Update: Goodwood officials confirm no serious injuries resulting from this wayward wheel. The exact number of people affected hasn't been revealed, but officials say they are back and "enjoying the event."
An incident has occurred at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed involving a classic Mk1 Jaguar. The car lost its left rear wheel after exiting the second turn early in the run. Passing the car, the wheel then took an ill-timed bounce and sailed into the crowd. Unconfirmed reports say two people were struck.
Speaking to Motor1.com on-site at the event, spectators said the wheel bounced into an older man who was alert enough to give a statement to officials before departing in an ambulance. Goodwood officials at this time are unable to confirm the number of people affected or the extent of any injuries. The racing action was shut down for approximately 40 minutes during the incident. Runs resumed with the McLaren Artura ushering in a stretch of supercars climbing the hill.
The car in question is a Mk1 Jaguar driven by Goodwood veteran and exhibition guru Grant Williams. It's unknown how the failure occurred; the run began with a burnout at the starting line to warm the tires. Williams held a moderate drift through turn one and wiggled ever-so-slightly in turn two, certainly nothing that hasn't been seen plenty of times at the hill. The video shows the left rear wobbling just before coming off, at which point the wheel passes the car and makes an ill-timed bounce that sends it atop the hay bales. From there it bounces again, clearing the fence and landing in the crowd.
This isn't the only notable faux pas that has happened on the first day of action at Goodwood. The Hyundai RN22e electric concept crashed hard, with the driver missing the infamous tight left-hander midway through the course. The occupants in the one-off concept walked away, but the car sailed straight through several rows of hay before coming to a rest. Numerous wings and panels were visible in the grass, suggesting the car suffered significant damage.
The 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed runs through July 16. You can watch the action (which is pretty darned active so far) through the livestream carried here at Motor1.com.
