A buzz at Goodwood

History was made at the fifth annual Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC) Spring Sprint on Easter Monday, when a Tesla Roadster Sport became the first-ever electric-powered sports car to compete at the famous circuit since it staged its inaugural race meeting in 1948.

Being Goodwood’s first competing electric car, the GRRC devised a special class for the Tesla, the fastest example of which was driven by James Wood who achieved a lap time of 1min 40.41sec, silently whizzing round the 2.4-mile circuit faster than many of the piston-powered sports cars. Wood, winner of Class E in a Tesla Roadster Sport, said: “The car was great, very quick off the line (within the top six quickest overall in initial acceleration), and reached 100mph by the first corner from a standing start.”

The free-admission GRRC sprint event attracted 86 entries and over 2500 enthusiastic spectators to the lovingly restored Sussex circuit, where a truly eclectic mix of machinery was in action. The ‘Spirit of the Sprint’ trophy was awarded to Fastest Lady of the Day, Lynn Gilbert, by saloon racing veteran Anthony Reid.