Goodwood Track Days.
Private Motorsport Experiences with Merrills Motorsport.
A circuit unchanged since 1948, and belonging to the Dukes of Richmond for over 300 years.
The Airfield That Became Britain's Most Elegant Circuit
Britain’s Most Rewarding Race Track
The land on which you drive at Goodwood was, not long ago, a Battle of Britain fighter station.
RAF Westhampnett - a satellite base to RAF Tangmere - was built in 1940 on farmland donated by the 9th Duke of Richmond.
Douglas Bader flew his last wartime sortie from here before baling out over northern France. The Americans arrived in 1942; the 31st Fighter Group - the first US Fighter Group in the European theatre - flew combat operations from the same grass runways that now sit enclosed within the circuit.
When the war ended and the RAF left, the Duke looked at the 2.4-mile perimeter road encircling the old airfield and saw something else entirely. A friend and fellow enthusiast, Squadron Leader Tony Gaze, had been the one to suggest it - he'd raced his MG around the service road in his downtime, using fuel from the planes. The Duke was persuaded.
On 18 September 1948, Goodwood Motor Circuit opened. Sir Stirling Moss won his first major victory here that day, in a 500cc Cooper.
The circuit held contemporary racing for eighteen years - Formula One, the Goodwood Nine Hours, the Tourist Trophy - until the Duke, unwilling to make the circuit modifications increasingly required by 1960s racing authorities, simply closed it. The circuit remained in use for testing and private events for thirty years.
Then, on 18 September 1998 - exactly fifty years to the day since the opening - the Duke's grandson re-enacted the original lap in an identical Bristol 400 and launched the Goodwood Revival.
The circuit today is 2.367 miles, and it is unchanged. Fordwater, St Mary's, Lavant, Woodcote, the Chicane - fast, flowing, and completely unforgettable at the limit.
Stirling Moss, who knew every great circuit in the world, said Goodwood was the most rewarding of all the British tracks.
What to Expect at Goodwood
Goodwood Motor Circuit sits in West Sussex, 60 miles south of London and within easy reach of the M25 via the A3 and A27.
The circuit has its own aerodrome - Chichester/Goodwood Airport - which sits directly within the circuit perimeter and is suitable for both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, with Air Traffic Control, refuelling, and ground crew on-site. It is the only major British circuit where you can land a plane inside the track itself.
Parking is extensive across multiple areas on the estate and is complimentary.
Your Merrills experience coordinator will arrange paddock access and passes in advance.
For corporate clients, the Motor Circuit offers four dedicated trackside venues. The Jackie Stewart Pavilion accommodates groups of 10 to 40 for boardroom-style meetings or private briefings, with direct track views.
The Motor Circuit Cafe seats up to 50, with outdoor terrace access and a menu built around produce from Goodwood Home Farm.
For larger groups, the estate's broader hospitality infrastructure - including the Goodwood Hotel and its restaurants - is available to incorporate into a full-day or multi-day programme.
The wider Goodwood Estate stretches to 11,000 acres of Sussex countryside, and Merrills Motorsport is able to arrange experiences that extend well beyond the circuit - from clay shooting and golf on the Duke's two championship courses to private dining at the hotel. All in addition to your day on track.
Goodwood is unlike anything else in motorsport.
Explore More Circuits Around the World
Goodwood is one of 27 circuits available through Merrills Motorsport, spanning the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
Whether you're drawn to the history of Spa, the heat of Yas Marina, or a private test day closer to home, our team will arrange it around you.