[Video] 2024 Ken Miles Cup highlights | 81MM | GRR
One-make races are often among the most spectacular races we see at Goodwood, and the Ken Miles Cup presented by LGT Wealth Management at the 81st Members' Meeting presented Audrain Motorsport has been no exception. This year a horde of Mustangs galloped round our track, racing door to door in celebration of the iconic model’s 60th birthday.
2024 Ken Miles Cup highlights
It really was a sight to behold as this gang of Pony cars stomped up the straight and tipped onto their sidewalls on the way into Madgwick. The opening stages saw Craig Davies battling for second with Andy Priaulx, as all the drivers found themselves battling their own cars for grip. There was plenty of rub and bump too, with the 47 of Shepherd and Bernhard meeting the back of the 75 car.
Cutting through the pack throughout the race were Alex Brundle and David Brabham in the number 10 car, who started tenth and found themselves crossing the line in second place. Darren Turner and Craig Davies didn’t quite make good on their pole position, with Michael Whitaker and Andrew Jordan capitalising to take the win.
2024 Ken Miles Cup Official Practice
The Mustangs were first let loose on track at the 81st Members’ Meeting, as qualifying got underway for the Ken Miles Cup.
This celebration of the Ford Mustang’s 60th birthday features a stunning array of race-spec Blue Oval pony cars and an incredible lineup of drivers including Dario Franchitti, Timo Bernhard, Neel Jani, Emanuele Pirro and many many more. In fact, very relevant to the Mustang is a Mr. Jim Farley, CEO of Ford Motor Company, enjoying an icon of his company’s past.
It was Darren Turner who came out on top in his number 9 Mustang ahead of Andrew Jordan and Mark Methieson. Timo Bernhard put the Shepherd car in fourth, with Gordon Shedden, Jake Hill and Andy Priaulx following them up. Times are in the 1:28-1:29 range at the top so it should be a fairly epic race tomorrow.
What is the Ken Miles Cup?
Consider the fact that all of these cars will be running on sustainable fuel and suddenly this becomes quite a big deal. Goodwood has made quick progress with its sustainability plans. Following the huge success of the Fordwater Trophy at last year’s Revival, the Ken Miles Cup represents the next step on the road to a fully-sustainably-fuelled Revival in 2024.
The Ken Miles Cup is named after the racer and engineer who was instrumental in turning the Ford GT40 into a legend of Le Mans, while his work with Carroll Shelby also birthed the Shelby GT350R Mustang, which he drove to a first major victory. Ken Miles also won the Daytona 24 Hours, 12 Hours of Sebring and was a runner-up at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Run as a 45-minute, two-driver race the Ken Miles Cup will mark the 60th anniversary of the Ford Mustang, a car that has featured heavily at Goodwood in years gone by. That unmistakable V8 roar is impossible to miss and even more difficult to forget. With 30 of them set to share the track at the 81st Members’ Meeting, it’ll be a must-see attraction.
Which drivers are racing in the Ken Miles Cup?
A race of this magnitude deserves an equally compelling driver line-up. The Ken Miles Cup will not disappoint as a long list of famous faces will be battling it out in a stunning melee of Mustangs.
The grid is thick with racing talent. Three-time W Series champion and current IndyNXT star Jamie Chadwick is set to make her historic racing debut in a Mustang alongside owner Andrew Yool. Elsewhere, we have four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, seven-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro.
Ford CEO Jim Farley will be behind the wheel of a car prepared by Alan Mann Racing, the very same company that became the works outfit for Ford in 1964, and carried out the very first Ford Mustang test in Europe at, where else..? Goodwood of course. Farley will share the drive with touring car legend and ex-Ford works driver Steve Soper.
Also racing will be 1984 WRC champion Stig Blomqvist, current Ford works driver Mike Rockenfeller, 2016 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Neel Jani and three-time BTCC champion Matt Neal. There are too many names to list here, but trust us when we say there are big-name racers set to climb into every single car on the grid.
When is the Ken Miles Cup?
The sustainably-fuelled Ford Mustangs of the Ken Miles Cup will take to the Motor Circuit for Official Practice at 12:35 on Saturday afternoon. They'll return for full racing action on Sunday at 12:55 for what is bound to be one of the highlights of the weekend.