Late last week the Earl of March – founder of the annual Festival of Speed (28 June-01 July) and Goodwood Revival (14-16 September) – announced some of the news highlights for this season’s Goodwood events. These include:

2012 Festival of Speed Highlights:

-At least seven current Formula One teams attending and in action, including the very first Goodwood appearance for double F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel, along with the Red Bull Racing team and his team mate Mark Webber. Expect to see other top teams and drivers at the Festival too, with more names due to be confirmed shortly. Sebastian Vettel’s Goodwood attendance links in perfectly with the 2012 Festival of Speed theme – ‘Young Guns – Born to Win’.

-The Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ is one of the World’s finest automotive concours d’elegance car design competitions, and for 2012, a unique gathering of vehicles will be brought together to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. All vehicles will have a direct connection with Her Majesty, with most never or rarely seen in public before. These will range from formal State limousines, through to personal cars, an aircraft and even a Royal train carriage.

-The 2012 Festival of Speed will honour one of Britain’s most iconic and innovative sports car brands – Lotus. The Company’s past, present and future will be celebrated with the main Central Feature ‘installation’ outside Goodwood House, plus at least 50 significant Lotus race and road cars in action and on display during the Festival weekend.

-The 2012 Festival will see expansions and enhancements to the GAS (Goodwood Action Sports) arena, the relocation of the Goodwood Aviation Exhibition within the Festival Parkland, near the Moving Motor Show, plus the largest collection of two-stroke competition motorcycles ever assembled at the event.

2012 Goodwood Revival Highlights:

-An at-speed demonstration of the breath-taking Silver Arrows Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union competition cars 75 years after their memorable race in the UK at Donington.

-Fiftieth anniversary celebrations for the Ferrari 250 GTO, with plans for a daily parade of at least half the total GTO production, plus an all-AC Cobra race to mark the first half-century of the iconic Anglo-American sports car.

-A daily tribute to American racer Dan Gurney, 50 years after taking his first Grand Prix victory.

-Two very special races, with the Nine Hours night race, 60 years after this first Goodwood race into the dark, plus a new Goodwood competition, the Settrington Cup, being held for young drivers in Austin J40 pedal cars!

A five minute video with highlights of these announcements, plus more, can now be viewed and downloaded for your own use at http://www.goodwood.co.uk/motorsport/photos-and-videos/videos/press-day-2012.aspx

There will be many other features and attractions to this year’s Goodwood motor sport event, with more details to follow over the coming weeks and months.

Tickets and further information for the 2012 Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival can be found on the Goodwood website (www.goodwood.com/motor sport), or via the Ticket Hotline as follows:

Telephone: +44 (0)1243 755055

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is proud to support the National Motorsport Week in the UK, running from 25 June to 3 July 2011. For more information visit http://www.gomotorsport.net

.