The Members’ Meeting is an action-packed weekend of motor racing exclusively for members and fellows of the Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC) and their guests, recapturing the intimacy and camaraderie of the members-only race weekends held in Goodwood’s heyday. The Members’ Meeting always feels like a mini Revival, but with a slightly more relaxed atmosphere–with fewer spectators and access to all areas. This is a huge bonus if, like me, you enjoy trying to capture the event through photography as much as taking in all the action.
Rain is a tremendous British conversation starter.
As is typical for this event, the weather was challenging at the start of the weekend. This saw many people sheltering within the paddocks under anything available and provided the opportunity to make new friends as we all waited for the rain to subside. Thankfully, the rain eased a little so people could move to find vantage points before the racing began.
Exciting conditions and exciting racing.
The weekend was full of action, with fantastic races for beautiful vintage and classic machines ranging from pre-war to the 1980s. The track action started off with practice races for the Gerry Marshall Trophy, a race for Group 1 saloon cars that raced between 1970 and 1982, such as the iconic Rover SD1.
The track was wet and challenging for all the drivers, but I really felt for those that were out there battling against the elements with no protection in/on their exposed Edwardian Specials in the SF Edge Trophy.
Off-Track action.
Between the racing, we were entertained with various parades and demonstrations, including the debut of the dynamic Gordon Murray Automotive T50 with its epic Cosworth V12 that needs to be heard to be believed–as I’m struggling to put the sound into words. Even with the talented Dario Franchitti behind the wheel, the car was wheel spinning in almost every gear on the slippery track. The T50 was joined on track by a selection of other important cars created by Gordon Murray during his illustrious career, including the Brabham-Cosworth BT44B Formula One car, the T1 and T4 projects and the Duckhams LM72 Le Mans race car.
Off-track, there’s always plenty to entertain, and the open paddocks offer brilliant photo opportunities alongside the chances to talk with the drivers and pit crews when they’re not elbow-deep fixing and tweaking.
Saturday specials.
As the daylight faded into dusk, we were treated to an exciting collection of rallying’s famous, classic machines. The likes of Audi’s legendary Quattro, MG Metro 6R4’s, Ford RS2000’s Lancia Delta’s, among others. They all lit up the evening with their huge spotlights and fire-breathing engines as they roared around the special stage encompassing part of the track and the spectator area.
Photographer woes.
I’d hoped to capture the rally action and sort to secure a great vantage point early. As the crowds started to gather, I was feeling pretty pleased with my spot. I was tucked safely behind concrete barriers and hay bails at the loop. Perfect to capture some drifting and light trails. However, before the first engine fired up, I was moved along by a marshal. By this time, all the other areas were 6-7 people deep, and I stood no chance of capturing any decent images. It’s one thing finding a good spot, but it’s also worth checking if you’re able to actually stay there for the action. I guess that’s a lesson learned.
With the track action over, attention turns to the evening party. Thankfully the rain had stopped earlier, and the festival was in full swing, offering up food, music and fairground fun into the night. The displays didn’t stop after dark, the most entertaining was the Batala drumming band providing a fantastic background beat to the street entertainers and festival dancers. While over on the main stage, people were entertained by The Soul Brothers, who brilliantly mixed up Motown classics and contemporary tunes. While I love spending time at Members’ Meeting on my own, it’s at this point of the day that having friends around to share the experience makes it even more special.
