GOODWOOD ACTIVELY SUPPORTS THE 2011 NATIONAL MOTORSPORT WEEK

Fantastic cars are par for the course at the Festival of Speed

In just seven days time the annual UK National Motorsport Week (25 June-3 July) gets underway, celebrating Britain’s dominant role in global motor racing with a week of activities culminating at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed (30 June-3 July) - the world’s greatest celebration of motor sport and car culture, where almost every motor sport discipline is honoured and can be seen in action.

The 2011 National Motorsport Week is an exciting partnership between the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA), the Motor Sports Association (MSA) and Goodwood, with this annual event being switched to an earlier date in high summer to incorporate the Festival of Speed.

The UK remains the world leader of motor sport on all fronts, and to help illustrate the point, Goodwood will have the last four British-born Formula One World Champions - Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell, in action on the challenging 1.16-mile Festival hillclimb.

In addition, a who’s who of British motor sport talent, past and present, will also be at Goodwood, including Indy 500 winners Dario Franchitti and 2011 victor Dan Wheldon, F1 and Le Mans legends Derek Bell and Martin Brundle, two-wheeled competitors Guy Martin, Leon Haslam and John McGuinness, rally stars Jimmy McRae and Kris Meeke, circuit racers Anthony Reid and Steve Soper, F1 influencers Christian Horner and Adrian Newey, plus UK heroes John Surtees and Stirling Moss.

In addition to the Festival of Speed and Goodwood Revival, the UK hosts more than 5,000 motor sport fixtures sanctioned by the MSA governing body every year, including rounds of every major FIA World Championship, providing fans with an unrivalled opportunity to experience the excitement of live top class action. These not only provide the public with nationwide events to enjoy, but also a chance to participate in a raft of different disciplines, from sprints and hillclimbs to autotests and rallycross.

The UK is also in pole position when it comes to the cutting edge motor sport industry and it’s no surprise that eight out of the 12 current F1 teams are based in this country, with seven of these teams appearing at the Festival of Speed. The MIA figures indicate that around 4,500 companies are involved in the British motor sport and performance engineering Industry, boasting an annual turnover of £6 billion of which £3.6 billion is exported.

National Motorsport Week has run each year since 2006, with the valued backing of the MSA’s affiliated motor clubs. Its aim is to attract wider media coverage, which in turn introduces new fans, competitors, spectators, organisers, engineers, journalists, photographers and much needed marshals to the planet’s most thrilling sport.

“From all angles motor sport is a great UK success story and one we will be highlighting in National Motorsport Week,” says Colin Hilton, Chief Executive of the MSA. “The MSA has supported the MIA in this project since its inception. However, now National Motorsport Week will be part of our on-going Go Motorsport initiative, the primary purpose of which is to encourage more people into the sport. The objectives of the year-round Go Motorsport campaign are very similar – let’s get more people involved in motor sport.

“The revised date – plus the extra impetus from the MSA – will see this well established initiative gather even greater momentum. We couldn’t hope to have a better showcase than the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the move to July coincides with numerous UK motor sport events and activities, including the final build-up to the British Grand Prix. I am confident that by combining our resources and the whole sport coming together; we can really celebrate the global status and achievements of UK motor sport.”

Goodwood Festival of Speed founder the Earl of March says “we are truly delighted to have the 2011 National Motorsport Week culminating at the Festival of Speed, as the event brings together many of the finest cars, motorcycles, drivers, riders and teams that Britain has to offer, showcasing the extraordinary motor sport talent and prominence of this small island in the world of motor racing.”

Tyrrell P34, a huge sculpture and Goodwood House.
Where else can you get this photo?

Said the MIA’s CEO Chris Aylett, “This is great news. We are excited by our new partnership that will vault National Motorsport Week to a new level. Incorporating it into Go Motorsport makes enormous sense, as does being able to crown nine days of nationwide promotional activities with access to 150,000 of the most ardent followers of motor sport at the Festival of Speed.”

Tickets and further information for the 2011 Festival of Speed can be found on the Goodwood website (www.goodwood.com/motor sport/), or via the Ticket Hotline as follows:

Telephone: +44 (0)1243 755055

On-line via the Ticket section of the website www.goodwood.com/motor sport