Valentino Rossi to attend star studded Goodwood Festival of Speed

Festival founder Lord Charles March announced today (Tuesday, March 31) that this year’s festival will follow the theme ‘Flat Out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’.

Lord March said the event will ‘capture the essence of what makes motor racing the greatest sport on earth’.

“It gives us a great opportunity to calibrate some of the most daring and spectacular moments in racing history,” he said.

The festival will play host to multiple vehicle debuts, motor sport stars and classic cars from June 25 to June 28.

It will kick off with the Moving Motor Show which will include eighteen of the world’s largest car manufacturers.

Over the next few days visitors will get to see the largest ever representation of NASCAR racers, including a display by driver Richard Petty - who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

Lord March said ‘the King’ Richard Petty will bring his infamous championship winning 1970 Plymouth Superbird.

Also present, will be five current F1 teams - including current world champions Mercedes-Benz - on display, as well as MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi.

Marking the 60th anniversary of Sir Stirling Moss’s victory at the Mille Miglia in 1955, seven Mercedes-Benx 300 SLRs will also be on show.

Several motorsport stars will be honoured. Motorbike riding legends, Casey Stoner, Freddie Spencer and Kenny Roberts will also be taking to the hillclimb course.

Displays will celebrate the 80th birthday of Figoni et Falaschi cars, the Citroën DS brand’s 60th and the 20th anniversary of Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’.