A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY
STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY | SIMON RAEBURN-WARD
It’s winter 1985, deep in a dark wet Welsh forest, the moon is glinting through the trees and reflecting off deep puddles. Something is stirring. A glimpse of lights in the distance, the raucous noise of a race engine becomes louder and louder. Suddenly, a flash of lights, a turbo whistle, tires plowing through the puddles, stones banging off bodywork—the cacophony peaks, then as quickly as it started, it simmers off into the distance. Nestled up on a bank with his friends, Steve Rimmer has just experienced his first taste of Group B rallying. From the get-go Steve is in awe of the courage, commitment, and skill of the drivers and co-drivers, piloting cars that are raw and unforgiving, racing stages much longer than they are today, requiring a feat of both physical and mental endurance.
The character of the mid 1980s rally cars and drivers is now somewhat lost, but certainly built into the foundation of today’s high technology racing. These race cars also created a trickle-down effect, where technology was passed into everyday production cars. Concepts like all-wheel drive, turbocharging, supercharging, suspension and tire development were all beneficiaries of the era.
Jump to summer 2023, the alarm goes off, just as dawn is breaking with the birds singing their morning song. Up, out, and onto the empty roads, out of the city and into the rolling English countryside we go. Up ahead, is that an E-Type? Perhaps a McLaren ahead of it? Rare car after rare car joins the convoy. Following the signs, we arrive, wristbands on, calm summer air and the murmur of an excited crowd biting down on their full English breakfasts. Suddenly the barking, short-revving warmup of a Judd V10 breaks the silence—welcome to the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The annual four-day pilgrimage, now in its 30th year, attracts the biggest variety of road and race cars in the world. Formula 1, vintage Indy, electric concepts, MotoGP, drift, off-road, and a flame-spitting 28 liter, 300 bhp 1910 Fiat: the Beast of Turin. The centerpiece of the event is the hill climb which is 1.16 miles twisting through the countryside estate, past the historic Goodwood House, built in 1616, with its immaculate lawn, then on to the arched finish line. The hill climb is competitive on Sunday, with an eclectic mix of challengers. From the McLaren Solus GT, through to Travis Pastrana in the Family Huckster. Scattered around the grounds are the paddocks, where attendees brush shoulders with the past and present of motorsport. A truly unique experience.
Talk about flashbacks, James Rimmer suits up and jumps in Juha Kankkunen’s Championship winning Peugeot 205 16T (both drivers and constructors 1985 and ‘86) ready for the first run up the hill. Whilst parked in the holding paddock at the bottom of the hill, surrounded by Group B’s and Rally 1 cars there’s a gentle tap on the door. James, tightly strapped in with little option to move, turns his head. “Is this the original Juha car?” Malcolm Wilson asks him, “I remember watching this car on the rally stages in Wales. Amazing to see it again.
Then off, 450 bhp laying into the tarmac, past the house and flat out up to Molecomb, the trickiest corner of the climb, hard onto the brakes, testing the period tires to the full, settle the car, feather the throttle, then go again, the T16 squats and power slides through the corner. Then past the eyes of the spectators, just meters away behind hay bales, feeling the noise and smelling the fumes as he passes. Up into the tree-lined darkness, inches away from Flint Wall, then back into the light and flat out to the finish line.
At the top of the hill James’ excitement about driving this iconic car is expressed through his eyes, mannerisms, and words: “It’s raw, quick and compact, so different from today’s cars, you just have to wrap your head around it and drive.” Just across from the finish line is the Forest Rally Stage. Josie Rimmer heads out to learn the course in a Mk1 Ford Escort 1600, Roger Clark’s 1972 British Championship winning car. In typical British summer style, it starts to rain. Like Seattle weather, it doesn’t affect Josie, she gets faster and faster, loving the feeling of the classic car. She says, “Goodwood is more technical than a normal rally stage, more condensed and constant grip changes.
Untypically, the rain gets heavier, and the wind picks up, turning the clay soil into an ice-rink. Who better than Alistair McRae to hop in and share his knowledge? In a ‘pinch me’ moment, the pressure is on, when it feels like the time to ease off, Alistair is encouragingly saying, ‘floor it, hard’ and ‘get more sideways lass.’ Alistair creates a wonderful sense of energy in the car. It works and Josie’s times are dropping.
For the first time in its 30-year history, poor weather stops play on Saturday. The drivers and teams were itching to get out there, so they used their time catching up and sharing stories. However, Josie is not just here to race, she is heavily involved in Women in Motorsport and is an active participant in their discussion panel at Goodwood. Throughout the weekend she is often approached by young girls, asking ‘can girls do this too?’ Josie both vocalizes and demonstrates that they can. She is passionate about training the younger generation to rally in an environment which allows them to flourish.
Sunday, the sunshine returns, the grip is back, and an action-packed day is ontap. Steve is now the caretaker of an era of rally racing that has had a profound effect on modern day motorsport. This responsibility comes with its challenges, the cars take a beating, even the hill climb is not forgiving, and Steve wants the cars to remain completely original, respecting their history. It’s a lot of work. Seeing the cars being driven is a bit scary, but Steve says, “watching Jimmy McRae’s skillset and adaptability, combined with original machinery and raw power of these cars is the reason we are here.” His desire to share the love significantly outweighs his concern for the cars.
As the weekend starts to wrap up, one realizes what Goodwood Festival of Speed is: a community. A community with generations of drivers, mechanics, spectators, and those that make it happen. The common purpose is clear, to get within touching distance of the cars, wander through the paddocks, talk with the drivers, smell the burnt tires and octane, feel the noise and the speed. The cars are driven, they come alive with their drivers and teams. Yes, it’s competitive. But above all, it’s fun. It’s a celebration.
If you are heading over the pond, put the Festival of Speed on your bucket list, just don’t forget your waterproofs and sunscreen.
