Video: 2025 RAC TT Celebration highlights | Goodwood Revival

RAC TT Celebration highlights

The RAC TT Celebration, the blue riband race of the 2025 Goodwood Revival weekend, got off to a dramatic start as the car that started fifth on the grid, the Tojeiro-Buick of Kyle Tilley, was speared off into the barriers within the first 100 metres. Ahead though, it was the pole-sitting AC Cobra of Olly Bryant that got away best to take the lead into Madgwick, while the #79 Cobra of Andrew Smith looked lively behind.

Smith was quickly onto the back of the #18 Jaguar E-type of Andrew Bentley and was keen to make a quick move as the immensely powerful TVR Griffith of Mike Whitaker loomed in the background. He managed to make the move just in time at St. Mary’s as the TVR latched on to the back of him and set about trying to build a buffer.

Bryant meanwhile was enjoying a clear track, had stretched out a four-second lead by the end of the third lap and continued to make strong progress out in front. The power of the TVR’s 4.7-litre V8 engine was beginning to tell, though, and after making quick work of Bentley’s E-Type, he drove around the outside of Smith on the approach to Woodcote to claim second position.

The hunt for Bryant was cut short however by an incident involving the #100 Tojeiro-Ford EE Coupe driven by Afschin Fatemi. A heavy impact with the barriers necessitated substantial repair works which brought out a lengthy red flag.

The mooted rain arrived during the stoppage, and all bets were off when the race got back underway in much changed conditions. Bryant maintained the lead from a rolling re-start, and the Cobras found themselves enjoying things much more than the E-types and crucially the hard-charging TVR, which was far less well-suited to the rain.

Driver changes commenced as the pit window opened, but Bryant continued on his way as the lead gradually increased. Smith, who had retained second place, handed over to Dario Franchitti with 27 minutes to go, but race leader Bryant was the last to duck into the pits, giving way to Darren Turner to try and bring home the victory.

It was the Jaguar E-type of Rob Huff that emerged as the lead car once all driver changes were completed. Turner rejoined in seventh position with an awful lot of work to do to try and recover lost ground, and it was once again Tom Ingram, this time at the wheel of an E-type, who was on a charge with 20 minutes to go exactly as he was one year prior. Ingram had spoken earlier about his team’s decision to opt for a wet-weather set-up, and that preparation was telling as he slowly began to reel in Huff in front.

A dramatic development with a little under a quarter of the race to go saw the leader handed a ten-second penalty for a pitstop infringement, which handed Ingram the net race lead. That threatened to rob us of a grandstand finish, but Ingram looked intent to win on the road and continued to reduce the deficit. Conditions were deteriorating rapidly, and every single car on track looked to be right on the edge as drivers up and down the field showcased phenomenal car control.

With two minutes to go, the leading pair were completely together as they splashed through copious standing water. Ingram was practically pushing Huff through Woodcote on the final lap, desperate to get past, but had to settle for second on the road. Huff’s penalty handed Ingram the victory, his second consecutive RAC TT Celebration triumph.

RAC TT Celebration Official Practice 2

The second Official Practice session for the RAC TT Celebration got underway in the Saturday morning rain, giving the drivers one more chance to get a handle on their machinery in the kind of conditions they’re like to come across during Sunday’s race.

A cagey start once again saw Tom Kristensen first up to speed in the TVR Griffith 400, albeit some 30 seconds slower than the lap times recorded on Friday. Speeds gradually increased as the session wore on, and it was a rapid rotation of leading drivers as they each took their time to get up to speed. Darren Turner was quick again after setting the fastest time in Official Practice 1, but he faced new competition from the likes of Tom Ingram in his Jaguar E-Type FHC and Jack Tetley in the AC Cobra.

But it was Rob Huff in the ‘semi-lightweight’ E-type who was the star of the show during the second half of the session, as he went on a relentless run of fastest laps, slicing away huge chunks of time with each tour. He ended up 1.5 seconds clear of Ingram in second place, with Gordon Shedden third.

There’s every chance this session will give us a clearer picture of the pecking order for the race on Sunday, the big surprise being the AC Cobra of Darren Turner and Olly Bryant only managing to set the 12^th fastest time of the day. They’ll be hoping for a dryer track when the flag drops.

RAC TT Celebration grid (Top 15)

Official Practice 2 photography by Joe Harding.

RAC TT Celebration Official Practice 1

Preparations for the biggest race of the Goodwood Revival got underway on Friday afternoon with the first Official Practice session for the RAC TT Celebration, the blue riband event of the weekend.

This year it features one of the most star-studded driver line-ups we’ve ever seen here at the Revival, and the TT once again promises to be a hard fought and unpredictable race with plenty of surprises in store.

Drivers entered this session expecting to set the grid for the race on Sunday, with weather forecasts predicting Friday was going to see the best conditions for these cars over the three days of running. With that in mind, all cars were quickly up to speed as the urgency of a strong performance was evident.

