Goodwood Revival 2015 - Day One Highlights

An evocative line-up of Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupes headlined an outstanding opening day at the Goodwood Revival 2015, held 11th September at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in England.

The Shelby Daytona gathering at this year’s Goodwood Revival is believed to be the first time that all six original examples of Carroll Shelby’s creation have been brought together, including the prototype, plus veterans of races at Le Mans and Goodwood.

The six, aggressive Kamm-tailed GTs powered round the Goodwood Motor Circuit track in a stirring display that brought back memories of the car’s World Sports Car Championship winning year, 1965. All have been on display at a recreation of the 1965 Sebring pits: like Goodwood itself, one of the Cobra’s seven victories that year.

Every original Shelby Daytona Coupe lines up at Goodwood (photo: Matt Jacques)

The on-track activity began with a display of pre-1966 Land Rovers before a host of ‘Gassers’ lined up in front of the grandstands. These 1940s and ’50s drag-racing street rods, so-called because they ran on ‘gasoline’ rather than nitromethane, put on a crowd-pleasing display of standing starts, provoking great plumes of tyre smoke.

A parade of cars associated with the great Bruce McLaren was another highlight alongside the day’s practice sessions for the packed race schedule.

The first race of the meeting took place at the end of the day, the Freddie March Memorial Trophy, a 90-minute encounter for sports cars from the early 1950s, held in changing weather conditions. From the time that he took over the JD Classics Cooper-Jaguar T33 from co-driver, Derek Hood, Chris Ward totally dominated the proceedings.

Chris Ward and Derek Hood won Freddie March Memorial Trophy (photo: Drew Gibson) — Chris Ward and Derek Hood won Freddie March Memorial Trophy in the Cooper-Jaguar T33 (photo: Drew Gibson)

Tomorrow, the world’s top historic racers will again be matching themselves against some of motor sport’s leading drivers, with nine-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Tom Kristensen, 15 British Touring Car Championship race winners, among others.

As ever, the off-track activity has evoked great memories of the immediate post-war period. Included has been a diversion from the usual cars and planes in the shape of a fishing trawler commemorating the 60th anniversary of the fish finger in the UK.