2023 - Goodwood Revival or Watkins Glen?

[jamesfjamesf]

Hi all...new guy here who stumbled across this great resource while googling for others' thoughts on Friday only at GW Revival. I'm from the US and will be in the UK in September and thought about hitting the Revival (first time), but in the days since contemplating that Saturday has sold out. Is Friday only worth it? I'm not interested in the people show or tightly packed crowds, just the cars.

Alternatively, I could go to Watkins Glen, which I last attended in ~1989, serendipitously brought in by the USGP banner while driving home from university.

My gut feeling is that Goodwood will have a better selection of unusual machines, but I'm very open to skipping the crowded madness and heading back over at a different time for a different event that might be less of a people zoo but still have a nice selection of old machines, if such an event exists.

thanks!
jim

[Mike Crow]

Friday is well worth a visit. There will be a wonderful collection of amazing cars. They look great in the paddock though that is where the crowds will be. They look even better driven hard on the circuit and you will see all of them practising during the day. There is usually one race to end the day.

Although the paddock and start / finish straight are jammed with people ( posers) if you walk or take the tractor ride out to Madgwick, Fordwater or St Marys you will have unforgettable views of historic cars driven hard and on the limit and plenty of space to wander. You will have a ball. In the past I have ignored the paddock and just spent the day out on the back of the circuit. You should go at least once!

[photohsr]

I have been to both, Watkins Glen every year (except covid) since 1984 and twice to the Goodwood revival. Go to Goodwood, Watkins Glen is not what you remember, modern Trans-Am are included, and and not the historic cars of the past

[GORDON STREETER]

Go to Goodwood if you can, you will not be disappointed !

[Plantagenet]

I have typically attended the Revival on the Friday as it is cheaper (!). But.....you get to see all the cars qualifying - unlike if you only attend the saturday or sunday....and now the Kinrara trophy is on the Friday evening you get to see one of the best races too. It's a fantastic event - I personally wouldn't attend every year like some, but I highly recommend it.

[Aysedasi]

Go to Goodwood and you can even pop over and say hello to me as I once again steward at the Lavant Infield Grandstand.......

[dwh43scale]

Watkins Glen ! On my bucket list along with a few other US tracks (but then I did most of the Revivals up to the pandemic)

[v jones]

As i am poor cant afford to go to the Revival is there a live stream?

[SSmith]

Originally Posted by v jones

As i am poor cant afford to go to the Revival is there a live stream?

Yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxohhpX2kfM

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by v jones

As i am poor cant afford to go to the Revival is there a live stream?

Then volunteer as a steward like me.... This will be my third year at the Revival as a grandstand steward. I've now reached a point where I can ask for where I want to be. I'm at Lavant Infield - a very quiet little grandstand involving very little work for the stewards - and there will be at least 3-4 of us. There is also a paddock area there for some of the cars doing demonstrations. So we get to see quite a few great cars right from where we're stewarding as they go onto the track and then come back in again. I do all three mornings, getting there in time for the spitfires and hurricanes display, watch the morning practice and racing (while stewarding!) and knock off at 1.30 pm, have my lunch (provided) and then have the rest of the afternoon to myself to wander and watch as I please. All for the cost of just the petrol to get there.

[v jones]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Then volunteer as a steward like me.... This will be my third year at the Revival as a grandstand steward. I've now reached a point where I can ask for where I want to be. I'm at Lavant Infield - a very quiet little grandstand involving very little work for the stewards - and there will be at least 3-4 of us. There is also a paddock area there for some of the cars doing demonstrations. So we get to see quite a few great cars right from where we're stewarding as they go onto the track and then come back in again. I do all three mornings, getting there in time for the spitfires and hurricanes display, watch the morning practice and racing (while stewarding!) and knock off at 1.30 pm, have my lunch (provided) and then have the rest of the afternoon to myself to wander and watch as I please. All for the cost of just the petrol to get there.

Suberb offer, if you pay for my hip op. ill join you as soon as i can. Your take volunteering is brilliant, enjoy

[justracing]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Then volunteer as a steward like me....

Did much the same myself for 4 years as a charity volunteer shaking a can for a few hours
Entry list here : https://www.goodwood.com/globalasset...RHRGFCVIFJxZkQ

[SSmith]

The entry this year contains some great drivers and cars, and in lots of races its hard to predict a winner.

