Britain's premier motorsport garden party welcomes a number of AFT stars for this weekend's Festival of Speed. The FoS is the event where various historic and current motor racing vehicles parade up the hill, in front of a big crowd. There's more to it that that, but that's the gist. It's an non-competitive event. The Revival, later in the year, is the event where period costume is encouraged and pre-1967 vehicles race hard for honours.
Mees, Baker, Carver, Cose, Briar Bauman and Shayna Texter have come from the USA. Oliver Brindley is replacing Daytona 200 winner and AFT semi-regular Danny Eslick. Stevie Bonsey was supposed to be riding the Lloyd Brothers Ducati but was injured training and decided not to travel.
It means that there isn't one proper H-D representative. Eslick has been racing, and making mains, on XRs and XGs. So while it's great opportunity for young Brindley to schmooze, and we hope he makes the most of it, not having a factory H-D racer there does seem something of a missed opportunity. Perhaps Vance and Hines are using this break in a hectic schedule to get some testing in, for a second half of the season podium hunt.
The Festival of Speed appearance is a step closer to AFT honcho Michael Lock's plan to bring the AFT to Europe for a special round, spreading its reach beyond the lower 48. The flat track bikes, more than many other vehicles, will be fishes out of water, riding up a tarmac driveway, but it is nothing more than a shop window for the sport, and a chance for a handful of UK fans to meet the riders. There is no dirt track oval for them to ride on (this year, at least).
Tickets for tomorrow are from £57, for Saturday and Sunday they start at £69. If you can travel by two wheels, and aren't afraid to filter, do that. The traffic in and out of the venue can be very trying, to say the least. Goodwood FoS tickets.
If you're attending the FoS, and you see Jeffrey Carver, remember to get a photo pointing at the Sideburn logo on his sleeve.