martin,
our meeting was great fun. It’s great to hang with kindred spirits. OTH my wife sat in the stands reading a book. So it’s best to travel with companions.
I recommend for practice sessions you go stand near the paddock exit/corral for one of the bigger engined races, when they start them all up it’s like an internal combustion symphony. Get your cell phone out and record it. So, when people ask you why the hell you went all the way over there and -suffered the bacon 
- to see that you can show them.
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Yes Paul,I agree,I am British born and raised,I nearly fell off my chair reading Bill’s write up!Agree with most of it except the Bacon lol.Regards Gerry 62 Ots Ontario Canada.
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I am going again from Texas and can’t wait. I have been several times now with a group of guys that are Goodwood members so we have grandstand seats at the Chicane and can get into some of the member bars and park in the lot right next to the 1966 and earlier. Make sure to have a nice spot for the Sterling Moss (Kinrara) race at sunset on Friday. It is wonderful. We have always watched it from one of the bars midway down the Lavant Straight that has a good Jumbtron view too. I always get a Program that includes the little radio tuned into the track commentary to be able to follow along with the action all around the track and know when to head back to the seats for the start of the races… If anyone can figure out a good time and place to meet up and talk Jaguar I am game for that.
David
68 E-type FHC
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The weather can make a big difference, just dress appropriately. A fantastic world class event AND there’s racing.
Make time to tour the public classic car park, an event all on its own.
I would take a picnic rather than pay for event type food.
Enjoy
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Hi David & Pat,
I’ll be there with my 19 yr old son and ca 10 Finnish Jaguar Drivers’ Club members again. I am also a GRRC member and we were in the infield chicane grandstand last year, but now took the normal roving grandstands for Friday & Saturday and the March Enclosure for Sunday.
I don’t like ”event food” either so for Saturday we have ”Cedar Suite” lunch which includes vintage limo transport to the Goodwood Manor and back and on Sunday the Richmond Lawn lunch which is infield and has been worth the £84-£89 GBP IMHO.
If you see a white V12 OTS with Finnish plates, that would be us!
I’d be happy to meet and chat with all J-L’s time and luck permitting.
Last year I made Pat’s pick-nick lunch turn cold while blabbering about his lovely low drag coupé!
Cheers!
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