Why we love watching Tom Kristensen race at the Goodwood Revival
There’s always a buzz when we see a big-name racing driver, who boasts a long and illustrious history in modern motorsport, turning out in something completely out of context at the Goodwood Revival presented by Dunlop.
It’s especially pleasing when they clearly ‘get it’: fully embracing the period spirit, revelling in the lack of downforce in whatever they’re pedalling and showing a lighter side to their characters away from the pressures of high-end international competition.
Perhaps the most obvious example of a genuine star who has fallen completely in love with Goodwood is Tom Kristensen — from steering new cars up the Hill at the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard to a House Captain at Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport, and most obviously the Revival, where he will once again appear this September to race in the prestigious RAC TT Celebration.
Ever since the great Dane first turned out at the Revival when his frontline career was still very much in play, Kristensen has looked at home, which back then was perhaps a surprise. Because amid the cut and thrust of his busy, highly decorated contemporary career, we’d had little chance to glimpse his appreciation for the past and how motor racing used to be.
The record nine Le Mans 24 Hours wins, the six Sebring 12 Hours successes, plus stints in the DTM and the British Touring Car Championship at the end of the Super Touring era… There had been little time for the indulgence of nostalgia. But now long retired from the front line, Kristensen can race at Goodwood purely for fun. It gives him just the right dose of a motorsport dopamine hit, and now at 59 years old, with no strings attached.
He contributes so much to Goodwood when he turns out. So, here’s a quick recap of his Revival ‘best bits’, and why we can’t wait to see him back in action in a few weeks’ time.
Kristensen and Bräck raced a Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe to victory at the 2011 RAC TT Celebration.
Image credit: Joao Filipe2011: Daytona Coupe wet-weather masterclass
was still ‘only’ an eight-time Le Mans winner when he pitched up for the RAC TT Celebration in 2011. He shared a bombastic Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe with 1999 Indianapolis 500 winner Kenny Bräck for what remains one of the greatest Revival driver pairings at the meeting’s signature GT race.
That the Scandinavian duo won couldn’t really be considered a surprise. But it was how they performed and the manner of their drives which stuck long in the mind. Bräck took pole position in the stunning blue Daytona, evoking memories of when Ford took on Ferrari back in the mid-1960s, but a heavy downpour ten minutes into the race meant both drivers needed to give the lairy Daytona their full attention.
When Kristensen took over he put on a masterclass display of wet-weather driving, sliding the big Cobra with gusto. It was a world away from his day job in the Audi R18, and he was clearly revelling in it, as Kristensen clinched victory more than 20 seconds ahead of Nick Mason’s Ferrari 250 GTO driven by another handy pairing; Mark Hales and Martin Brundle. Somewhat surprisingly, it remains Kristensen’s only win in the TT Celebration — so far…
An overall win in the St. Mary's Trophy was achieved with Henry Mann in 2015. Here Kristensen celebrates his victory with Frank Stippler and Gordon Shedden.
Image credit: Drew Gibson2015: Back to front in the St. Mary’s Trophy
Newly retired from contemporary racing, Kristensen stepped further away from his familiar racing world at the Revival when he gleefully accepted the chance to race a wallowing Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt in the 2015 St. Mary’s Trophy for 1960s saloons.
The performance sealed Kristensen’s new reputation as a Goodwood favourite. Starting from the back of the grid, he tore through the pack to tail the leading trio of Frank Stippler in an Alfa Romeo GTA and the Lotus Cortinas of BTCC racers Gordon Shedden and Andrew Jordan. The drift angles and clear commitment in the big Ford thrilled the crowd and inevitably, in the space of barely a lap, Kristensen hit the front to take a brilliant victory. Shedden, Stippler and Jordan continued to play their parts for the duration, in what remains a favourite among the many great encounters of the St. Mary’s Trophy presented by Motul.
This was Kristensen’s third Saturday win for professional racers in the St. Mary’s Trophy, following successes in Austin A95 Westminster in 2010 and Ford Galaxie 500 in 2013. But it was the first, and also still the only time he was part of the overall win, following partner Henry Mann’s victory in the Sunday encounter.
Have a cigar, Mr Kristensen!
Kristensen's silver Ferrari 250 SWB was a sight in the twilight, on its way to victory in the 2016 Kinrara Trophy.
Image credit: Getty Images2016: Ferrari perfection into darkness
The following September he returned for the first Kinrara Trophy in 2016, a race for 1960s GT cars since renamed the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy. And what a spectacle the race provided.
Lights ablaze as dusk fell, Kristensen looked right at home in the silver he shared with Goodwood owner/driver regular Joe Macari. He was left with the task of chasing down the pretty, blue Aston Martin DB4 GT driven by historic racing specialist Simon Hadfield. Now, few know their way better around Goodwood than Hadfield, one of the quickest and most respected pedallers of old racing cars. But he could have no answer to Kristensen in the Ferrari — even though the Dane had only driven the SWB for the first time that morning. Drifting delightfully out of Lavant, Kristensen made his move at the Kink and was gone.
But the job wasn’t yet done. That was only for second place. Now the of Andrew Smith was in his sights, and with brakes glowing bright in the fast-fading light, he closed in, taking the lead with another great run through the Lavant kink. What a treat for anyone lucky enough to witness the display.
This Ford Thunderbird was at the centre of an excellent battle during the 2025 St. Mary's Trophy, in which Kristensen left late to secure another win.
Image credit: Jayson Fong2025: leaving it late against ‘Soperman’
In the wake of memorable appearances over the years at the Festival of Speed and Members’ Meeting, let’s bring Kristensen’s Revival story right up to date, and his latest St. Mary’s Trophy win from 2025.
This time, Kristensen lined up on the second row in a — not the most obvious choice for a racing car — alongside Tom Ingram’s little Austin A40 and behind a front row occupied by Gordon Shedden’s Jaguar Mk1, another A40 twirled by Andrew Jordan and the man on pole: Kristensen’s old BMW team-mate Steve Soper in a Ford Fairlane.
At first, Soper dropped to fourth with Kristensen just behind him, but the old comrades eventually made this race all about their big Fords. Soper worked his way through to lead, with Kristensen relieving Shedden of second place before half-distance.
He left it relatively late, but a better run through Fordwater with just two minutes left on the clock allowed the Thunderbird to get the better of ‘Soperman’ at St. Mary’s. As ever, it had been a battle played out in the best spirit.
“I made a promise to my son I wouldn’t touch another car and I’ve known Steve a long time,” said Kristensen. In a field that also included luminaries such as Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Jimmie Johnson, it had been another golden Revival moment to savour.
Expect more of the same on September 18th-20th. Not long to wait now…
Main image photography by Nick Dungan.
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