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The Goodwood Festival of Speed may not officially be classified as a hill climb, but it shares much of the same spirit. It’s officially an exhibition event that celebrates everything automotive in a carefully managed setting. However, since the festival concludes with timed runs, and drivers inevitably compete for the best times, it still carries the essence of racing.

That’s why, last Sunday, Scott Speed achieved something that wasn’t technically a hill climb victory, yet still remarkable. Driving the 1000-hp Guntherwerks F-26, he completed the iconic Goodwood course in 50.41 seconds — the fastest time recorded by any road-legal car in a field dominated by dedicated race machines. The next fastest road-legal contender, the TWR Supercat, trailed the 911-inspired hypercar by more than four seconds.

Speed, whose career includes stints in Formula 1, NASCAR, and rallycross, achieved this feat during his third appearance at the Festival of Speed. In his previous two appearances, he piloted Subaru’s custom-built Project Midnight. Speaking to Road & Track, he mentioned that his preparation for both the Project Midnight and the street-legal Guntherwerks F-26 followed a similar pattern — track testing sessions, untimed demonstration runs earlier in the weekend, and finally, one all-out timed sprint.

“Testing any vehicle in advance for Goodwood is somewhat futile,” Speed explained, “because the track’s environment and dynamics are completely unique. Most notably, the road is so narrow that the experience feels vastly different from any other type of driving you’d typically do.”

Since no driving simulation software includes the Goodwood course, Speed shared that much of his preparation revolves around studying videos of past runs. While the notoriously unpredictable English weather can often complicate things, this year’s event offered relatively consistent conditions — a rarity in itself.

“Although this year was quite consistent, usually the conditions change significantly between runs,” Speed said. “You generally get two runs a day — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — and they can vary a lot because of weather and track surface. This year, conditions were optimal, so every time we were on track, it felt similar. The dry surface made a huge difference because if it rains, even before the track is prepped, it’s not like a race circuit. They don’t sweep it off; there can be muddy tire marks from setup day. That makes things tricky.”

Speed also pointed out that the Goodwood runs differ from traditional hill climbs in the mindset competitors bring to the timed segment. While everyone pushes for their best lap, there’s a shared sense of responsibility toward the event’s legacy and safety.

“You get a couple of runs up the hill and you know there are certain corners — especially near the wall — where you leave a little margin for safety,” he said. “You have to respect the event. Goodwood is unique because we’re still allowed to send cars at this pace up a hill with barriers made of hay bales. That’s only possible because drivers over the years have shown respect. There aren’t many crashes, and that’s what keeps the spirit of the Festival alive. Those of us doing the timed runs make sure we maintain that respect so we can continue participating in this amazing part of the event.”

With no prior runs that accurately simulate Goodwood’s narrow, technical layout, Speed said it took him about three runs to fully gauge the Guntherwerks F-26’s performance. By that point, he was confident it would outpace other road-going entrants. Although its outright speed impressed him, he reserved his highest praise for the car’s handling balance.

“Usually, when you drive a road car — especially one with a rear-heavy layout like a typical Porsche — you expect some understeer. But the way this car is engineered, the front end feels very responsive. That gives the driver more control to shape the car’s behaviour. On a race track, it’s incredible. As a driver, you have a lot of influence, especially through high-speed corners, because it lacks downforce. When a car has heavy downforce, your margin for error becomes smaller. But with this one, I can slide it at almost any cornering speed — and that’s incredibly fun as a driver.”

Thanks to the overall discipline and respect shown by all participants, this year’s timed sessions concluded without any major incidents. The next Festival of Speed — and another chance to conquer that famous hill that isn’t quite a hill climb — will return in a year’s time.