The name behind the race: Freddie March

Born in Marylebone, London on 5^th February 1904, Frederick Charles Gordon-Lennox was the second son of his father, the 8^th Duke of Richmond, but became the heir apparent following the death of his older brother in 1919.

His early years coincided with the rise of the motor car through the early 1900s, and Freddie’s interests in engineering eventually led him to an apprenticeship with Bentley Motors. Until that point Goodwood had primarily been a venue for equestrian activities and horseracing, but it was under the 9^th Duke’s influence that it began to develop a more mechanical complexion.

Freddie’s first experience in motor racing came in 1929, when he entered the JCC High Speed Trial driving an MG M-Type, earning a gold award for successfully matching a pre-requisite average time. His success continued in subsequent years with victories in the 500 Mile race at Brooklands, and the 1931 Brooklands Double Twelve as the leader of a team of five MGs.

He stopped racing soon after that triumph but continued to hold a vested interest in motorsport throughout his life. He actually hosted his first motorsport event in 1936, a hillclimb event held on the Goodwood Estate for Lancia enthusiasts.

Not content to keep himself on the ground, however, Freddie turned his attention to aeronautics and set about designing his own aircraft, which he flew himself before signing up to serve with the Royal Air Force during World War II. He also donated a large area of farmland to be used as the location for a new aircraft base that came to be known as RAF Westhampnett.

When the war came to an end, the Goodwood Estate was in dire need of income. Freddie had become the 9^th Duke of Richmond in 1935, and so it was up to him to decide how best to bring Goodwood back to life. He could have turned to the Estate’s existing assets, the racecourse that had first been established in 1802 and the golf course which was introduced to the grounds in 1901, but he had more exciting plans.

An Australian RAF Squadron Leader by the name of Tony Gaze had been based at Goodwood during the war. He was a friend of the Duke, and a fellow motorsport enthusiast, and suggested that the perimeter road constructed around the airfield could be used for car racing. Needing no more encouragement than that, the Duke wasted little time in preparing to open the Goodwood Motor Circuit, which would in short order become one of the most renowned motorsport venues in the world.

Such was the 9^th Duke’s skill as a promotor, Goodwood’s very first race meeting on 18^th September 1948 brought professionally organised motorsport back to Britain for the first time since World War II, and in the years that followed the Motor Circuit was graced by the world’s greatest drivers. Names like Farina, Fangio, Hawthorn, Braham, Phil Hill, Clark, Graham Hill, Surtees, Stewart, Rindt and Hulme, all of whom were current or future World Champions, not to mention the likes of Stirling Moss and Roy Salvadori, who both excelled around Goodwood’s highspeed layout.

This quaint little racetrack tucked away in a quiet corner of the West Sussex countryside grew to become host to some of motorsport’s most prestigious races. The RAC Tourist Trophy was perhaps the greatest GT race of the time, while the Glover Trophy was an esteemed prize that became ever present on the global Formula 1 calendar. Goodwood’s numerous annual events drew crowds in the tens of thousands, becoming a world famous and greatly respected motorsport venue.

Freddie March transformed Goodwood into a household name, but like all good things, the Motor Circuit’s original run as a contemporary venue came to an end in 1966. Cars were getting more powerful, speeds were increasing year on year. Motorsport had always been a risky business, but the Duke himself was beginning to feel uneasy about just how dangerous racing at Goodwood was becoming.

By 1966, the cars coming here to race were deemed too capable, and the decision was made to close the circuit for competition after the final race meeting on 2^nd July. It was the end of a remarkable era, although Goodwood remained a popular testing venue, and over the next three decades saw the likes of Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna follow in the wheel tracks of motorsport’s pioneers.

By the time of the 9^th Duke’s death in 1989, the Motor Circuit had fallen into disrepair, but his grandson, our current Duke of Richmond, had been inspired by his work and hatched a plan to bring Goodwood back to life. The Circuit and its facilities were rebuilt, exactly as they were in 1966, and in September 1998 the gates reopened to signal the return of competitive motorsport.

The Goodwood Revival encapsulates the spirit of Freddie March, the man to whom we all owe a massive thanks. He is honoured most prominently at the event by the Freddie March Memorial Trophy, a race for 1950s sportscars that traditionally serves as the opening contest.

He was the driving force behind one of motorsport’s greatest ever venues, and there’s no better way to start of the weekend than celebrating his legacy, which remains fundamental to everything that we enjoy here at the Motor Circuit.

Tickets for the Goodwood Revival are limited! Saturday tickets have sold out, so secure your Friday and Sunday tickets to avoid missing out on the world's best historic motorsport event.

Images courtesy of Getty Images.