Video: 2024 Whitsun Trophy highlights | Goodwood Revival

The big banger prototypes typically take to the track on the Saturday, as a half-hour flat-out one-driver sprint to the finish, and this year will join all the races at the Revival by running exclusively on sustainable fuel.

2024 Whitsun Trophy highlights

The Whitsun proved to be a race of attrition. Pole-sitter James Davison desperately hoofed his McLaren-Chevrolet M1B at and beyond the limit, to try and keep chasing cars at bay.

Those in pursuit were a patient – Oli Bryant in his Lola T70 Spyder and Nick Padmore in his Chevrolet-powered Hamil SR3. Julien Draper was also in the mix with his Attila-Chevrolet MkIII.

Davison spent his race scrapping to the very limits with his McLaren, pushing onto the grass, spinning and trading places. What was a messy, if fast campaign for leadership – he managed to clinch fastest lap – proved too much in the end for the car, which close to the end gave up the ghost. Padmore, meanwhile, had a very rare prang in his Hamil, with a spin into the tyre wall taking him out of the running.

The drama was Bryant’s to capitalise on, who to his credit had taken more than his fair share of jabs at Davison when he was leading and pressured him into some of the mistakes that lead eventually to the car bowing out.

It wasn’t just the obvious contenders for victory that had a rough go of it. Fred Shepherd rotated at speed and ended up in the kitty litter. Meanwhile the luminous yellow Lotus-Ford of Katsu Kubota went round, too, though he managed to gather it up and drive it home to sixth. Alex Brundle in a Lola could also have been in contention, if not for his car giving up after lap five.

Official Practice for the 2024 Whitsun Trophy

Official Practice for the Whitsun Trophy introduced the fastest cars that race at Goodwood today, to a 2024 Goodwood Revival awash with rain. 

The results were, as you can probably imagine, dramatic and entertaining, as the drivers and owners were put to the ultimate test. Pace could be found, yes, but it would be only the bravest of drivers with a dab hand at the controls, that would find it.

Round and round they went for what must have felt like a very long 30 minutes, as all calibres of competitors struggled to get the power of the big bangers down. A certain Mr Adrian Newey – you may have heard of him – found himself running out of braking room, ending up in the gravel, sending the session. 

It was James Davison that strung it together quite unlike any other competitor on track in this session. With a 1:52.762 second time, he lead Nick Padmore – Goodwood’s race lap record-holder – by over two seconds. Padmore at 1:55.085 in his Hamill-Chevrolet SR3 lead Oli Bryant and Alex Brundle in Lola T70s, that put them in the low 1:56s. 

Photography by Drew Gibson and Jochen Van Cauwenberge.

2024 Whitsun Trophy Grid (Top 15)

Which cars are in the Whitsun Trophy?

In short, monster cars that bring the noise. The whole grid is by and large powered by big American V8s from Ford and Chevrolet, so on top of being the Revival’s fastest race, it’s also one of the loudest.

The Whitsun Trophy’s typical lineup is full of Lola T70 Spyders and McLaren open-top sports prototypes, with examples of from Crosslé and Cooper smattered throughout. These are all of course joined by an arsenal of Ford GT40s and a Shelby Cobra 427.

Which drivers are in the Whitsun Trophy?

Star drivers in the Whitsun Trophy include Goodwood and historic racing legend Nick Padmore, who continues to hold the race lap record at Goodwood, as set during the Whitsun Trophy, this year racing in a rare Hamill SR3.

He will be joined by Alex Brundle and Oli Bryant each in one of the Lola T70 Spyders, as well as Fred Shepherd behind the wheel of the Shelby Cobra and Adrian Newey racing in his own Ford GT40.  

When is the Whitsun Trophy?

Last year the Whitsun Trophy was the Saturday closer, though this year that honour goes to the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy. Official Practice for the 2024 Whitsun Trophy takes place on Friday, with the race as the penultimate event on Saturday. You can find the exact timings for the race in the 2024 Revival timetable. 

Previous winners of the Whitsun Trophy

The 2024 Goodwood Revival takes place on 6^th-8^th September. Click here to view the full entry list.

You can also see the full Goodwood Revival timetable here.

Photography by Pete Summers.