Goodwood Festival of Speed 2006 (UK) - Dan Gurney (pictures)

[nomis]

Goodwood's Festival of Speed took place on the 7th, 8th and 9th of July this year and I attended today.

By fluke and luck, I stumbled across Dan Gurney in a Ford original promotions car, made up to look like the winning car 2 from LeMans 1966.

As I was taking pictures of the car, one of the track marshals asked if I'd like her to get Mr. Gurney to sign my event program - which I wouldn't have thought of, especially as he was sitting in the GT40, waiting to do a run up the Goodwood hill - nevertheless, she asked and he did. So now I not only have some nice photos but also a great souvenir from the day!

I have some more pictures to post, should anyone be interested? :thumbsup

(ps- during the supercar section, the driver taking a 2005 GT up the hill, managed to spin it in front of the crowd. He didn't damage the white/blue GT and carried on up the hill - unlike the driver of a brand new Ferrari 599, who managed to run the car off the road on the second bend and punch it through the hay bails and damage the front end :biggrin )

[pps - the last photo shows why Dan needs the roof bubble... I could believe how proud his head was off the roof once he had a helmet on... ]

 

[nomis]

Eagle-Westlake T1G - 1967 Belgian GP winner with Dan Gurney at the helm: -

 

[50 BMG]

Nice. One of my goals in life is to make it out there...one of these years.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Dan at the Crystal Cove car show. Very weird shaking hands with the only man Jim Clark feared on the racetrack...

 

[nomis]

Nice. One of my goals in life is to make it out there...one of these years.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Dan at the Crystal Cove car show. Very weird shaking hands with the only man Jim Clark feared on the racetrack...

It is such a great event... I invited one of my American friends and he was amazed at how little (if any) security there was. As I am used to it, his first-timer view point was refreshing. He couldn't get over the fact that you could walk up to, look in and generally 'paw over' all these beautiful cars - classic, super, racing, touring, F1.

I can't recommend a visit to Goodwood and the Festival of Speed enough.

We should arrange a US/UK meet there one year :biggrin :thumbsup

ps - was trying to post a few more photos but I've hit my quota for the day!

 

[nomis]

As a side note, I wish I had one of Ed's stickers... would have loved to have passed it to the marshal to give to Dan to stick on the GT40 for his hill run... can you imagine!

My guess is he would have had a good laugh over that :thumbsup

Ed where were you?!? Didn't you see the GT-Spotlight (like the Batman one) in the sky? :biggrin

 

[nomis]

The greatest driver never to win the World Championship, Sir Stirling Moss OBE is arguably the greatest all-round racing driver of all time. Known during his career as ‘Mr Motor Racing’ he began hillclimbing a Cooper 500 in 1948 at the age of 18. His early career was meteoric and soon he was driving works cars for Jaguar and HWM. In 1955 he was signed up by Mercedes-Benz to partner World Champion Fangio. That year Stirling shadowed the great Argentine in most Grands Prix, beating him to win the British GP. Famously, that year he won the incredible Mille Miglia, the Targa Florio and the Tourist Trophy – all legendary sports car races.

For four years he would finish runner-up in the World Championship and, after M-B retired, led the Maserati and Vanwall teams. He also continued to drive saloon and sports cars and during his remarkable career drove more 80 different types of car.

In the late 50s and early 60s, he led the changeover to rear-engined F1 cars, achieving the first victory for such a car at the 1958 Argentine GP and was in a class of his own during this period. A near-fatal accident ended it all in 1962 but he was to remain a superstar to this day. One of the original jet-setters, he still dashes round the world fulfilling engagements and competing in historic racing.

 

[Doc]

Wow! Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.