F1 star Lewis tops festival line-up

10:43am Friday 4th July 2008

Eighty of the best known driving names in motor racing will gather together next weekend (July 11 - 13) to entertain sell-out crowds at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Headliner will be Formula One star Lewis Hamilton who will be hoping to use the occasion to continue the celebrations after this coming Sunday's British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Last year on his festival debut Hamilton packed in the crowds and entertained them with sprints up the parkland hill in his McLaren Mercedes.

Joining him from the current F1 line-up will be Honda's Jenson Button, a regular at the event, Honda test driver Alex Wurz and Toro Rosso's Sebastian Bourdais who will be making his debut. A total of seven Grand Prix teams will be in attendance.

The world of rallying will be represented by WRC works drivers Petter Solberg and Chris Atkinson from Subaru along with Matthew Wilson and Mikko Hirvonen from Ford.

Poole's Marcus Dodd, twice British Rally Champion, will be among the favourites for the quickest time on the Forest Rally Stage where he will be up against the likes of arc rival Andy Burt-on, in his unique Peugeot-Cosworth.

Providing a gritting blast from the past will be the likes of Stig Blomqvist, former World Rally Champion in an Audi Sport Qua-ttro S1 E2 and Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, ex-British champ Russell Brookes, in his 1985 title-winning Opel Manta 400, flying Finn Tim-o Makinen, and Markko Martin.

Current two-wheeled heroes in action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this year will include WSB Championship contenders Troy Corser, former Crescent Rizkla Suzuki rider Yukio Kagayama and Carlos Checa, plus BSB title challengers Leon Haslam, Michael Rutter, Cal Crutchlow, Stuart Easton and Tom Sykes.

John Reynolds, three-time BSB Champion, will be riding his 2004 championship winning Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000 while Dougie Lampkin, twelve-time individual World Champion trials rider, will be performing of tricks on his Beta Trials Bike.

Famous names from motor racing's past in attendance at Goodwood include Sir Stirling Moss, Jackie Stewart, Carl Fogarty, Juha Kankkunen, Mike Doohan, Bobby Unser and John Watson.

A plethora of BTCC drivers will be on hand to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of this hugely popular race series, including Poole resident Tom Chilton, Andy Rouse, Anthony Reid, John Cleland, Win Percy, John Rhodes and Frank Gardner.

Festival regular Derek Bell, five-time Le Mans winner, will once more be at the Festival all three days, driving a Mirage GR7 and a Ferrari 312 B3S while Jochen Mass, will drive the 1908 Benz Grand Prix car and is also expected to drive a 1989 Sauber C9. Allan McNish, former F1 driver and Le Mans winner, is due to drive this year's 24 Hours winning Audi R10.

• Admission to the Goodwood Festival of Speed is strictly by advance ticket only. Tickets are available from Tel: 01243 755055, on email at: bookings@goodwood.co.uk or on-line via:

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