Tom Kristensen was on it throughout at the wheel of last year’s winning TVR Griffith 400, but he couldn’t quite match the speed of Olly Bryant and Darren Turner, who stormed to what was a probable pole position time in the #1 AC Cobra. Their 1:24.445 ended up just over a tenth of a second quicker than second place runners Rob Huff and Andrew Bentley in their Jaguar E-type ‘semi-lightweight.

There’s a fascinating sub-narrative taking place during this year’s RAC TT Celebration, that being the rivalry between four superstars from across the pond. IndyCar champions Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon have been joined at the Revival this year for the first time by Tony Kanaan, who is getting his first experience of historic racing this weekend. They’re joined by NASCAR legend and Revival favourite Jimmie Johnson, and the four of them will no doubt be intent in finishing in front.

Franchitti managed the eighth fastest time in his AC Cobra, ahead of Dixon in 11^th, Johnson in 14^th and Kanaan in 22^nd. A lot can change between now and Sunday, and we can’t wait for the race to get underway.

What is the RAC TT?

The Goodwood Motor Circuit originally hosted the RAC Tourist Trophy from 1958 to 1964, when it was primarily a round of the World Sportscar Championship, but also a part of the FIA GT Cup in 1960 and ’61.

The first running on the Motor Circuit was won by Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks, who headed home a formation one-two-three finish for the works Aston Martin DBR1s. Roy Salvadori and Jack Brabham shared the second car, with Carroll Shelby and Stuart Lewis-Evans third. The likes of Graham Hill, Bruce McLaren and Innes Ireland were also present at Goodwood’s first Tourist Trophy race.

Moss won again with Aston Martin the following year and made it four RAC TT wins in a row when he claimed victories in both 1960 and ’61 driving Ferrari 250 GT SWBs.

Ferrari dominated the remaining TTs held at Goodwood, first with Ireland in 1962 at the wheel of a 250 GTO, before Graham Hill took over the mantle with victories in 1963 and ’64. The RAC TT continued to be awarded to the winners of various races around the country in the following decades, most recently as a prize for the winner of the 4 Hours of Silverstone, a round of the 2019 World Endurance Championship.

What is the RAC TT Celebration?

The Goodwood Revival’s recreation of the RAC TT brings together a grid of cars most closely resembling that of the closed-cockpit GT class in the 1964 running that formed part of the World Sportscar Championship. Big V8-engined AC Cobras and V12 Jaguar E-types make up much of the field, mixing it with TVR Griffiths, Porsche 904s and more.

It’s a two-driver, one-hour race that takes its place as the blue riband event of the Revival, but also historic racing worldwide. The grid regularly tops £30million in value, which also makes it one of the most valuable races on the planet.

Not only are the cars among the most spectacular racing machinery in the world, but the list of drivers behind the wheel is also filled with legends. The RAC TT Celebration has been held every year since the inaugural Revival back in 1998, and now itself holds a substantial history, with a roll of honour that includes names like Emanuele Pirro, Tom Kristensen, Giedo van der Garde, Gordon Shedden, Andre Lotterer, Andy Priaulx and Tom Ingram.

Which drivers are racing in the 2025 RAC TT Celebration?

So far, we know that Jenson Button has invested a great deal in this year’s running of the RAC TT Celebration. He’s brought a new car, the ‘Cut 8’ Jaguar E-type, specifically to try and win this hugely important race.

He’ll be joined in the field by fellow Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who himself will be making his competitive debut at the Goodwood Revival driving the savage ‘Hairy Canary’ AC Cobra.

Another driver making their Revival debut is 2013 Indy 500 winner and 2004 IndyCar Series Champion Tony Kanaan, who will be racing aboard a 1961 Jaguar E-type 'semi-lightweight' that was originally raced by Bruce McLaren.

When is the 2025 RAC TT Celebration?

The cars of the RAC TT Celebration will emerge from the Assembly Area for their first Official Practice session at 16:15 on Friday afternoon. The 25-minute session will be the first opportunity for the drivers to get to grips with their cars on race weekend.

They return on Saturday morning at 10:10 for second Official Practice, where the grid for the race will be confirmed. Each car’s fastest lap across both sessions will be counted as their qualifying time.

Sunday is race day, and the entire Revival will take a pause as we enjoy the build up to the weekend’s biggest spectacle. The cars will leave the Assembly Area at 14:05 and form up on the grid for a GRRC grid walk. The flag will wave to begin the one-hour race and set window frames a-shaking at 14:30. We’ll find out the winner of the 2025 RAC TT Celebration when the chequered flag flies at 15:30.

Previous winners of the RAC TT Celebration 

The 2025 Goodwood Revival is underway! You can watch every moment of the action by watching our live stream.

Photography by Jordan Butters and James Lynch.