Hero workship at Goodwood Festival of speed

Living history in the form of Jackie Stewart in a Tyrell, Emerson Fittipaldi in a Lotus 72 and Alan Jones in a Williams, brought up to date by six current F1 teams, including Jenson Button aboard a Renault: that’s just four of the headline acts as the 2002 Goodwood Festival of Speed plans to celebrate ‘a history of heroes’.

Legends of Motorsport, man and machine, will again gather in rural Sussex this July for the highlight of the year for those with a love of the sport and its heritage. An incredible entry of 220 incredible cars and motorbikes will compete on the hill.

Messrs Stewart, Fittipaldijones and Button will be joined by Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Jean Alesi, Jack Brabham and many others for Motorsport’s annual garden party on the drive of Goodwood House over the weekend ofJuly 12-14.

This year the event’s theme is On the Limit — a History of Heroes. “Our Formula One line-up is exceptional this year,” says event creator the Earl of March.

The modem Formula One era will be represented by cars from McLaren, Williams, Renault, BAR, Toyota and Jordan, with Allan McNish driving the Toyota.

Other event themes will celebrate the life and work of Ken Tyrrell, 25 years of Williams, and 50 years of Lotus Innovation. Stewart and Alesi will spearhead the Tyrrell tribute, with around 10 F1 cars from the famous Surrey team set to tackle the hill.

The 25th anniversary of Williams will be marked in style: both Frank Williams and Patrick Head will be present to watch Jones, their first world champion, back at the wheel of an FW07. Other Williams GP winners, Riccardo Patrese and Clay Regazzoni, will also attend.

The 50th anniversary of Lotus’ foundation is another key celebration, with 15 significant cars in action. Fittipaldi will be reunited with the John Player-liveried 72D that he took to the 1972 world title.

Having provided the motive power to Lotus and Williams, Renault will be strongly represented as both an engineand chassis-builder. Rene Amoux and Patrick Tambay will drive the first turbo F1 car, the 1977 RS01, as well as the RS10 of ’79.

Away from Grand Prix cars, there will be so much more to see and hear. Moss will drive his 1955 Mille Miglia-winning Mercedes Benz 300SLR and 1961 world champion Phil Hill will drive a selection of Ferrari sportscars.

As a chance to get close to the cars and drivers of legend, the Goodwood Festival of Speed simply has no equal. Meticulous planning and organisation make it a truly wonderful — and unique — event.

Simply unmissable. PL