What is the Festival of Speed Timed Shoot-Out?

Over more than 30 years, this 1.16-mile section of driveway in front of Goodwood House has set the stage for some truly dramatic moments, and spectators have witnessed some extraordinary machines achieve the unthinkable in pursuit of immortality. 

Hundreds of vehicles, covering every shape, size and style that you can think of, have made their way up the Hill across the history of the Festival of Speed. It’s without doubt one of the most storied stretches of tarmac in the world, but the Timed Shoot-Out adds another layer of theatre. 

Up until 2010, the quickest run up the Hill was recognised as the best time of the Festival, it wasn’t until 2011 that the official Timed Shoot-Out was introduced. Since then, it has become a world-famous event watched by millions of people all over the world. 

Each year, the world’s most remarkable performance cars line up at the bottom of the Hill for their shot at glory, piloted by some of the most talented and daring drivers. 

We’ve seen incredible runs from legendary Le Mans prototypes from across the decades, Supertourers, historic Formula 1, pre-war Grand Prix, NASCAR Trucks, bespoke track-focused machines and many of the world’s greatest production cars. 

It’s an unforgiving course. It’s narrow, bumpy and lined with unyielding straw bales that punish even the slightest mistakes. Speed is important, but so is accuracy and skill, and that is what makes the Timed Shoot-Out such a spellbinding event. 

Every single run is defined by the constant battle between risk and reward. Do the drivers dare to carry an extra mile per hour into the braking zone at the treacherous Molecomb corner? Do they lift a little less as they hurl themselves past the flint wall? The greatest performances in the history of the Festival of Speed have managed to find the perfect balance. 

But they don’t have very long to find that perfect run, because over the course of the four-day weekend each driver has just three official timed runs, two to get their eye in ahead of the final showdown on Sunday afternoon. 

In recent years, the Timed Shoot-Out entry list has been split into classes, each for a different type or era of car. These regularly accommodate pre-war machinery, GT racers, sportscars, modified specials, touring cars, rally cars and road cars. While the quickest cars vie for the overall Shoot-Out crown, the competition continues throughout the entire field, and every single driver is pushing to set the fastest time they possible can. 

The practice times set the running order for the Final, with the fastest runner last to tackle the Hill. It makes for a thrilling build up to a crescendo that never fails to offer plenty of drama and spectacle. The battle for victory in the Timed Shoot-Out is always hard fought, and those final competitive runs of the weekend are always edge-of-the-seat action. 

We’ve seen some unforgettable moments on the Hill over the years, but none more so than the winner of the 2022 Timed Shoot-Out, which stunned the entire Festival of Speed site into awestruck silence. 

The previous official Goodwood Hill record had stood since 1999, when Nick Heidfeld completed his iconic run at the wheel of the McLaren MP4/13, and for more than 20 years it felt as though it would never be beaten. That was until the McMurtry Spéirling, driven by Max Chilton, recalibrated our understanding of what was possible. 

With a fan system generating two tonnes of downforce at a standstill and an electric motor bringing up 0-62mph in 1.5 seconds, the Spéirling was lauded as the most remarkable car to ever grace the Goodwood Hill, and its record time of 39.08 will remain forever one of the most spectacular moments in automotive history. 

But it’s not all about the cars in the Shoot-Out, this challenging Hill rewards driving talent, and no driver has showcased their abilities more successfully than Romain Dumas. Twice a winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, the great Frenchman has very little left to prove, and yet his exploits at Goodwood have further confirmed his immeasurable driving talent. 

As a four-time winner of the Timed Shoot-Out, Dumas stands alone as the greatest driver in the history of the event, most recently stunning onlookers once again at the wheel of the gargantuan 1,600PS (1,177kW) Ford Supertruck in 2025. 

This event will continue to deliver a dramatic climax for the Festival of Speed, it is without doubt the single most exciting moment of the entire Goodwood motorsport season. 

Previous winners of the Festival of Speed Timed Shoot-Out 

The Timed Shoot-Out is the highlight of Sunday at the Festival of Speed. Tickets for Sunday are now available to purchase, as is access for all four days of the event.

If you’re not already part of the GRRC, you can sign up to the Fellowship today and save ten per cent on your 2026 tickets and grandstand passes, as well as enjoying a whole host of other on-event perks.

Photography by Jochen van Cauwenberge, Pete Summers, Jordan Butters, Toby Whales, Joe Harding, Jayson Fong and Nick Dungan.