Goodwood Motor Circuit once again became a focal point for UK modified motorsport as Players Classic returned with a full weekend of on track running drift demonstrations and curated show displays.
The historic 2.4 mile circuit provided a fitting stage with its fast flowing layout hosting a constant rotation of cars across both days. The event’s Track Day element kept the circuit busy from morning through to the afternoon featuring a wide spread of machinery that ranged from lightly modified road cars and heritage performance models through to more focused track builds developed to exploit Goodwood’s high speed nature.
Image by Dan Knight Automotive Media
Drifting once again formed one of the central attractions with the dedicated arena drawing large sustained crowds throughout the weekend. Competitive runs and tandem sessions delivered consistent action with several high power builds making a strong impression. Among them were George Barclay’s BMW M2 Eurofighter producing around 1,000bhp Ryan Hughes’ Toyota GT86 exceeding 1,100bhp alongside Nissan S15 entries from Jake Crouch and others plus David Bastin’s Toyota AE86 adding a more classic edge to the field. The mix of modern and older platforms helped underline the variety within the European drift scene.
Away from the circuit the paddock and display zones were equally active. The Show and Shine area brought together an extensive range of builds spanning German performance tuning Japanese street and track culture and British custom projects with additional hot rods and restomods adding further depth. The breadth of entries reinforced Players Classic’s reputation for attracting a genuinely mixed automotive audience rather than a single focused meet.
Sunday shifted into a slightly more relaxed tempo although the activity did not slow. A Breakfast Club style circuit session proved particularly popular giving selected show cars the rare opportunity to circulate the Goodwood layout itself. The contrast between static show builds and a live racing circuit added an extra layer to the visual experience.
Consistent weather across the weekend allowed the full schedule to run without interruption ensuring both competitors and visitors were able to experience the event at its most complete.
With another edition completed Players Classic continues to strengthen its position within the UK calendar as a hybrid motorsport and culture event bridging competitive drifting track driving and high end show car presentation in a single venue.
