Latest news with #FestivalofSpeed
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Race Coast off to a fast start
Little and Fortune light up Scottsville speed fest. Race Coast had a cheering start. The new brand unites the operations of Western Cape's Cape Racing and Gold Circle of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban's Bay of Plenty beach was the sunny venue for the official launch last week. Horses galloped on the sands of the surfers' haunt and racing's great and good proclaimed a new dawn, to the roar of Indian Ocean breakers. Then there was exciting and uplifting racing itself. This was a little out of earshot of the waves – 80km inland to be precise, at Maritzburg for the annual Festival of Speed on Saturday. For every race to the coast there must be a midlands meander. Scottsville racecourse introduced Race Coast in a rather special way, with any number of upbeat stories crammed into its famous four-feature card. Jockeys back in the mix Race Coast represents renewal in racing and you couldn't ask for better redemption stories than those of jockeys Andrew Fortune and Chad Little who have overcome dark times and fought their way back into the winners' circle. Little, back in the irons at the age of 40, found his reward in the shape of a first Grade 1 victory – a battling effort aboard the appropriately named Good For You, trained by Glen Kotzen, in the Gold Medallion for juveniles. Former champion jockey Fortune returned to the saddle at 57 earlier this year, after years in retirement and following unlikely recoveries from drug addiction and weight issues. On Saturday, he won the Grade 2 Golden Horse Sprint on Tenango for trainer Candice Bass-Robinson and his ebullient interview contained this gem of wisdom: 'You've got to turn up for yourself!' Epitomising that philosophy is Sean Tarry, who's diligence has kept him at the top of the training ranks for decades – not least with phenomenal annual success at Scottsville's biggest meeting. This time around, he landed the topliner on the card, the Grade 1 SA Fillies And Mares Sprint, with Mia Moo. More success stories On the four-year-old's back was Callan Murray, a talented young jockey who plied his trade in Australia for a few years – as South African racing looked headed for the knacker's yard – but is back in his homeland after hearing good things about the revival of the game – a la Race Coast. Another welcome stirring in local racing waters has been successful raiding around the country by trainer Alan Greeff from the backwaters of Eastern Cape. His juvenile filly Direct Hit cruised to victory in the ultra-prestigious Grade 1 Allan Robertson Championship, remaining unbeaten in four starts. Further landmark events at Scottsville included emerging stallion Canford Cliffs registering his first Grade 1 win, with Direct Hit, and complementing it with a Grade 2, with Tenango. And there were plenty more diverting moments, such as grooms with stage-fright and big cheques and babbling owners regaling us with their inevitable tales of lows and highs in the infernal game. If there was a note of disappointment it was the small crowd at one of the year's major race meetings. But, then again, Race Coast has just got started.
TimesLIVE
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Nigel Mansell to join Goodwood's star-studded F1 75th anniversary lineup
Nigel Mansell, the 1992 Formula 1 world champion and patron saint of the moustache, is set to return to the 2025 Festival of Speed, marking his fourth appearance at the iconic event. The festival will join forces with Formula 1 to celebrate 75 years of the World Championship, making Mansell's participation more special. Mansell will be behind the wheel of two significant cars from his career: the Williams FW14B, which secured his 1992 Championship, and the FW11, the car that could have won him the 1986 title had a dramatic tyre failure not cost him the crown in the final race. The FW11 will be displayed with support from the Honda Collection Hall. From his first race in Formula 1 in 1980 to his retirement in 1994, Mansell became known for his fierce competitiveness and aggressive, sometimes breathtaking overtakes. During his career, he racked up 31 Grand Prix wins, 14 pole positions and a reputation for relentless determination. His driving earned him fans not only in the UK, but in Italy, where he was nicknamed " Il Leone" during his time at Ferrari, and in the US, where he followed his F1 title by winning the IndyCar World Series in 1993. Mansell's F1 journey wasn't without its ups and downs. After a difficult start with Lotus, he found success with Williams, winning his first Grand Prix in 1985. By the time he retired, Mansell held the record for the most wins by a British driver, a record later surpassed by Lewis Hamilton. His connection to the Goodwood Festival of Speed goes back to 2006, when he first took part in the event. Over the years, he has driven some of his most memorable cars, including the 1982 Lotus 91 and, in 2022, his 1992 Championship-winning FW14B. In 2023, the FW14B made another appearance, this time driven by Sebastian Vettel, running on sustainable fuel as part of Vettel's "Race Without Trace" initiative. At the 2025 Festival, Mansell will join other F1 legends to mark the 75th anniversary of the Formula 1 World Championship. Fans can expect a special reunion of champions, including Alain Prost and Mario Andretti, with more iconic names to be announced.
