The Madgwick Cup, though run under that name on 12 previous occasions, has taken on several different forms over the years at the Revival. This year, features a grid of sports racing cars from 1955-1960 that are bound to put on quite the show around the high-speed Goodwood Motor Circuit.
Sustainability is once again the buzz word at the Revival in 2024, and along with every other race on the schedule, the Madgwick Cup is running exclusively on sustainable fuel.
With sleeker bodywork and smaller engines than many of the other cars competing over the Revival weekend, the Madgwick Cup also brings a different look and sound to proceedings as these humble little racing cars are pushed to their limits.
The little 1,100cc sportscars of the Madgwick Cup were by no means the most powerful cars at the 2024 Goodwood Revival, but they still put on a great show when the flag dropped on Saturday afternoon.
Miles Griffiths led away from pole position, closely tracked by Andrew Hibberd as the pair in their Lotus Elevens pulled away from the rest of the field. They were virtually inseparable in the early laps and Hibberd was the fastest driver on the track when he pulled off to the infield at Madgwick to retire.
That left Griffiths to moderate his pace at the front, but that wasn’t the end of the drama. Behind him, in the battle for the remaining podium places, were two Lola Mk1s locked in a relentless tussle. Billy Bellinger and Nick Finburgh were putting it all on the line as they swapped positions lap after lap, with Bellinger eventually able to break free of Finburgh’s siege.
Jakob Holstein was quick in his Lotus 19, and made great progress to climb to third at the halfway stage from 13th on the grid. He looked set for a great result before a small mistake on the exit of the Chicane brought his race to an end.
A lengthy safety car followed, and Griffiths had his work cut out to close out the final lap when the racing action resumed.
Rain continued to drizzle down as Official Practice for the Madgwick Cup got underway on Friday afternoon, but for several drivers in the field this was not their first outing on the Motor Circuit of the day, and so many were familiar with the track conditions. This proved to be the case, as unlike many other sessions of the day there were no incidents halting the action.
Straight on the pace, these lightweight cars were producing plenty of spray as drivers endeavoured to keep them on the straight and narrow. The opening stages of the session saw Miles Griffiths and Nick Finburgh exchange provisional pole position, as cars behind them jostled for space in a rather condensed pack. Ian Dalglish in a Lotus 17 took evasive action down an escape road with just under ten minutes remaining to avoid a collision as the rain intensified.
Felix Godard disrupted things at the top of the standings, setting a second-place time with only a handful of minutes remaining and relegating Finburgh down to third. But it was Griffiths who couldn’t be beaten, ultimately almost 2.5 seconds clear of the rest.
Photography by Pete Summers.
Position |
Driver |
Car |
Time |
1 |
Miles Griffiths |
Lotus-Climax Eleven LM150 |
1:57.215 |
2 |
Felix Godard |
Cooper-Climax T39 'Bobtail' |
1:59.759 |
3 |
Nick Finburgh |
Lola-Climax MkI |
1:59.984 |
4 |
Andrew Hibberd |
Lotus-Climax Eleven |
2:00.927 |
5 |
Fred Martin-Dye |
Lister Maserati |
2:04.279 |
6 |
Billy Bellinger |
Lola-Climax MkI |
2:04.893 |
7 |
Ian Dalglish |
Lotus-Climax 17 |
2:05.898 |
8 |
Malcolm Harrison |
Rejo-Ford MkIII |
2:09.370 |
9 |
John Clark |
Cooper-Climax T39 'Bobtail' |
2:13.115 |
10 |
Otto Reedtz-Thott |
Lotus-Climax Eleven |
2:13.287 |
11 |
Timothy Bailey |
Cooper-Climax T39 'Bobtail' |
2:13.989 |
12 |
James Owen |
Elva-Climax MkV |
2:16.105 |
13 |
Jakob Holstein |
Lotus-Climax 19 |
2:16.461 |
14 |
Louis Zurstrassen |
Elva-Climax MkV |
2:17.589 |
15 |
Robin Longdon |
Lola-Climax MkI |
2:17.788 |
Here you can enjoy a showcase of sports racers from 1955-1960. With engines of 1.1 or even 1.0-litre capacities and diminutive power outputs, they may not sound like much, but when you consider they weigh substantially less than 500kg their agility and acceleration is plenty to be reckoned with.
The likes of the Lotus Eleven, which once set a class record average speed of 143mph at Monza with Stirling Moss in 1956, will absolutely fly around the Goodwood Motor Circuit as it battles, as it did in period, with Lola Mk1s. Other cars include a series of the Cooper Climax T39 ‘Bobtail’, as well as a Maserati A6GCS and Porsche 550A lining up on the Grid.
The last two runnings of the Madgwick Cup, were won by Miles Griffiths in both 2022 and 2017, and this year he returns to defend his title behind the wheel of the Lotus Eleven ‘LM150’. He’ll face some stiff competition, however, as this race always delivers a dramatic display of driver skill.
As race two on the schedule, Official Practice for the Madgwick Cup will take place on Friday 6th September ahead of the 25-minute race on Saturday 7th. You can find the exact timings for the Madgwick Cup in the 2024 Revival timetable.
Year |
Driver(s) |
Car |
2022 |
Miles Griffiths |
Kieft 1100 |
2017 |
Miles Griffiths |
Lotus Climax 11 |
2016 |
Andrew Newall |
Lotus-Ford 23B |
2013 |
Tony Wood |
Lister-Bristol |
2011 |
Dion Kremer |
Elva-BMW Mk8 |
2010 |
Twyman/Wills |
Lotus-Climax 15 |
2009 |
Lukas Huni |
Maserati A6GCS |
2008 |
Carlos Monteverde |
Ferrari 206 SP Dino |
2007 |
Jac Nellemann |
Lotus-Climax 15 |
2006 |
Simon Hadfield |
Elva-BMW Mk8 |
2004 |
Nick Wigley |
Tojeiro-Bristol |
2003 |
John Harper |
Cooper-Monaco T49 |
Photography by Jochen Van Cauwenberge and Michal Pospisil.
revival
revival 2024
event coverage
race coverage
Madgwick Cup