Goodwood Members’ Meeting: Coachella for racers

Gerhard Berger going for a stroll in a 1989 Ferrari 640, V12 screaming. A demo run showing the gloriousness of sixties and seventies Can-Am, led by the quirky Shadows. And a field of Ford Mustangs trading paint to celebrate 60 years of the famous Pony car. That’s 81st Goodwood Members’ Meeting in a nutshell.

It’s easy to describe Goodwood Members’ Meeting as the automotive equivalent to Coachella. It’s by far the most relaxed racing venue on the international calendar, but here is the downside: the access is limited. To be allowed in, you have to be a member of the Goodwood Road Racing Club first. Then, you can acquire tickets for the event.

Relax

With two events that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors on the calendar already – Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival – the Goodwood Estate can afford to put in an extra event that has a character of its own. We appreciate Goodwood Members’ Meeting all the more, as it’s the one event where you are guaranteed to have a decent view on the racing action, you can stroll around the paddock and the drivers you cross are usually very relaxed and easy to talk to.

Whereas the event may feel leisurely – definitely when a nice spring sun bursts through the clouds – the racing is anything but. Just as with Goodwood Revival, these are close-fought races, with former pros going to battle in cars that have been much improved. The racing is mostly pre-war, classic fifties-through-to-eighties GTs and touring cars, with the demos giving the chance to bring in machinery from other eras.

Ferrari 640

It’s here we got to see the Can-Am cars, and Berger’s Ferrari. All brilliant, but we can’t help but feel that the demo program for this, 81^st Members’ Meeting, was lacking something on the car front. Something that linked with early 2000s motor racing, for instance. On the other hand, even as non-motorcycle people, we were deeply impressed by the timed runs the sidecar motorcycles. Should you ever think you need to have your head examined, just look at these guys and you’ll come to the conclusion you’re just fine.

Stars and cars

With people like Gerhard Berger, Tom Kristensen, Steve Soper, Derek Bell, Dario Franchitti, Andy Priaulx, the debuting Jamie Chadwick, and so many others, 81^st Members’ Meeting was once more an event where your love for racing cars and racers was rekindled. We warmly recommend it. To keep informed on next year’s GMM – see, you speak ‘Goodwood’ already – this way.