The evocative sight of 11 Spitfires and a Hurricane flying in the skies above the Goodwood Motor Circuit capped off a poignant commemoration of the Battle of Britain at the Goodwood Revival.
The 12-plane fly-past came on the same day during which Lord March paid tribute to the servicemen and women based at Goodwood during hostilities, who lost their lives, with a speech, film and lap of honour by 23 veterans of the war including 94-year-old Wing Commander Tom Neil, who saw service 75 years ago during the Battle of Britain.
Continuing the aviation theme, this year’s Freddie March Spirit of Aviation was awarded to the Aircraft Restoration Company’s Bristol Blenheim, which was flown by John Romain in November after a 10-year long restoration, making it the last flying Blenheim in existence.
The weekend’s racing continued as furious and frenetic as ever, the day’s headline race being the one-hour RAC TT Celebration race, the second-longest contest of the meeting.
On a day in which the efforts of the Battle of Britain pilots were celebrated, the race was won by that most British of cars, a Jaguar E-type. Chris Ward and Gordon Shedden took an emphatic victory, ahead of a host of AC Cobras.
It was the first win at Goodwood for former British Touring Car Champion Shedden although, for Ward it was the second of the meeting, having won Friday evening’s opening race. With two wins and a second place, he was deservedly named Driver of the Weekend presented by Rolex.
Part two of the St Mary’s Trophy presented by Cazenove Capital Management went the way of Henry Mann, who secured overall victory for himself and his co-driver, nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, while the wins in the Earl of March Trophy and second part of the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy and came down to the final lap.
Seventeen-year-old Peter de la Roche, on his first visit to Goodwood, won the former race for post-war 500cc Formula 3 cars as rival George Shackleton crashed, while James Haydon secured victory on two wheels; his success not being enough to deny the Manx Norton of Jeremy McWilliams and Duncan Fitchett the overall victory.
Three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart and multiple Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti celebrated the 50th anniversary of Stewart and Jim Clark’s joint Goodwood lap record being set in a fitting parade in BRM and Lotus F1 machinery while the annual Best Dressed contest paid tribute to the Miniskirt on what is the 50thanniversary of Youthquake.