Forbes
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
The Duke Of Richmond On The 2025 Goodwood Festival Of Speed
The Goodwood estate has become an iconic venue for celebrating motoring. Since its founding in 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed has become a highlight on the calendar for motoring enthusiasts in the UK and beyond. The four day weekend event brings together iconic cars, old and new, to take on the hillclimb. Thousands of spectators flock to Goodwood every summer to see everything from F1 cars to the latest hypercars, motorbikes and even pickup trucks. To find out more about how the Goodwood Festival of Speed has evolved over the years, I spoke with its founder, the Duke of Richmond. Trinity Francis: How would you describe the Festival of Speed? His Grace: It's unique. It's a celebration of the history and heritage of the automobile, right from the very beginning. It's also about the cars of today and the future. The big difference about the Festival of Speed is that it really is dynamic. It's all about seeing the cars moving and people getting excited about that. I think it's an honest celebration of the motor car and why we all love it. Being mobile is a joy, driving is a joy, going fast is a joy and that's what it celebrates. At the 2024 Festival of Speed, MG marked its centenary. Francis: Walk us through the evolution of the Festival of Speed. His Grace: It started off a lot smaller but it grew very quickly. We were amazed even in year one, the enthusiasm completely took our breath away. We started off being told we'd get 2,500 to attend if we were lucky and 25,000 people broke in, it was like a rock festival or something. The real difference is a simple formula, but all events before then for classic cars were aimed at a very small audience who owned all the cars. They were participating in their own events and they were aimed at car clubs, there was no inclusion of people who just love cars. Soon, we were inviting owners from America and all over the world to come to the Festival of Speed with cars no one had ever seen before. It evolved pretty quickly and we got up to 200,000 attendees pretty quickly. It continues to evolve and change all the time. I can't believe that in 32 years it's grown every year. The motoring weekend brings together some of the most incredible vehicles and racers. Francis: How do you see the event changing in the coming years, especially with the expected rise of autonomous vehicles? His Grace: We'll celebrate them and we'll be showing them. We want to be right at the forefront of all the latest technology. One of the things developed in the last 10 years of Festival of Speed is Nucleus which is an event we hold for the automobile and tech worlds to exchange ideas and talk about the future. We've had some of the leading lights of the world talk to us on all sorts of topics and I hope that's become an important part of the industry's year. Then we have Future Labs which came out of Nucleus. While Nucleus is for people at the highest level in tech and the car business, Future Labs is a celebration of what that technology actually looks like and an opportunity for those companies to show off what they're doing in terms of tech, not just mobility. It could be all sorts of things: robotics, food, living on Mars, rockets. It's going from strength to strength and that's us wanting to show the public what the world's going to look like and try and get students and kids excited about STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). Future Labs brings together new innovations to get kids and adults alike excited about technology. Francis: What role does the Festival of Speed play in preserving British car culture and historic motoring? His Grace: I'm not trying to suggest that we, necessarily, are important but I think the role we play as the world and technology changes is increasingly important. Cars are a huge part of the last 100 years, what has been done in 100 years is amazing. Understanding how that all fits together in terms of history and time is important. I think we can give people a really good perspective on all of that by showing them the best cars in the world. Goodwood Revival brings together all kinds of classic cars in a dynamic display. Francis: How does Goodwood Revival complement Festival of Speed? His Grace: The whole ethos of revive and thrive is an important message. But it's not really about nostalgia, it's about modern for me in a way. It's about saying second hand is a good thing, look after things, hang onto them and enjoy them. Revival runs on all sustainable fuel and I think it's a really powerful message for a younger audience. Running an old car is a really sustainable thing. It's far more sustainable than buying a new one because the amount of energy required to build a new vehicle is horrific, so to keep an old vehicle is a very positive outcome. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Forbes
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Pink Floyd's Nick Mason Has A Car Collection To Die For
