Tom Kristensen heads seven Le Mans winners at 2015 Goodwood Revival
Nine-time 24-hour winner to race in a 1963 Lister Coupe in the RAC TT
The most successful Le Mans racing driver of all time, Tom Kristensen, will race in the 2015 Goodwood Revival RAC Tourist Trophy Celebration in a 1963 Lister Coupe. The nine-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner will be joined by at least six other victors of the French endurance race in September’s Revival, ensuring 2015’s driver line-up will be one of the strongest ever.
48-year old Kristensen will race the Coupe – which was formerly driven at the Revival by touring car legend Anthony Reid – in a field of closed-top GT classics from between 1960-64. He last won the TT in a Cobra Daytona Coupe in 2011, when he partnered with Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack. 2015’s grid is estimated to be worth more than £150million, with key models including the Ferrari 250 GTO, Jaguar E-type, Aston Martin project cars and the AC Cobra.
Goodwood has also confirmed that five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro will return to the Revival this year. The 53-year old Italian won at the 2008 running of the event when driving an open-top Austin Healey 100S, but this year he’ll compete in GT cars and saloons.
Also on the entry list is Richard Attwood, winner of the 1970 Le Mans race in the Team Salzburg Porsche 917K. The 75-year old is one of the Revival’s most successful drivers having won eight races in single-seater and GT classes. His most recent Goodwood triumph was a victory in the 2010 Glover Trophy in a BRM P261. This year he’ll drive a Ford GT40 with F1 winner Jacky Ickx.
Group C winners Jochen Mass, Mark Blundell and (occasional evo racer) Andy Wallace will all circulate Goodwood’s 2.4-mile circuit in 1960s production saloons. The three one-time Le Mans winners will race in the St Mary’s Trophy, a category that often sees cars like the Mini Cooper S race against the Ford Galaxie in classic David and Goliath fashion.
Occasional evo contributor and 12 Hours of Sebring winner Marino Franchitti is expected to return to the Revival after his successful 2014 event, with more drivers from F1, Indycar, sports and touring cars, and riders from Moto GP, Superbikes and road racing also set to be confirmed.
The 2015 Goodwood Revival will take place on the 11-13 September. 15 classes of classic cars and bikes will race, including saloons, GT cars, single-seaters and sports cars built up to 1966.
Despite the astronomical value of many of its cars, the Goodwood Revival is renowned as offering some of the closest racing action in the world. Evidence can be found in the video below, where Kristensen power slides his way to victory in the closely fought 2011 RAC TT race.
