Festival of Speed Dos and Don'ts
Discussion
Hi All, As part of my father in law's 60th we are taking him and the family to the FOS on the Sunday.
I've never been, but I am so pleased to be going this year after what I have seen and read about it in the past. All I know is there will be lots of cars and lots of people, and the basic advice is get there early and leave late.
So what are the must sees, and hot tips to make the day as easy and stree free as possible(like best car park, best approach road from Kent direction how early should we be getting there etc)?
I've never been, but I am so pleased to be going this year after what I have seen and read about it in the past. All I know is there will be lots of cars and lots of people, and the basic advice is get there early and leave late.
So what are the must sees, and hot tips to make the day as easy and stree free as possible(like best car park, best approach road from Kent direction how early should we be getting there etc)?
For me the best bits of the FOS are in the Cathederal paddock behind the supercars and the historic rally stage at the top of the hill. It's always worth looking in the stables paddock to see something unusual every year. You have to pass the cartier style et lux dispalys to get to the stables and that's always stunning. Try to get there for before 8 am to avoid the worst of the jams and leave when they throw you out. If you want to do it in style and avoid the jams, a company called elite helicopters do a heli shuttle service from an airfield not too far out from Goodwood, that depends on your budget of course. Whichever way you choose to do it I can garuntee you'll love it.
Edited by scoobydude on Thursday 11th June 17:49
Hello, i get to the car park every year at about 6:30!
The traffic can get VERY bad, if i was you i would aim to get there about 8 if not before and leave as late as you can as many people leave early on the Sunday. As for the festival i think the rally stage is a must (but if you are only their for a day then you might struggle to find the time),but their is a free grand stand just past the flint wall where you can see the action on the track and a corner from the rally stage , the cartier and the paddocks are always worth a look round. Also take a picnic if you dont want to pay horrific prices for food & drink. Also if you want to see all the f1 cars doing burnouts in front of the Goodwood house is always a good view. A good thing to do is to get a free grandstand early and watch all the vechiles go up the hill.
Hope this helps and hope you have a nice day.
The traffic can get VERY bad, if i was you i would aim to get there about 8 if not before and leave as late as you can as many people leave early on the Sunday. As for the festival i think the rally stage is a must (but if you are only their for a day then you might struggle to find the time),but their is a free grand stand just past the flint wall where you can see the action on the track and a corner from the rally stage , the cartier and the paddocks are always worth a look round. Also take a picnic if you dont want to pay horrific prices for food & drink. Also if you want to see all the f1 cars doing burnouts in front of the Goodwood house is always a good view. A good thing to do is to get a free grandstand early and watch all the vechiles go up the hill.
Hope this helps and hope you have a nice day.
Edited by Mini1275 on Thursday 11th June 19:28
Big Brin said:
there is about a 1km walk from any car park.
Yes and no. The majority of the car parks are a brisk walk away from the house, but you can always catch a tractor shuttle from the car park to the house if you have troubles walking or its wet. The Kinrara enclosure parking is right by the entrance, but that's a members perk. Also the big car park ( car park A I think ) is shut for a little while during the air dispalays (the red arrows and something else usualy quite spectacular) for safety reasons. I've been to this event every year and I always walk away thinking WOW and feeling like a ten year old kid again. It's an utterly brilliant experience and long may it continue i reckon. Also If you have an Audi and you produce the key at the Audi trade stand you get to go in their hospitality area (or at least you did previously).Edited by scoobydude on Thursday 11th June 19:58
scoobydude said:
Also If you have an Audi and you produce the key at the Audi trade stand you get to go in their hospitality area (or at least you did previously).
I always take me old keys with me to these sorts of things - A few years ago at the motorshow I got into Fiat, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Saab and Nissan. Vauxhall even gave us free beer.If you want good photos in the paddocks get there early before the scrum starts, i.e. when it opens at 7.00. Also allow for staying late as the crowd thins then.
Decent footwear as you will probably do a lot of walking.
Take lightweight wet weather gear no matter how nice the weather looks to start with. I've learnt that one the hard way. Conversly, also sun cream, again learnt the hard way.
Some form of food/refreshment as the prices are a bit expensive on site, though I do usually spoil myself with a bacon butty after the early photo frenzy.
Apart from the photos, try to get there as early as possible to see everything.
Can't really advise on traffic as I live in Chichester.
Oh, and remember where you parked. "Lost" the Westfield amongst the taller stuff coming out one evening.
Decent footwear as you will probably do a lot of walking.
