Swiftune at Goodwood – always fast and exciting
Goodwood's Revival meeting is simply the world's best historic motor racing event and since Stirling Moss raced at the first meeting in September 1948 the racing at the sweeping Sussex circuit has always been fast and exciting.
For Swiftune the Revival represents the pinnacle of the racing year with prestigious wins and some great David and Goliath battles to show for the hard work preparing the very best A Series racing engines for Minis, A35s and A40s, MG Midgets plus rarely seen Mini-based sports cars like the DART and not forgetting the huge grids of Formula Junior single seaters.
2011
Third place overall in the St Mary's Trophy race was a remarkable result for Swift and Aston Martin works driver Darren Turner who had a race-long dice with Anthony Reid's Jaguar MkII and Le Mans-winning Tom Kristensen's Lotus Cortina in race one on Saturday. He was ahead of them both at one point and after some frantic place swapping went on to net fourth place.
Starting from the front row in race two Swift led into the first corner before the power of Shaw's BMW and a mighty Ford Galaxie told on the very fast Goodwood circuit. Keeping Lotus Cortinas, Alfas and Jaguars behind until the flag third place was a fine result for the Mini Cooper S.
Darren Turner was delighted to swap his Aston Martin LMP1 for a Mini. "The car handles tremendously well, there is no power so it is all about keeping the momentum." To prove the point he achieved a breathtaking 1 min 33.8 sec fastest lap with a little help from the Cortina's tow on the straights.
Feeling a little pressure from his team-mate Nick had to summons up all of his Mini racing skill to post a 1 min 33.9 sec fastest lap in the second race.
A very pleased Swift summed up," This third place was probably more satisfying than winning the all Mini historic race at Goodwood in 2009 because then we were the favourites, this weekend I thought sixth would be the best we could hope for."
2010
A race for small British sports cars made its debut at the 2010 Revival and Nick Swift was there to secure the winners laurel. Driving Stefan Wray's unique Mini-based DART Nick took a strong victory in the Fordwater Trophy beating a Mini Gem and quick Lenham Midget. Before the Mini came on to the motorsport scene there was the Austin A40 and in Richard Postins' hands it managed a brilliant fourth overall in the 2010 St Marys Trophy event after scrambling past more powerful opposition to take third in the second of the two-part race.
Formula Juniors always put on a good show at the Revival and 2010 was no different. The BMC-engined cars are at a disadvantage compared with the more modern Ford-powered competitors but Crispin Besley drove a storming race to bring his Swiftune-engined Cooper T56 home in fourth place; six of the juniors had Swiftune BMC engines.
2009
Lord March decided the best way to celebrate the Mini's 50th anniversary was to run the St Mary Trophy for Mini Cooper Ss only. It promised to be the best historic Mini race ever and it didn't disappoint. Months of determined work by Nick Swift and his team was rewarded when Nick and driving partner Oliver Gavin won both races and finished first overall by 15 seconds. Swiftune scored a brilliant 1,2,3 positions in this epic Mini race.
2007
Legendary rally driver Rauno Aaltonen joined Jason Stanley in his familiar Cooper S that Swiftune have fettled for a number of years. Aaltonen showed he has lost none of his class and skill and at the end of the race said to Nick, “That is probably the best Mini I have ever driven.”
2005
This year saw the Swiftune crew at their second Good wood Revival looking after Jason Stanley driving with Barrie Williams who was still close to the front of the pack in the 2009 event.
2003
Giant killing is what the remarkable Mini is known for and at the 2003 Revival Norman Grimshaw drove brilliantly to put his Mini Cooper S on pole position. Imagine being surrounded by mighty V8 Falcons, Mustangs and Galaxies when the starter's flag drops! The little car held its own in the dry but didn't manage to win.