Le Mans 1966-winning Ford GT40 trio reunite at Goodwood

On Sunday, having built to a spectacular crescendo, the masters of modern endurance racing took to the grid in the beloved GT40s. A trio holding a staggering 19 Le Mans victories between them, Sunday’s celebrations hosted none other than Tom Kristensen, Derek Bell and Emanuele Pirro in the MkIIs.

The undisputed “Mr Le Mans” is Kristensen with his record nine wins, but five-time victor and British racing icon Bell and five-time winner Pirro are more than familiar with the taste of Le Mans success. Little wonder this trio was selected to command the iconic Ford GT40 Mk IIs. 

There’s a poetic symmetry in watching the most successful endurance drivers of all time wrestle the very machines that finally conquered Ferrari in 1966. Having spent their careers conquering the grueling Le Mans 24 Hours across different golden eras, these three legends unleashed the full, roaring potential of the GT40’s V8 engines, closing out the Goodwood Revival weekend with a masterclass in vintage heavy-metal racing history.

Machines this iconic deserve the absolute best of the best, and watching these V8 engines roar to life at the Goodwood Motor Circuit is a moment that will live long in the memory. 

Photography by Joe Harding and Jordan Butters. 

The thunder of the Ford GT40s shook the track on Saturday when a powerhouse trio of American motorsport legends took over the cockpits. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Hélio Castroneves, and six-time IndyCar Champion Scott Dixon brought their combined American racing pedigree right to the circuit. 

As these iconic liveries make their way to the final straight in their sequenced tandem, the Duke of Richmond was there to reenact the iconic chequered flag wave, making the parade picture perfect. Only at a historic motorsport event like the Goodwood Revival could create such a spine-tingling moment.

Seeing these titans of modern oval and open-wheel racing adapt to the uncompromising nature of the ‘66 Le Mans giants was an absolute masterclass. Channelling the spirits of Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby, the three delivered an afternoon of thunderous action and emotion in equal measure.

Friday at the Goodwood Revival belonged entirely to one of endurance racing’s most iconic creations. In a spectacular reunion, André Lotterer, Benoît Tréluyer, and Marcel Fässler stepped into the cockpits of the infamous 1966 Le Mans Ford GT40 Mk IIs. This legendary trio of drivers – who famously conquered Le Mans together three times for Audi – traded the high-tech, hybrid cockpits of their modern racing cars for the raw, unadulterated muscle of 1960s motorsport history.

Watching these three modern heroes wrestle with the priceless GT40s around the fast sweeps of the Goodwood Motor Circuit, their thunderous V8 engines singing to the spectators, was a moment to remember. Filing one by one through the chicane and following so closely in each other's slipstreams, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d gone back in time to visit the Circuit de la Sarthe. 

The emotional weight of the moment was perfectly captured by Lotterer, piloting the race-winning GT40 chassis P/1046. So in awe of the machinery and the historical gravity of the parade, he couldn't resist taking one extra 'victory lap' – simply needing a few more moments on the track to take it all in. We’d certainly do the same.

Photography by Joe Harding, Pete Summers, Jordan Butters, Rob Cooper and Tom Shaxson. 

Historic image courtesy of Getty Images.