On 25th August 2019, 142 Minis and one Thames Van descended on the world famous Goodwood Motor Circuit for the inaugural running of Minis at Goodwood, an Italian Job in a Day.
So what’s an Italian Job? Well every October, a group of Minis head to Italy on an event called the Italian Job, founded and organised by Freddie and Giulia St. George. Teams enter the event, which takes them and their Minis off the beaten track to discover Italian hospitality and culture, taking in wineries, race tracks, ceramics producers and beautiful Italian cuisine.
Teams pay to take part in the Italian Job but are encourage to raise money for children’s charities through sponsorship, and to date teams have raised over £2.7 million to help children and young people.
Our event at Goodwood tried to pack what ‘jobbers’ do across two weeks into a single day… In the morning, half the teams headed out on a navigational drive of approximately 35 miles (75 minutes) through Sussex and Hampshire countryside passing through rural villages, and combining a mix of single track country roads with big sweeping fast A-Roads.
Back at the circuit, and bathing the late summer sun, for the other teams there were laps of the Goodwood Motor Circuit behind a Goodwood safety car, and teams also competed in a specially devised special stage, where they had to drive around a slalom of cones, reverse park in a ‘garage’ and crush paper cups with the wheels of their Mini, all to a target time.
A beautiful buffet lunch was served on the terrace of the Jackie Stewart Pavilion, after which everything switched over, so those that were out on the navigation drive in the morning took to the track, and vice versa.
The day culminated around 3.30pm with the raffle draw, and then a huge group photo on the Goodwood Grid, with a sight to behold of Minis as far as the eye can see.
Guests departed soon after and started their (in some cases long) journeys home. Feedback has been superb, and we can’t wait to put the event on again in 2020.
