Looking back at his datebook for 2025 reminded him of what a busy year it was—and all the good times he had, with an event almost every weekend. In January, he went to the Palm Beach Concours, where he was the grand marshal. They brought the Rain Man Buick because the concours was a charity event for an autism program in the Palm Beach area. His daughter Kimberly has autism, and they use the Buick to support such charity happenings. The connection is that in the movie, Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman, has autism. This car was used in the movie and is owned by the movie’s director, Barry Levinson. He restored it for him and he lets him take it to shows like this.
A week later, he was at the Mecum auctions in Kissimmee, Florida, and he bought something cool. It’s a famous hot rod known as the Bill Breece ’32 Ford, and it was featured on the cover of Hot Rod magazine in August 1956. It’s a funny story how he got the car. He was sitting in the audience when the car came up, and nobody was bidding on it. He placed a bid, then the guy standing in front of him started bidding, too. His wife happened to turn around and saw him. She tugged on his shirt and said to him, “Let’s get out of here. Wayne Carini’s bidding. He’ll pay anything for that car!” Then they turned around and walked out. With the next bid, he won the car.
At the end of April, he went to the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, which is held on the grounds of the Duke of Richmond’s estate in England. This was his first time at Goodwood, and it was an unbelievable experience. Charles Gordon-Lennox is the 11th Duke of Richmond, and the Goodwood estate has been in his family since 1697. He’s a terrific car enthusiast, and he hosts three amazing events every year: the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and the Goodwood Revival.
This year’s Members’ Meeting was fantastic. First, they were taken to the Goodwood Circuit, the famous racetrack that is part of the estate. There they had 10 different vintage cars waiting, each one paired with an instructor for them to take out on the track. He drove all 10, including a BMW 2002, an Alfa Romeo GTV, a Lotus Cortina, and an MGB. None of them were big horsepower cars, but they let them get a feel for the track. At the end of the day, the instructors picked the best student. He had the honor of being chosen and received a set of cuff links as his trophy.
On Friday night, there was a black-tie dinner at Goodwood House, the duke’s beautiful country house. They arrived at 7:30 p.m., and the word went around that at 8 p.m., “something very special will happen. We don’t know what it is, but the duke does something different every year.” Precisely at 8, a giant red carpet was rolled down the middle of the room, starting from a hallway at the far back of the house all the way up to the front door. Then the duke opened the double doors of the entrance, and 10 grand prix motorcycles raced in and started zipping through the house. The riders were zinging the engines to their redlines, and the noise was sensational. The exhaust filled the house with that distinctive Castrol oil smell, and he thought, “Am I dreaming this?”
When that spectacle ended, the duke announced, “Dinner is served.” They followed him into their respective dining rooms, all filled with paintings and gorgeous artwork. They sat down at their tables, and each of them had their own server standing behind them. When the head waiter nodded, every waiter placed the plates on the table at exactly the same time. It was straight out of Downton Abbey! On Saturday night, dinner was held in giant tents on the lawns of the estate. At 9 p.m., there was a huge concert with a 10-piece band, and there had to have been at least 2000 people dancing like crazy. Then at 10 p.m., the band stopped playing, and the biggest, best fireworks display he’s ever seen kicked off.
He was able to spend some time with the duke—he’s a gracious host and a truly legendary car guy. He enjoyed the experience so much that he’s planning to make it a trifecta in 2026 by attending all three of the Goodwood events. He’s also planning to go to the Pebble Beach Concours. Along with all the other shows and events he’s got scheduled, his 2026 calendar is already filled!
This story first appeared in the January/February 2026 issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Join the club to receive our award-winning magazine and enjoy insider access to automotive events, discounts, roadside assistance, and more.
Report by Wayne Carini
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