New Action Arena Opens at this Year’s Biggest Motor Fest
All-new for the 2019 Festival of Speed happening July 4 to 7 at Goodwood in the U.K. is an extreme action amphitheater with drift cars and stunt drivers, plus an e-gaming area.
The 2019 Festival of Speed (FoS) presented by MasterCard is evolving into even more of a motoring mecca this year. Changes to the physical layout with the relocation of the road car paddocks will make way for an all-new live action arena guaranteed to thrill spectators. The four-day Festival of Speed is always looking to the future in making sure the newest and most exciting cars, bikes, and technologies are very much part of the mix. Happening at Goodwood in the United Kingdom, this year’s festival takes place from July 4 to 7.
The first change for the 2019 Festival of Speed will be the relocation of the Michelin Supercar Paddock. In previous years, it has been located in the Cathedral Paddock. This year it will relocate to the space adjacent to the start line of the Hill, which used to be home to the Moving Motor Show. The Michelin Supercar Paddock is a firm favorite with younger audiences. Here, visitors will be able to get up close and personal with the most exciting and inspiring road cars in the world, all pushing the boundaries of technology.
An all-new attraction, “The Arena,” will be introduced in Cathedral Paddock. It will be the first time Goodwood has created an amphitheater of action this extreme. Throughout Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the 2019 Festival of Speed, visitors will be in awe as they witness drift cars shredding tires and stunt drivers doing the daring, insane, and unimaginable with car and motorcycle displays. The Arena will showcase some of the biggest stars and daredevils and allow fans to interact with their heroes.
Another paddock set to relocate is the First Glance Paddock. It will find a new home next to FoS Future Lab, nestled right among all the manufacturer stands. The First Glance Paddock, combined with FoS Future Lab, will be the hub of pioneering engineering achievement with the latest cars and technology alongside each other. FoS Future Lab, now in its third year, is an immersive technology experience. Inside the lab, visitors can take a look into the future and experience the technology of tomorrow firsthand. Last year, favorites included Roborace and JetPack Aviation’s incredible “jet pack man.”
The Goodwood Action Sports zone, affectionately known as GAS, will also get an injection of new content. The much-loved shows featuring the incredible talent of BMX, mountain bikers, trials riders, and freestyle motocross will, thankfully, remain. Joining these favorites will be new features such as an e-gaming area.
Finally, Sunday is getting supercharged! After three days of practice runs, the fastest cars of the weekend will enter the Sunday Shootout. There, they will attempt to beat the 41.6-second record time that has stood for 20 years. Supercars, electric cars, and specially-built hill climb monsters will battle to be crowned the fastest car of the event. The three fastest cars will be displayed outside Goodwood House after the shootout for fans to get close to.
The Duke of Richmond, founder of the Festival of Speed said, “While celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the Festival of Speed last year, we enjoyed record attendance. We’ve seen an incredible four million visitors through the event gates over the last quarter of a century. We’re always very conscious of looking to the future as much as we are celebrating the past. We hope with Future Lab, and the relocation of the paddocks to make way for the new live action arena, there really is something to represent every area of motorsport and technology. There is something to appeal to all, from the youngest in the family to the most hardcore motorsport fan.”
The Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by MasterCard is the world’s largest automotive garden party. Staged every summer since 1993, the event is set against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House in West Sussex, U.K. Over 600 cars and motorcycles spanning the phenomenal history of motoring and motorsport take part at the event. Plus, some of the most legendary figures from the sport as well as international celebrities regularly attend. Highlights include Forest Rally Stage, Michelin Supercar Run, F1 paddock, Drivers’ Club, Aviation Exhibition, and Bonhams Auction.