Goodwood Speedweek

Goodwood’s Festival of Speed in the height of Summer and Autumn’s Revival are amongst the best-attended motoring events anywhere in the world. The Revival which showcases the very best of pre-1966 Motoring is a magical step back in time with the fashion as much of a spectacle as the racing. Meanwhile the F.O.S showcases the greatest from the last decade or two of motorsport over 4 days culminating in a hotly contested shootout for best time up the hill. Clearly, 2020 has brought with it Covid19 and neither of these events have been able to take place nor has the Members Meeting in March.

However the Duke of Richmond and his team at Goodwood came up with the “SpeedWeek” Concept, essentially the best elements of both the Revival and Festival of Speed distilled into three days at Goodwood's legendary circuit, held behind closed doors but captured and recorded for TV and Live Stream audiences around the world. As everyone has come to expect from Goodwood, the event was world-class, and a resounding success from Start to Finish. The format allowed for the most popular races from the Members Meeting, fitting in alongside a one-lap shootout, drift displays and a 7 stage rally across the circuit and grounds.

A relatively recent newcomer to the Revival racecard is the Kinrara Trophy, this 1-hour two-driver race has traditionally taken place into the sunset on the Friday of Revival and has become known as the new highlight race of the meeting, as well as the tag line “The Most Expensive Grid in the World”. In 2019 DK’s James Cottingham and Harvey Stanley came across the famous Huffaker E-Type racer whilst on a business trip in California. They come a few days later having purchased this special Jaguar which had been raced since new in the USA. With the strong aim of contesting the Kinrara trophy, a restoration and race preparation program was embarked upon as soon as the car was back on British soil. This was complete in time for the Pre-63 GT race at Thruxton in August where the car was leading until an electrical fault halted proceedings. However, the car was ready to fight again at Goodwood…

On Saturday the Kinrara Trophy was officially renamed “The Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy” in a ceremony presided over by the Duke of Richmond, with Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing providing a moving soundtrack and tribute. The Huffaker E-Type qualified in third position, lining up on the front row of the grid alongside European Le Mans Series Champion, Alex Brundle and former World Touring Car Champion Rob Huff both in similar E-Types. The race start was taken by Harvey Stanley, with Gary Pearson in the Brundle car and owner Richard Meins taking the reigns from Rob Huff for the start of the race. After one lap Gary Pearson led, but closely followed by Harvey Stanley with the rest of the field beginning to fall back. For the next almost 20 minutes the pair of white E-Types of Pearson and Stanley battled nose to tail, in a race of their own, Pearson rarely leading by more than a second until at around the 20-minute mark an unfortunate incident whilst trying to pass two backmarkers put Gary out of the race, and promoted Harvey into the lead - albeit behind a safety car which then allowed the field to close up again. After a lengthy stint the safety turned its lights off and came in, Harvey then set about restoring his lead over the next few laps before pitting and handing over to James Cottingham who re-emerged just 5 or so seconds ahead of the hard chasing Rob Huff. With 20 minutes of the race remaining Huff has closed the gap to the lead to a cars length and the next twenty laps saw another almighty battle for the lead, Cottingham using every inch of Goodwood’s tarmac to keep the grey Fixed Head E-Type behind. The two cars crossed the line separated by 1 second. A maiden victory for the Huffaker E-Type, Harvey Stanley’s first Goodwood victory and a gripping race providing a fitting tribute to the late Sir Stirling Moss.

DK cars were also in action in Lavant Cup, where James finished 2nd in the ex Ecurie Ecosse Tojiero Jaguar a race in which David Cottingham also contested with his ex Ecurie Francorchamps 500 TRC. James also took third place in the GT40 in the Whitsun Trophy. Sunday’s spectacle was most certainly the shootout a variety of machinery including Formula 1 cars, Le Mans Prototypes, IMSA specials, road cars and modern GT cars all undertook the one-lap challenge. James Cottingham was at the wheel of the Dallara Judd SP1 LMP900 car, which contested the Le Mans 24 on three occasions in the early 2000s. A blistering lap from James set a 1.11 Laptime and with it the new closed wheel circuit lap record, which was 5 seconds clear of anything else until on the final run of the day Nick Padmore pipped his time to take 1st place in the shootout in a 1989 Arrows Formula One Car.

DK is honoured to have been part of such a special event and proud to be the inaugural winners of the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy.