Goodwood - Indy Autonomous Challenge tests at Goodwood ahead of 2024 Festival of Speed (2024)

Goodwood is delighted to announce that the World’s Fastest Autonomous Racecar, the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), presented by Bridgestone, will take on the hillclimb at the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard from Thursday 11 – Sunday 14 July 2024. This year, the IAC’s AV-24 fully autonomous racecar will be piloted by software from the PoliMOVE-MSU team, with support from the UNIMORE Racing team.

The IAC has developed the AV-24, a fully autonomous racecar utilizing a Dallara chassis used in the Indy NXT series, and outfitted with a state-of-the-art robotics platform developed with leading autonomous hardware and software providers. To date, the IAC has organized autonomous racing competitions gathering 10 teams comprised of 18 universities at prestigious venues such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and Monza F1 Circuit—affectionately known as the Temple of Speed. The 2024 Festival of Speed marks the Indy Autonomous Challenge’s competitive debut in the UK, promising to test the technology in new and challenging ways.

Since its inception in 2021, the Indy Autonomous Challenge and its university teams have set several world records for high-speed ground-based autonomy:

• Autonomous land speed record of 192.2 mph
• Highest on-track speed of 180 mph
• Fastest head-to-head overtake on-track at 177 mph
• Most miles of autonomous racing accumulated: 9,000 miles.

Last year the Indy Autonomous Challenge was introduced to Goodwood in 2023 as part of Future Lab presented by Randox Illustrating the IAC’s significant role in advancing automotive driving technology through global events. Additionally, the Technical University of Munich used their autonomous racecar to conduct a low-speed scan of the Goodwood hill, crafting a digital twin of the course that will help enable this year’s fully autonomous hillclimb.

Paul Mitchell, President of the Indy Autonomous Challenge, expressed enthusiasm about the upcoming event, stating: “We are eager to undertake the unique challenges presented by the Goodwood hillclimb. Unlike the familiar ovals and F1 road courses, Goodwood’s hillclimb will challenge the precision of sensor perception, GPS localization, vehicle dynamics, and path planning in new ways, providing a historical backdrop to showcase the future of high-speed autonomous mobility and the innovative university teams behind it.”

The event, part of Goodwood’s FOS TECH program, will highlight the latest in automotive technology and alternative fuels, integrating the Future Lab and STEM programs targeted at young people eager to participate in future robotics. IAC university teams’ capabilities will be showcased as they attempt an autonomous world record on the Goodwood hill. Autonomous racing will not only entertain but also offer insights and learnings towards the future of mobility, demonstrating how AI drivers will revolutionize vehicle safety and efficiency on public roads and within supply chains.

The Duke of Richmond, founder of the Festival of Speed, commented on the festival’s role in showcasing technological innovation: “This year, our new FOS TECH ethos will bring together our future technology and mobility content. Whether exploring Future Lab presented by Randox, Electric Avenue, or enjoying content on the Hill, visitors to the Festival of Speed can experience the work of groundbreaking innovators and their vision for tomorrow’s world.”

Sara Correa, Chief Marketing Officer for Bridgestone in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) added: “What really matters is working together to collaboratively develop and advance the future of mobility. Bridgestone is proud to partner with the IAC and its young engineers to test and improve autonomous technologies through opportunities like the Goodwood hillclimb. Motorsports are the ultimate challenge, and the learnings we gather here can be applied to the sustainable solutions we develop for society and our customers.”

Participating teams: PoliMOVE-MSU - Comprising of members from Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Michigan State University (Michigan), with the support of UNIMORE Racing - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy)

The IAC’s appearance at Goodwood Festival of Speed will be the first time that an exhibitor has graduated from Future Lab to the hillclimb. This year’s event will also feature engaging educational sessions, where attendees can explore future technologies such as autonomous vehicles, drones, robots, augmented and virtual reality, generative AI, sensor fusion, and the Internet of Things. These topics will be the focus of a Q&A session in collaboration with Durham University's solar-powered electric car team, which has also worked with Bridgestone to advance sustainable mobility.

Earlier in June, the IAC conducted a series of training sessions on the Goodwood hillclimb, performing fully autonomous runs of the hill at reaching speeds greater than 177 kph (110mph). Video and photo footage of the training sessions dedicated to media use can be found here.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard: Thursday 11 - Sunday 14 July.

Tickets
Friday, Saturday and Sunday tickets for the Festival of Speed are now sold out. Limited Thursday tickets remain and can be purchased atgoodwood.comor by calling the Ticket Office on 01243 755055.

Hospitality
As well as tickets, Goodwood’s unrivalled hospitality packages are also now available to book for the 2024 Festival of Speed. Whether customers are looking for a great day out with friends, entertaining clients or celebrating something special, Goodwood’s hospitality provides the ultimate setting to enjoy the events. Emailhospitality@goodwood.comor call 01243 755054.

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Contact
For more information about FOS TECH and Future Lab presented by Randox, please contact Alexander Clare, FOS TECH Freelance PR:Alexander.Clare@goodwood.com

To find out more information about Goodwood’s motorsport events, please contact Katharine Morgan, PR Manager:Katharine.Morgan@goodwood.com

For all other press enquiries contact:media@goodwood.com

Imagery and news from Goodwood are available from our.

Stay up to date with all future announcements and on-event action across our social channels:

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Accreditation
Media accreditation for the Festival of Speed is now open. Make your applicationhere.

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About the Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard and FOS TECH
First staged in 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard is the world’s largest automotive garden party; set against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House in West Sussex, UK. Over 600 cars and motorcycles spanning the phenomenal history of motoring and motorsport take part along with legendary figures from the automotive world. Highlights include Future Lab presented by Randox, Electric Avenue, Forest Rally Stage, Supercar Paddock, Supercar Run, F1 Pit Lane presented by Sky, Drivers’ Club, GAS Arena, Cartier Style et Luxe Concours d’Elegance and Bonhams|Cars Auction.

FOS TECH is the overarching umbrella brand for tech and future mobility content at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It encompasses all forward-looking aspects of the event, from the latest in automotive technology and alternative fuels, through to the world’s most intriguing and groundbreaking innovators in Future Lab and extensive STEM programme for 11–16-year-olds. FOS TECH aims to serve visitors, press, exhibitors and digital viewers with immersive and accessible content, reinforcing FOS as the platform to explore, showcase and celebrate a vision for tomorrow’s world.

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About Future Lab presented by Randox
Future Lab was launchedin 2017 as a platform through which to introduce wider stories of technology and science innovation to the world’s biggest annual motorsport and automotive celebration, Goodwood Festival of Speed. With a mission to spotlight ‘Technology for a Better World’, over seven years the curated Future Lab campus has presented over 120 exhibits from pioneering companies, laboratories, scientists, designers, engineers and explorers, and welcomed participating teams from across the world. This dynamic, immersive environment uniquely brings together visionary stories from broad fields of innovation ranging across future mobility, energy, agriculture, climate, health, art, architecture, space exploration, ocean research, robotics and AI, and ground-breaking digital interactions.

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About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)www.mastercard.com
Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

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Randox’s diagnostic focus is to undertake comprehensive testing and data analysis to identify risk to health, promote preventative healthcare and improve clinical diagnosis. Aiming to achieve better healthcare outcomes whilst reducing the burden on healthcare services.

Committed to the prevention and early diagnosis of disease, Randox has opened a range of Randox Health clinics to bring innovative diagnostics directly to the consumer – there are currently more than 20 such clinics across the UK, including in selected John Lewis stores.

www.randox.com
https://randoxhealth.com/

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About the IAC: The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is a non-profit corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA) that organizes racing competitions among 10 university-affiliated teams representing 18 universities from around the world. Teams program AI drivers to pilot fully autonomous racecars and compete in a series of history-making events at iconic tracks. Based in Indiana, the IAC is working to establish a hub for performance automation in the state and is harnessing the power of innovative competitions to attract the best and the brightest minds from around the globe to further state-of-the-art technology in the safety and performance of autonomous vehicles. The IAC started as a $1 million prize competition with 31 university teams signing up to compete more than three years ago, representing top engineering and technology programs from 15 U.S. states and 11 countries. Follow the IAC @IndyAChallenge on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, & YouTube.

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Contact Information for the IAC:
For media inquiries, please contact:
Marc Ferlet
marc.ferlet@indyautonomouschallenge.com
USA: +1 317 662 5070

FR: +33 6 79 16 96 26