It’s time to speed up.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed may feel a little more formal than usual, so we’d like to introduce you to this crazy hill climbing event. It’s a completely unorthodox event. The huge, flat-nosed bus rockets through the countryside at an astonishingly fast speed. The driver can be seen, helmet on, guiding the bus around tight curves. Sometimes it seems like the driver’s back is going to slide, but the driver appears to be in complete control. Sometimes you will hear the wheels squeak through turns if you pay attention.
Goodwood’s famous hill climb is dominated by hay bails that line the track. A slew high-powered cars with technology-packed pedigrees race up it. This bus hill climb, however, is the antithesis of all that pomp. This bus hill climb does not have any bails of hay or other safety precautions.
It almost feels surreal. The whole thing feels very spontaneous. The cars are lined up on the roads like they have been there for a while, the owners doing their shopping. The blurry video footage makes it difficult to see any protective barriers. The greenery gradually changes into a city as the bus speeds down the streets lined with buildings.
The large bus turns left, and avoids some telephone poles near the end. This drive could easily have replaced Sandra Bullock’s in Speed. There aren’t any crazy jumps or fiery blasts. We don’t see any of them in this footage.
Driving a large bus through city streets is a skill. The front turning wheels are located behind the driver. It’s entertaining to watch, but we would much rather drive in one of these races.