Take lightweight wet weather gear no matter how nice the weather looks to start with. I've learnt that one the hard way. Conversly, also sun cream, again learnt the hard way.
Some form of food/refreshment as the prices are a bit expensive on site, though I do usually spoil myself with a bacon butty after the early photo frenzy.
Apart from the photos, try to get there as early as possible to see everything.
Can't really advise on traffic as I live in Chichester.
Oh, and remember where you parked. "Lost" the Westfield amongst the taller stuff coming out one evening.
oh god yes get there early i always get there and am waiting for gates to open.(lucky im close enough to cycle.if you are going on sunday make sure you stay right to the end and prize giving get really up close and personal with drivers and free champagne and cake inside the house. also spend some time at rally stage it is so cool with loads of good photo ops
Just to support what has already been said - get there early - certainly by 8am - and stay late. The cars do two runs each day so with good timing you can catch them all. I find the best place is half way up the hill where the tractors for the rally stage leave from, just past the flint wall - the track in on a slight mound so you get uninterupted views for photos and there is a free grandstand there for even better visibility. Most of the F1 cars will stop and do a burn out start there as well as in front of the house.
The Rally Stage is a must - and their paddock has a lovely informal atmosphere which sets it apart from the main paddocks in my opinion.
The free headset with the program is good as they give a running commentary all day and you know what to expect on the hill.
The worst bits - it is always a scrum to get across the track by the footbridge so it is often worth waiting for the track crossings to open to get across between runs. Also the way they set up the fences means there is a natural bottle-neck getting into the F1 paddock from the house side.
Last tip - if you have time look in the trade stands, there always seems to be something special tucked away where you least expect it - 2 years ago an early Gold Leaf Lotus 72 was in the middel of some book stalls and last year there was a whole marquee of wierd and wonderful futuristic concept cars.
Hope you have a great day - although I am sure you will.
The Rally Stage is a must - and their paddock has a lovely informal atmosphere which sets it apart from the main paddocks in my opinion.
The free headset with the program is good as they give a running commentary all day and you know what to expect on the hill.
The worst bits - it is always a scrum to get across the track by the footbridge so it is often worth waiting for the track crossings to open to get across between runs. Also the way they set up the fences means there is a natural bottle-neck getting into the F1 paddock from the house side.
Last tip - if you have time look in the trade stands, there always seems to be something special tucked away where you least expect it - 2 years ago an early Gold Leaf Lotus 72 was in the middel of some book stalls and last year there was a whole marquee of wierd and wonderful futuristic concept cars.
Hope you have a great day - although I am sure you will.
a good vantage point is on the inside of the track about 200m from the start line where there is little in the way to stop you getting a good picture and its much less crowded than infront of the house. last year we had great fun watching drivers light up the tyres for the cameras at teh startline, they were getting traction whe nthey came past us then setting themselves up for a "scandi-flick" at the first right hander..... but dont all go there please!...
Porsche 917, I beg to differ, whilst the grandstands can offer some advantages I have had some good photos from non grandstand positions. In fact I feel in some of the grandstands you are too far away. Some non grandstand examples here
http://www.gear-tooth.com/motorsport/motorsport.ht...
http://www.gear-tooth.com/motorsport/motorsport.ht...
Tempest_5 said:
Porsche 917, I beg to differ, whilst the grandstands can offer some advantages I have had some good photos from non grandstand positions. In fact I feel in some of the grandstands you are too far away. Some non grandstand examples here
http://www.gear-tooth.com/motorsport/motorsport.ht...
Absoloutely agree!http://www.gear-tooth.com/motorsport/motorsport.ht...
You get a great view even if you are behind the bales and get great photos - or if you want to be higher up to see the action from a grandstand, you cant beat the free stand next to the one you pay for!
I suppose the one you pay for you get shelter from the rain but Hey were british we are use to it
Tempest_5 said:
Porsche 917, I beg to differ, whilst the grandstands can offer some advantages I have had some good photos from non grandstand positions. In fact I feel in some of the grandstands you are too far away. Some non grandstand examples here
http://www.gear-tooth.com/motorsport/motorsport.ht...
Tempest,http://www.gear-tooth.com/motorsport/motorsport.ht...
great pics mate, keep up the good work!
I'm preparing for my 16th FoS this year. Arrive early, take loads of money, take plenty of photos and a pen for autographs - you'll bump into a few of your heroes! Enjoy the roads down there as well, they're truly stunning. Last year after the drive down from Leeds I had 2.5hrs sleep on the Thursday night but leapt out of bed like an excited child. The two Goodwood events are just astounding.
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