World's Most Adorable Race Saw On-Track Chaos At Goodwood Revival

The Goodwood Revival has been giving us exciting races this weekend, such as the Lavant Cup, joined by million-dollar Ferrari 250 GTOs. But perhaps none will be as adorable as the 2023 Settrington Cup, which only allows racers aged four to ten.

The first round of the Settrington Cup kicked off last September 9 at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex, England. Instead of your typical powertrain, over 50 children had to cross the checkered flag first using pedal power and not horsepower in the Austin J40.

That sounds like a long race, considering the track length was 738 feet, consisting of chicanes, but that didn't stop determined racers from pedaling their way to victory. They got into their J40s in a Le Mans-style start - ironically, something you won't see at the 24 Hours of Le Mans anymore for safety reasons.

While Raph Burnett had a great start that put him in the lead, his efforts might have burned him out too soon. Austin Buncombe saw the opportunity and pushed his pedal-powered car to take the lead in the race. It was an exciting finish as the number 14 car in maroon almost got Buncombe at the line.

Behind the leaders was a massive four-way crash at one of the chicanes, and the stewards might want to look at that. Although, no safety car was deployed during the race. There was also some cutting of the chicanes, so the finishing order might change if they get a penalty.

All jokes aside, it's great to see Goodwood giving a big stage to young enthusiasts. The job is not yet done, though, as the Settrington Cup will return to the Goodwood Motor Circuit for the second round on September 10, 2023. The Goodwood weekend hosts other race events, such as the Fordwater Trophy, where former Formula 1 star Mark Webber went flat out in a classic Porsche 911.