Whether you like your field of competitors to have four legs or four wheels racing fanatics are spoiled for choice at Goodwood. This country home and estate, located outside of Chichester in West Sussex, has 12,000 acres of land, which is plenty of space to host a packed calendar of events at its famous racecourse and motor racing circuit.
And if that is not enough of a draw, Goodwood House is also opened to the public for a few months every year allowing visitors to tour its illustrious rooms and see its many collections of porcelain, tapestry and paintings.
But without doubt the main draw remains the estate's racing calendar. With tickets for next season's race meetings going on sale this month why not book your seat and your car ready for the action-packed course.
Goodwood Racecourse
This famous equine race track, used only during the flat season, is where two of the UK's 31 'Group One' races are held. The iconic Glorious Goodwood Festival is held here in late July/early August. As well as the action on the track, this is also a great place to celeb-spot with pop princess Pixie Lott and supermodel Edie Campbell among the glitterati that attended in 2014 alongside Hollywood heavyweight Tom Cruise, who presented a trophy.
Goodwood Circuit
Although no longer part of the top level racing scene since the Sixties, the circuit still plays host to a number of race events and meetings throughout the year.
Most notable of these is Goodwood Revival, which runs over a weekend each September. Celebrating the heyday of premier British motor racing at the track, participants take part in exhibition races and parades in a wide range of classic racers.
Attendees are also strongly encouraged to dress for the occasion - 'Goodwood chic' has become a huge trend as ladies and gents don their finest vintage outfits in a bid to win the 'Best Dressed' prize.
Unlike the Revival, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is held in the grounds of Goodwood House. Its founder Lord March had originally planned to bring full-time motor racing back to the circuit in the early Nineties, but settled on allowing his own grounds to be used instead.
This three-day event attracts around 150,000 people, who are keen to get up and personal with the vintage vehicles, which is possible thanks to its time trial format that sees drivers take to the track one after another.
Many manufacturers also unveil their latest models at the Festival of Speed, so it draws a big crowd eager to lay eyes on the latest race tech too.
- For those planning to travel to Goodwood by plane, Gatwick Airport is located just an hour from the circuit. Passengers can book their hire car in advance with us, so why not look the part and check out our Supercar and Premium collections?