Goodwood U.S. venture builds on a rich heritage of involvement with American motorsport

The news that the Goodwood Road and Racing Club, which is behind events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival, is expanding into the U.S. was made a special moment on the first day of the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed in front of Goodwood House, featuring a plethora of machines from a wide range of American motorsports, including NASCAR (like the 1981 Buick Regal pictured above), IndyCar, IMSA and even Beatrice Haas and Shadow Formula 1 cars and drivers, including Kurt Busch and Travis Pastrana.

“It's hard to believe that we've been doing this for 33 years now, since the first Festival of Speed took place in 1993 and in a weird way, it feels like everything we've done in that time has been building up to a moment like this, as we take Goodwood outside of Sussex, outside of the UK for the first time,” said GRRC founder the Duke of Richmond. “I have always loved America – its music, its culture and of course, its cars, and American motorsport has been a feature of Goodwood since the very beginning.

“Throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, the great American road racers of the day – the likes of Carroll Shelby, our friends Dan Gurney and Phil Hill, all competed here in period, and of course, modern day also. We received their incredible support during the Festival of Speed and Revival.”

As the Duke said, America has always played a key part in Goodwood’s motorsport activities, but the relationship between the country and the Estate stretches back even further.

“Goodwood’s ties to America actually go back even further than that,” The Duke of Richmond said. “My ancestor, the third Duke of Richmond, was such an outspoken advocate of American independence that he became known as the Radical Duke. He made pro-independence speeches in Parliament, and even sailed his yacht right through the British fleet, as King George was reviewing it, bearing the flag of the Independent Americas. He was a close friend of Thomas Paine, and for all he did, Thomas Paine gave him an original copy – one of only three in the world – of the Declaration of Independence, which remarkably has only recently been discovered.

“So, launching the GRRC of America feels like a very natural extension of this longstanding friendship. Indeed, it's something people have been asking me to do for a very long time. By going to America, we will be transforming the GRRC into the world's first truly global car club, built around amazing cars, extraordinary access, and, of course, absolutely unique experiences. At its heart, that is what Goodwood does. We deliver unique experiences for our members and guests. The opportunity to do that in America, where cars and motorsport are so ingrained in the culture, is incredibly exciting for all of us here.

Mario Andretti, here getting re-acquinted with his championship winning Lotus 79 at the FoS in 2025, is among those lend his support to Goodwood's new American venture. Jakob Ebrey/Getty Images

The members club, which will bring like-minded enthusiasts together is just the start though. A U.S.-based event in a similar vein to the Festival of Speed and Revival is in the works, set for a 2028 debut at Willow Springs Raceway in Southern California.

“We've already begun planning our headline event, inspired by the cars, the motorsport, the music, and fashion in California, which I'm excited to say will take place at Willow Springs in the fall of 2028,” revealed the Duke. “For those who have never been there, Willow Springs is a fabulous circuit set in the desert outside Los Angeles, unspoilt as it was first built in ‘53. It's steeped in history and feels very much like Goodward's long-lost Californian cousin.”

GRRC of America has already gained big-name backing, with Sir Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti and Richard Petty already throwing their weight behind the initiative.

"We have three amazing founding patrons of the GRRC of America, three motorsport icons who need no instruction and who absolutely reflect the values of this club,” the Duke said. “And in fact, now that I'm on first named terms with Lightning McQueen, having invited him to the event this year, I've invited him actually to be our fourth patron. Kachow indeed.

“Taking Goodwood to America is perhaps the most exciting thing we've ever done, so I hope that you will join all of us on this amazing adventure.”

Formula DRIFT commentator and long-time Festival of Speed attendee Jarod DeAnda – who commentates on drifting activities at the event – was excited about bringing together two pillars of automotive culture in Goodwood and the U.S.

“Goodwood Festival Speed, Goodwood Revival, GRRC, and Goodwood as a whole, and the Duke of Richmond are stewards of motorsports,” he told RACER. “The GRRC coming to America is amazing because it gives a touch of class to what America has, and I love Southern California automotive culture. I love America automotive culture, but to bring the bespoke Tweed automotive legendary facet to the states, I think is very deserving. It's right on time.”

While little is known about Goodwood’s planned American event, DeAnda says it will become something in its own right, and will sit alongside other famed automotive gatherings.

“What happens here in the UK is singly its thing,” he said. “It's like going to Gatebil. It's like going to Hampton Downs and going to Mad Mike’s Summer Bash. It's like going to Sydney Motorsports Park for a World Time Attack. You can't duplicate it in their particular regions. They have their particular events and particular emotional engagement.

“Having seen the progression of Willow Springs over the years, the development, refinement and being re-imagined in 2025, 2026 and 2027, I’m so glad that a racetrack is alive in Southern California for one. I think it will elevate the situation.”

Pastrana, another Goodwood mainstay in recent years and has become beloved by the fanbase for his no-holds-barred runs up the hillclimb in Subaru Gymkhana machinery and on the rally stage in American Rally Association Open Class cars, said that Goodwood’s expansion into the U.S. was a long time coming.

“Coming to America, I know there's been a lot of talk over last couple years of expanding the Goodwood car club, and it's a really cool thing. I think it's going to do really well,” he told RACER. “There will never be another Goodwood Festival of Speed, but anytime you can get a bunch of people together that love driving, that camaraderie is something that we need a lot more of all around the world, and just really happy these guys are getting together.

“I think it's definitely going to be something that's really cool. Being California, it's somewhere that's close to a big population of people that have awesome cars that need a place to go drive, and Willow Springs is absolutely amazing.

“So, I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of it. I'd say definitely still come over to Goodwood, the Festival of Speed, but definitely looking forward to going there and seeing what happens.”