Hamilton, Moss and more

Star drivers from every category of racing are heading to Goodwood
By Ed Foster

It has been confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will lead the star drivers at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. ‘Mr Motor Racing’ himself, Sir Stirling Moss, will also be in attendance alongside Sir Jackie Stewart, Jenson Button, Sébastien Bourdais, Damon Hill, Derek Bell and Jochen Mass – the only Formula 1 driver to have won half a Grand Prix, in the accident-shortened ‘half points’ 1975 Spanish GP.

With some 350 cars and 90 drivers at the Festival we won’t list them all, but the World Rally Championship and World Superbikes will be well represented with the likes of Petter Solberg, Stig Blomqvist, Troy Corser and Carl Fogarty in attendance.

The Festival is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the British Touring Car Championship and many drivers, past and present, will tackle the hillclimb over the weekend. Andy Rouse, the most successful BTCC driver ever with 60 race wins, Anthony Reid, John Cleland, Win Percy, Frank Biela, Jack Sears and Frank Gardner will all be at Goodwood. Look out also for Dougie Lampkin, the 12-time World Trials Champion, who will apparently be anywhere and everywhere. At the Press Day he managed to negotiate the Goodwood House staircase and balcony on his trials bike…

Flag Art at the Festival

Words can describe a lot of things in this world, but not all. It could be that something is so amazing it can’t be put into words, or that it is so difficult to explain it makes describing how the Egyptians built the Pyramids seem easy.

That’s the problem I am faced with here. As part of the Festival of Speed, champagne house Veuve Cliquot has invited Jason Bruges – an artist who previously trained as an architect – to create a set of flags to complement the racing.

If this seems mundane, I can assure you it’s not. It is utterly brilliant. Let me explain.

There will be a set of 15 flags alongside the course, which are linked to 12 sensors that are placed strategically along the hillclimb. The sensors pick up the noise of the cars as they pass and send a signal back to the flags. In response, the poles spin (up to a full revolution in less than half a second), mirroring the noise, pitch, down-changes and revs of the engine passing at that particular time. The effect is quite stunning, even on a computer screen.

Jason explains: “You get a car every minute and you’ll be able to anticipate the next car coming. In between cars the flags might tune in to someone revving an engine, or having a loud conversation.”

All clear? If not, then try logging on to www.motorsportmagazine.co.uk to see the computer rendering of the display, and hopefully then you’ll appreciate what an interesting idea this is.

If you don’t have time to go to the website, do try and catch the display at Goodwood for a very fresh and innovative addition to the Festival.