|
|
|
Goodwood ultimate
meeting od cars and stars
July 16, 2002
1
|
|
CHICHESTER, Great Britain – Seven of the 11
Formula One teams that will be racing in this year’s SAP
United States Grand Prix on Sept. 29 at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway participated in the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed
on July 13-14 in southern England.
Marlboro Ferrari, Mild Seven Renault, Lucky Strike British
American Racing-Honda, Mild Seven Renault, Panasonic Toyota
and West McLaren-Mercedes had their 2002 or 2001 models on
hand, while KL Minardi-Asiatech brought its two-seater F1 car.
Jenson Button, Ralf Schumacher and Allan McNish, all of whom
will race in September at Indianapolis, were among the
featured stars at Goodwood last weekend.
The theme of this year’s event was: “On the Limit—A History of
Heroes.” The Goodwood Festival of Speed, now in its 10th year,
brings together a huge array of racing cars as well as exotic
and historic road cars and motorcycles. All are on display on
the grounds of the Goodwood estate, owned by the Earl of
March, a keen automotive enthusiast who founded the festival.
Fans are allowed to get next to the cars on display.
Many of the cars and motorcycles are driven up the hill-climb
course – the road that winds through the estate, which gives
the fans the chance to see some of the world’s most famous
racing cars and motorcycles in action. Stars of the past and
present often drive the vehicles.
Among the star drivers on hand this year were no less than
seven F1 World Champions: Phil Hill, who in 1961 became the
first driver from the United States to win the title; John
Surtees, the only person to win World Championships in both
motorcycles and F1; Alan Jones, Damon Hill, two-time World
Champion Emerson Fittipaldi and three-time champs Sir Jack
Brabham and Sir Jackie Stewart.
Indianapolis 500 winners were on hand, as well. Four-time
winner Al Unser drove the Watson-Trevis Offenhauser Bowes Seal
Fast Special that A.J. Foyt drove to victory in the 1961
Indianapolis 500, the first of his four victories. Danny
Sullivan, who scored the famous “spin and win” victory in the
1985 “500,” drove Michael Andretti’s 1986 Kraco
March-Cosworth. And fans at the festival got to see the
Deidt-Offenhauser Blue Crown Special that Mauri Rose drove to
victory in the 1947 and 1948 “500s,” a Miller that raced in
the 1927 “500”and another Miller that took part in six
consecutive “500s” between 1932-37.
On the F1 front at this year’s festival: the late Ken Tyrrell
was honored; Williams celebrated 25 years of building its F1
cars; Lotus marked 50 years of engineering; and Renault
celebrated 100 year of motorsports. Each of these marques was
represented by a wide variety of cars from their past and
present.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Fittipaldi was reunited with
the Lotus-Ford 72, the same model car that he used to earn his
first Grand Prix victory – the 1970 United States Grand Prix
at Watkins Glen – and the 1972 World Championship. Jackie
Stewart drove the Tyrrell-Ford 002 he used to win the 1971
World Championship. And Alan Jones climbed behind the wheel of
the Williams-Ford FW07 he drove while winning the 1980 title.
NASCAR was represented, as well, and the fans got to see Dale
Jarrett’s 2001 Ford Taurus, Sterling Marlin’s 2001 Dodge
Intrepid and Bobby Hillin Jr’s 1990 Chevy Lumina.
In addition to these categories, the festival featured the
Audis that won the Le Mans 24 Hours for the past three years
and an astonishing array of sports cars, classic and vintage
cars, rally cars, dragsters, exotic and rare cars, formula
cars, motorcycles and more from the past 100 years. In
addition to the drivers already mentioned, more than two dozen
other famous stars, such as Sir Stirling Moss, took part in
the festival.
“There are so many beautiful cars here,” Unser said. “I have
only seen many of these cars in photographs, and it’s
fantastic to see them all here.”
McNish set an unofficial record of 41.565 seconds on the
1.16-mile hill-climb course in the Panasonic Toyota TF102 that
fans will see in action at the SAP United States Grand Prix on
Sept. 29.
Feedback can be sent to
feedback@autoracing1.com
Go to our
forums
to discuss this article
|
|
|
|
e-mail us:
contacts@autoracing1.com
Back to the top
AutoRacing1 is an
independent internet online publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed
by CART Inc., NASCAR, FIA, FedEx, Winston, or any other series sponsor.
This material may not be published, broadcast, or redistributed without
permission.
User agreement
& disclaimer
Copyright 1999 -
2001,
AutoRacing1, Hamilton, NJ
|