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, (owner/entrant Nick Mason) The Festival of Speed at Goodwood 13th July 2013 ... More (Photo by Michael Cole/Corbis via Getty Images) In a secret garage on the dark side of the moon, Nick Mason's car collection might not be the world's biggest. That honor belongs to the Sultan of Brunei—Hassanal Bolkiah—who reportedly boasts a 7,000 car collection that's reportedly worth over $5 billion. The Pink Floyd drummer's collection might not be the most high profile. That title goes to ex-NBC 'The Tonight Show' host Jay Leno with his hangar of cars—some 180 strong. But what Nick Mason does have is one of the world's most star-studded and enviable collections of race cars and sports cars. English drummer Nick Mason of Pink Floyd sits behind his drum kit, circa 1990. (Photo by Lester ...) LONDON - JULY 02: (L to R) David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Rick Wright from the band ... More Pink Floyd on stage at "Live 8 London" in Hyde Park on July 2, 2005 in London, England. The free concert is one of ten simultaneous international gigs including Philadelphia, Berlin, Rome, Paris, Barrie, Tokyo, Cornwall, Moscow and Johannesburg. The concerts precede the G8 summit (July 6-8) to raising awareness for MAKEpovertyHISTORY. (Photo by) The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's garage contains marques that would make any carnut drool with jealousy. Known as the only permanent member of legendary British rock band Pink Floyd from its inception in 1965, the softly spoken Mason has been part of name that has sold more than 250 million records—including Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall—over the past 60 years. And, well, it's that ongoing success that has allowed him the pursue his passion for cars. 1973: Album cover of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon released in 1973, that sold over 50 million ... More copies. Photo by MichaelOn a rare TV appearance over a decade ago, he opened up to controversial journalist and TV personality Jeremy Clarkson on BBC's Top Gear show about his pride and joy—a rare 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO—one of only 36 built—that he reportedly paid £37,000 (@$48,000) for in 1978 but is worth over £40 million (@$52 million) today, according to GQ Magazine. He remembers that in 1964, in the stands of the Goodwood Circuit, in southern England with his father, he admired a 250 GTO during a race, not realizing that he would own one a decade later. The car he ended up purchasing finished third in the 1962 Le Mans 24 Hours and has never been restored. Nick Mason in Auto Union Silver Arrow (Photo by Michael Cole/Corbis via Getty Images) Nick Mason, (former drummer & percussionist with Pink Floyd), in his 1935 Aston Martin Ulster - ... More Brooklands Trophy (Photo by Michael Cole/Corbis via Getty Images) In fact, he actually owns a fleet of rare Ferraris including a 1953 Ferrari 250MM, an F40, a GTB/4 Daytona, a LaFerrari hybrid and a 512 S that featured in Steve McQueen's 1971 flick Le Mans. He also owns a 1901 Panhard 5-liter, a 1927 Bugatti Type 35B, a 1957 Maserati 250F, Birdcage Maserati, a 1955 Jaguar D-Type, a 1996 McLaren F1 GTR, and several Aston Martins including an Ulster, and an LM17, LM18 and LM21, which he's owned and raced since 1973. Speaking of Goodwood, the Birmingham-born drummer, who co-wrote such hits as 'Echoes,' 'Time,' and 'Careful With That Axe, Eugene,' has driven many of his rare classic race cars up the famed 'Hill' at every Goodwood Festival of Speed event since the first one in 1993. He is considered to be part of the fabric of the hugely popular event run by estate owner the 11th Duke of Richmond and drives multiple cars at the festival each day. In fact in 2005, I was lucky enough to be given a drive up The Hill in a just-launched Nissan 350Z S-tune, and when I returned to the pits to hand the car over to the next driver, it was none other than Nick Mason. 'I hope you left some rubber on the tyres for me,' he said. I nodded. For anyone who wants to see Nick driving his treasured Ferrari 250 GTO, you must check out the following video of Mason giving a spirited passenger ride to none other than Brian Johnson, the lead singer of Australian rock band AC/DC. Mesmerizing stuff.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Gordon Murray's cars to headline 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed
GMA T50 will be one of the featured cars The cars of Gordon Murray Automotive will be the focus of the famous central sculpture at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of the event's celebration of 60 years of its founder's influence in automotive design and engineering. As part of the celebrations, the Festival of Speed will also host the brand's public debuts of the T50, T33 and T33 Spider supercars. The T50s will also make its dynamic debut at the 81st Goodwood Member's Meeting. Gordon Murray, who founded GMA in 2017, has been an influential figure in design and engineering during his six decades in the automotive industry. He was Formula 1 technical director for Brabham and McLaren Racing, where cars he designed won the world championship in 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989 and 1990. In 1988, Murray began the development of the ground-breaking McLaren F1, which entered production in 1992, and in later years he went on to found Gordon Murray Design, in 2007. 'For 60 years, I have enjoyed the design and engineering challenge of pushing the boundaries of what's possible – be that in racing or road cars,' said Gordon Murray, who was awarded a CBE in 2019. 'The supercars that Gordon Murray Automotive builds today are inspired by every car I've designed, raced and owned. Lightweight design, innovative use of materials, the latest technologies and even bending the laws of physics come into all we do,' he added. The 2025 Festival of Speed will be the 32nd running of the UK's most popular motoring event and will take place from Thursday 10 July to Sunday 13 July. Last year's central sculpture focused on 100 years of MG and featured the MG B and the MG Cyberster. ]]>
