Blog.alstare

Since 3 years now, the Alstare Team has been invited to the world biggest mechanical sports exhibition known as, the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Dully organized by the Earl of March, a meticulous ‘petrol head’ never refusing anything for everybody to be satisfied. With the support of the world’s biggest manufacturers, from GM to Rolls-Royce, VW Group or Ford, he is organizing this meeting since 1993, associating the brutal monsters from competition to the charm of the ‘Cartier Style and Luxe’ elegance contest.

With James Bond, its girls and incredible cars were ‘Special guests’ of this edition for the anniversary of Ian Fleming, the famous author of the hero’s novels.

This 3 days meeting gathers a century of mechanical sports, all  series, from WRC to Formula 1, from Superbike to the MotoGP origins, including Nascar, Indianapolis, The Le Mans 24 Hours, the GT FIA, the TT of the Isle of Man and all you can ever imagine. From 20  to over 3000 horsepower, all racers are welcome.

300 000 persons are coming every year over the hectares of displays of this event ‘Sold out’ for security reasons. The sunny weather encouraged all those people assured to watch the Great Show.

Every manufacturer wants to be there in the best place seen by various spectators, from newcomers to professionals and awarded sponsors.

In Briton land, our Yuki has been very pleased to carry on with the strong affection he has for now 6 years with the local public who is cheering the singular character and the generosity of our track warrior. Autograph sessions and shaking hands in the crowd had to be for the one the heart of fans will not soon forget.

The 2008 GSX-R from the SBK Championship remained this year the most ‘high tech’ bike displayed and has fill up the wishes of purists who had so many questions on very particular points about this machine. They know… Next year, we’ll have a continued video explaining why Yukio has 2 levers on the left handlebar… If some of you don’t know yet why, just cross the Channel next year and then you’ll know.

Burning down some tires and with help of many wheelies, Yukio succeed in thanking this massive crowd of fans just here for him.

Even some famous persons took on their time to come and salute the rider who made the heart of the crowds vibrating on this side of the Channel.

Starting with JK, alias Jamiroquai, who owns a GSX-R 600 with the 2004 BSB paint scheme, tagged with the famous 71 race number, and wears also the helmet with white stripes we know very well in our pit-garages. Thinking that JK went to see Yukio racing in Brands-Hatch! We would have more easily saw Yukio going to a concert or training to dance as his friend!

Troy Corser, Mickael Doohan, Karl Fogarty, Luigi Taveri, Jim Redman, John Mc Guiness, John Reynolds, Terry Rymer were some of the Champions present for the occasion. The entry list would have made some other organisations sick. Just think about all those guys in the same ‘parc fermé’ shared with the Formula 1 and gathering so many Champions at a square meter… Was a bit looking like The meeting of the ‘Racing Jet Set’.

And this without talking about the idol… no no… the Icon of the public, Lewis Hamilton, whose noisy run on Sunday lunchtime did not succeed in covering the shout of the crowd along the 1, 16 mile track, passing in the shadow of the trees close to the walls.

Just for knowledge, some cars are taking part to a real hill climb race whose record is held since 1999 by Nick Heidfeld in 41”6… It goes fast… very fast.

So, with the demo of the brand new Airbus A380XX and the Red Arrows, the Saturday evening ‘Bal’ with its diner with 1300 people drinking ‘Veuve Cliquot’ and its fireworks witch some said London City couldn’t afford, the noise of the F1 engines to the limit and the race of the ‘Wacky Racers’, the week-end was complete.

Just thought that some of you never heard about Goodwood…

Just to have an idea, go surfing on http://www.goodwood.co.uk/site/content/Motorsport.aspx

You’ll have then already made a first step to this wonderful event.

Next year will be the 100th anniversary of Suzuki witch started producing sewing-machines in 1908, and the 80th anniversary of their motorcycles department. A serious occasion to take place in this green display of the South of England to shut off some candles.