2025 Gurney Cup highlights | 82MM

Gurney Cup Highlights

Picking up where it left off, the Gurney Cup race closed Saturday at the 82^nd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport in thrilling fashion. With headlights beaming bright in the dusk, the 45-minute race delivered from the off. Pole-sitter Lynn got off to a strong start, unlike David Franklin in the lone Ferrari, a 206S, who dropped from third down to 16^th, all while Albrecht and Mitchell jostled for second in their respective Ford GT40 and Chevron BMW B8.

Andrew Smith impressed, moving his own GT40 from tenth up to fourth in the opening stages. Whether it was for second or fourth, there were battles galore, but Maxwell Lynn continued to control things up front.

Chaos ensued after 20 minutes, however. Christian Albrech spun round at the exit of St. Mary’s and although he got his Ford back on track, that may well have been a warning of what was to come. Meanwhile, Katsu Kubota was pursuing seventh in the Lotus Ford 30 at the expense of the Cottingham GT40. In a flurry of misfortune, Kubota spun off wasting all his hard work, then Albrecht lost a wheel and a door in a high-impact incident that brought out a lengthy run behind the safety car before the red flag was finally waved.

When racing resumed, the Gurney Cup was now essentially a 20-minute sprint to the finish. With the drivers swapping in the break, Lotterer was on pole for the standing start, charged with securing up Lynn’s efforts.

What followed was a thrilling conclusion, as Lotterer, fellow GT40 driver Rob Huff, Chris Ward in the Chevron BMW B6, and Frank Stippler in the Ferrari, ensured Saturday at 82MM ended on a high. It was Stippler who pulled off the ultimate comeback, taking the win ultimately four seconds ahead of Huff. Having led for so long, Lotterer and Lynn had to settle for third ahead of Ward.

Photography by Pete Summers, Joe Harding, Jordan Butters and Charlie Brenninkmeijer.

Official Practice for the Gurney Cup

The Gurney Cup practice session brought some of the closest action yet at the 82^nd Members' Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport, as sports prototypes including Ford GT40s, AC Cobras, Chevrons, and a solitary Ferrari, took to the Motor Circuit.  

Sam and Ben Mitchell grabbed an early pole ten minutes into practice with Maxwell Lynn and André Lotterer's GT40, which had been completely rebuilt after being destroyed in a fire, taking second and another GT40 of Jeremy and James Cottingham in third. 

Like a bolt from the blue, Richard Bradley and Katsu Kubota's 1965 Lotus-Ford 30 looked set to stun the crowd with a provisional pole from nowhere, only for its fast sector times to go to waste as they made a last-minute dive into the pits for repairs. 

The only Ferrari in the race, the 1966 206S driven by Frank Stippler and David Franklin looked like it was also capable of producing a shock – going faster than anyone else on the grid in the middle sector – only for a small mistake to cost it dearly. Ultimately, it would take fourth on the grid, but the phenomenal car control, as the Ferrari’s mobile back end guided it around Goodwood's sweeping corners, was entertaining enough. 

By the halfway point, Rob Huff and Richard Meins took the lead, posting a faster middle sector than anyone else and an overall time of 1:21.272. The following laps seemed to cement their position with a time of 1:20.684. Meanwhile, Lynn and Lotterer's GT40 went second, pushing the Mitchells' Chevron-BMW down to third with less than a second between the top three. 

But the session wasn't over. Lynn and Lotterer set a personal best with two minutes to go, and that would be a sign of things to come as the duo snatched pole right at the death, pushing Huff and Meins into second by just 0.043 of a second. If this practice session was anything to go by, it’s going to be one hell of a race.

2025 Gurney Cup grid (top 10)

Gurney's contributions to motorsport are many and varied, and his appearances at the Revival and the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard have made him a fan favourite and a friend of Goodwood. The Gurney Cup is named in his honour, and takes place for the fifth time at the 82^nd Members’ Meeting.

The race takes its inspiration from his win at the 1967 Le Mans 24-Hours and is open to sports racing cars of 1963 to 1966. This is a two-driver race with a duration of 45 minutes.

Which cars race in the Gurney Cup?

You can expect to hear a lot of all-American V8s rumbling around the Goodwood Motor Circuit during the Gurney Cup. Ford GT40s and Chevron B6s for a significant part of the grid – and more than their fair share of the noise! Keeping them honest are smaller, lighter British sports racers such as the Lotus 23B and Elva Mk7. It’s always a fascinating battle between big power and agility.

Which drivers are racing in the Gurney Cup?

Each car in the Gurney Cup is co-driven by a professional driver, and the roll-call includes plenty of famous names. Three-time Le Mans winner Andre Lotterer will pedal a Chevron B8 while five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro is aboard a Ford GT40. Also contending with a GT40 will be touring car legend Rob Huff, while Frank Stippler will be found in a Ferrari 206S and journalist and broadcaster Chris Harris will be in a Lotus 23B.

When is the Gurney Cup?

Official Practice for the Gurney Cup takes place at 11:10 on Saturday while the race is scheduled to start at 18:45 the same day. There will be headlights ablaze by the time the chequered flag drops.

Previous winners of the Gurney Cup

Photography by Pete Summers, Jayson Fong and Toby Whales.