The Lavant Cup grid must be the smallest Revival grid since the D-type/XKSS race in 2014? Despite that, some very quick drivers in some very nice machinery. It's been suggested that it could very easily be one of the last times we see genuine 250 GTOs, 250 LMs, and 330 GTOs racing. The GRRC seem to think it may be one of the last racing appearances for the Breadvan as well.

Wishing the best of luck to all TenTenthers competing, working, and marshalling/stewarding at Revival this weekend.

[Mike Harte]

Watched some of the coverage of yesterdays proceedings and was a little disappointed with the way it happened.

Firstly, I appreciate that I am not paying for watching, however I didn't expect adverts to happen during the middle of either qualifying or the race at the end of the day. And I assume that the commentators were unaware that the adverts were starting because it often happened in the middle of a sentence. I know that they probably actually showed all of the race, but there were at least two breaks and with ten minutes to go, the coverage was over a lap behind the live timing.

My other little quibble is that 3 or4 times at least, the picture became blurred for minutes at a time.

But, I am still grateful that it is made available.

[Gerard C]

Yes. Starts 8 Sept at 9:50 AM. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxohhpX2kfM

[Gerard C]

Sorry, lost one minute! Better twice?

[Aysedasi]

Three days done. Most enjoyable.

There really is no love for the Revival here, is there?

[v jones]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Three days done. Most enjoyable.

There really is no love for the Revival here, is there?

Whats not to like? Some excellent close racing at a excellent circuit that does not have the charisma of multiple Tesco car parks.

[chunterer]

Enjoyed the racing as always but I think half of the commentary line up had really gone backwards.
Poor Ben Edwards! Bruce can be a bit overbearing, but having to put up with a hospital radio DJ and a shouty,inane state the bleedin obvious former 'driver' really grates.

[coppice]

I watched the livestream and it was terrific. I had no problem with the commentators at all- it is a hard job and they did it well. The commentary isn't targeted at anoraks like me and the fact the odd error is made doesn't concern me in the least . I can think of nominally more expert commentators who induce catatonia in non hard core enthusiasts .

Fabulous cars on one of my favourite circuits. I usually attend the Members' Meeting but cannot does next year so looks like I better start saving up for the 2024 Revival...

[chunterer]

Ben Edwards is great, Bruce very enthusiastic but Jacques and Powell continue to be awful. It's cringeworthy at times.

[gary396]

Thoroughly enjoyed my two days as a 'couch potato' watching the livestream. I know for some purists the 'development' of the cars is an issue but for sheer enjoyment of very enjoyable racing it is hard to beat, especially for a 'TV' audience. Obviously a few bits of iffy driving here and there and too many safety car interruptions but largely very good.

As for the commentary - we've had worse! As I've said in other threads I miss Marcus Pye but I wonder if the 'powers that be' now regard him as being too detailed in his observations & comments about the cars and their history and they want to appeal to a wider / younger audience? I don't know for sure. As to Alice Powell, she's obviously relatively new at commentary but I think she's doing okay and improving all the time.

Well done to Goodwood for putting on another great show and for still providing the free live-feed.

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Ben Edwards is great, Bruce very enthusiastic but Jacques and Powell continue to be awful. It's cringeworthy at times.

I've no time for Jacques but Bruce is excellent (I've been listening to him at Le Mans for years). I thought Edwards was fine and no complaints about Alice either, to be honest.

For me, as a steward there, I got to work with some really nice people (mostly the same ones as I was with last year), meet and chat with some really pleasant 'punters' and watch the racing at the same time in lovely surroundings and fabulous weather. For me, at 66 it's a lot of time standing and my legs were crying 'foul' at the end of my shift each day, but I had a great time and I expect to be back to do it all again next year.

[ron54]

Did anyone see what caused Justin Law to have his off?…To survive 3 days of track action only to have it end so near the last corner of the last race on the last day must be disappointing to say the least.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by ron54

Did anyone see what caused Justin Law to have his off?…To survive 3 days of track action only to have it end so near the last corner of the last race on the last day must be disappointing to say the least.

Yes, yes it is. ( very similar happened to me once on the last lap at the same event too )

Not as dissapointing as having your car smashed up before you get in it though.