Rebecca's Rambles…

As ever Goodwood has lived up to its name: glorious. Year after year the Festival of Speed promises car fanatics and enthusiasts an unbelievable and unforgettable day out. In the words of Petrol Head Nirvana ‘No other event combines such a diverse and authentic collection of cars and motorbikes with a star-studded line-up of drivers in one place.’

The Festival of Speed runs from 30^th June- 3^rd July 2011 and offers a wide variety for all: the Moving Motor Show display, the Exhibitors area, the Forest Rally Stage, FoS-TECH, the off-road Activities Field, the Supercar Paddock, the Cricket Pitch and a great deal more.

This year’s theme is “Racing Revolutions – Quantum leaps that shaped motor sport, celebrating the ceaseless quest for increased power; greater efficiency; more speed.”

From start to finish the day (Thursday 30^th June 2011) proved to be a great success. The cars were beautifully displayed and exhibited with various companies promoting their models in unique ways (to name a few): the Mini stand had the scalectricks running, BMW offered an amazing fifteen mniutes with Jake Humphreys and Audi offered some fantastic giveaway goodie bags.

The most memorable interview of the day was between BBC F1 commentator Jake Humphreys and Dirk Muller. The interview was inspiring to fans of the sport and with only a small crowd surrounding the two stars the interview proved to be very intimate and exclusive.

The jaw dropping event of the day had to be the Goodwood Action Sports (GAS). The stunts left people trembling at the knees. “Chicks dig scars.”

FMX (Freestyle Motocross, a spin-off of motocross racing), BMX, and MTB (Mountain Bike Trials) wowed the crowds. “I can’t watch anymore, feel how sweaty my palms are. It is making me so nervous,” remarked one mother whilst her son watched in awe.

The stunts were definitely geared to the younger viewers but parents alike were amazed and struck by the sheer fearlessness of the riders, especially the FMX.

The BMX riders on the Animal Bike Tour were so concise and disciplined with their bike tricks. Riders Martyn Aston, Danny MacAskill and Blake Samson certainly caused a frenzy of excitement. By the end of their performance I was feeling numb. The sheer skill and precision that went into every move was undeniable and the crowd could sense the tension as each rider demonstrated their talent.

See my Flickr and YouTube for more videos and photographs of the event.