Welcome to Festival of Speed Review - Friday 3rd July 2009

The Super Cars Kick Off!
The ever-popular supercars kicked off Friday’s action with several manufacturers using the event as a launching pad for their latest models. Morgan, celebrating its centenary at the 2009 Festival of Speed, debuted its new £116,000 Aero SuperSport in tyre-smoking fashion, while the extraordinary Tramontana from Spain made its UK bow. Costing a cool 500,000 euros, this idiosyncratic tandem-seat device was improbably upstaged for cost by the dramatic Mantide from resurgent Italian carrozzeria, Stile Bertone: this Chevrolet Corvette-derived machine could be yours for a mere $2 million…

Pre-War machines in action
George Wingard’s elephantine 7.4-litre Mercer 450 starred among the pre-war racing cars class. What it lacked in grace, it more than made up for in mass, this fabulous machine having participated in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup race in the hands of Eddie Pullen. Three days later this abnormally brave driver became the first American to win the American Grand Prix in an American car aboard this very machine. Diametrically opposed in ethos, as well as scale, was Gary Caroline’s remarkable 1928 Morgan Super Aero. Gary has been campaigning this three-wheeler for the past 51 years, often besting much larger and more powerful opponents. His efforts in – and largely on - this skimpy device continue to be appreciated by Festival-goers.

Silver Arrows debut
Former F1 man and Le Mans winner Jochen Mass wowed the crowds aboard the Mercedes-Benz factory collection’s recently-restored W25, some 75 years on since the historic Silver Arrows debuted in the new-for-1934 750kg Grand Prix formula. One of only two survivors, and insured for a whopping £35 million, the W25 was famously described by The Autocar in period as ‘The noisiest car on earth’. The description is still apt, the car’s supercharged straight-eight being audible from a mile away; maybe further depending on wind conditions.

This wonderful machine was originally painted white – the German racing colour – but, according to legend (myth would be closer…), the paint was removed to save weight, exposing the bare aluminium. The media soon dubbed it the Silver Arrow and the term came to encompass the mighty German GP cars of both Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union. Pink Floyd drummer and historics regular Nick Mason demonstrated Audi Tradition’s Auto Union D-type and appeared suitably wide-eyed after his first run in the V12 leviathan.

Jesse James shows-off his 'Trophy Truck'
Altogether more alien to European sensitivities, the mighty NASCAR stock car racers slackened jaws with their sheer size and the sound of angry V8s bouncing sound off the flint walls. First time Festival visitor Taylor Earnhardt steered the 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo as driven by her father - the late and very great Dale Earnhardt - to his 78th and final NASCAR win in 2000. Continuing the Americana theme, TV personality and custom motorcycle builder Jesse James proved hugely impressive aboard his ‘Trophy Truck’ which packs 950bhp and 30in of suspension travel. The likable Baja 1000 racer said after his first-ever run up the hill: “I can’t focus on anything. There’s just so much – Porsche 917s, Auto Unions and me! I just don’t fit! This event is just great.”

Hollywood star, Peter Fonda rides the iconic 'Captain America'
Completing the Stateside theme was the surreal – and very welcome – appearance of Peter Fonda as Hollywood arrived in West Sussex. Celebrating the fortieth anniversary of the legendary biker movie Easy Rider, the Golden Globe-winning counter culture icon rode his ‘Captain America’ chopper up the hill to rapturous applause “It’s been 40 years since I last was on it,” said the sometime Facel-Vega owner and race fan. “After the film came out, this bike was stolen. I built four bikes in total: they were originally LA police motorcycles bought for $500 apiece. It’s a terrible bike to ride slowly. There are so many fabulous machines here, so many other things I want to ride and drive. This is my first time at the Festival but it won’t be my last. Goodwood will live on in my heart. I’m so happy to be here - it’s a gas!”

Chris Lawrence demonstrates 'True Grit'
The Festival’s central theme of ‘True Grit – Epic Feats of Endurance’ – was personified by veteran racer and racing car designer Chris Lawrence who was out in action in the Deep Sanderson 301 prototype; the same car in which the Grand Prix occasional led his class at Le Mans in 1963 – with no brakes. “I often hear drivers say that they have no brakes. I then mutter under my breath, ‘Well, if you press the middle pedal too much, too late, then you will,’” septuagenarian ace deadpanned. “But we really had no brakes for fourteen hours. The brake pedal was up against the bulkhead.” Lawrence, whose name is inextricably linked with Morgan, was also reunited with ‘TOK258’, the Plus 4 in which he claimed class honours for the Malvern marque at Le Mans in 1962 alongside Richard Shepherd-Barron.

Champion Derek Bell storms the hill

Staying with Le Mans, five-time victor Derek Bell stormed the hill in the sports-prototype class aboard a fearsome Porsche 917/30. “I’ve never had so much fun for just one minute in my life,” said the veteran driver who began his competition career at Goodwood. “This car did 248mph at Talledega when it was new and it just wants to go. It has 1000bhp until you turn up the boost and get 300bhp more. I raced 917s, of course, and had my first test here at Goodwood. It’s still electrifying to drive.”

Drivers of the Future
Away from the hill, the FoS-Tech pavilion has thus far proved a major draw. Hosted in association with BP Ultimate, some of the machines on display within are among the most advanced on the planet, ranging from the Frazer-Nash Namir with its four electric motors and mid-mounted rotary engine to the hybrid Renault Ondelios and Lightning GT electric super-coupé. Wowing future drivers, however, were the antics of Junior Festival of Speed new boy, Ian Cook. The PopBandColour artist created unique paintings in the Junior Pavilion using remote-control cars as brushes. As ever, the Wacky Racers – this year the full set were displayed on the Cricket Pitch – also proved a major draw.

The Red Arrows - a display of true brilliance
As did the Red Arrows’ customarily brilliant display of flying precision. Running through their full repertoire of manoeuvres – the Diamond Chicane, the Concorde Formation and so on – the team members were barely six feet apart at 400mph. As the event draws to a close, Bonhams’ auction sees numerous significant historic race and rally cars going under the hammer, including the Mini Cooper S that was famously – and inexcusably – excluded after winning the 1966 Monte Carlo Rally.

Central talking point
But by far and away the biggest talking point of the opening day of the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed has been Gerry Juddah’s incredible sculpture outside of Goodwood House. At 35 metres above the ground, it’s a suitably fitting way to honours 100 years of achievement. More of which will be celebrated tomorrow….