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HASLAM TAKES ON THE FAMOUS GOODWOOD HILLCLIMB

24/06/2011

If you are unable to make it across to Germany for BMW Motorrad Days on 1 to 3 July, there’s another event taking place on the same weekend where some of BMW’s most iconic motorcycles, cars and racers, both past and present, can be found. Approximately 150,000 motorsport fans will be making the annual pilgrimage to Chichester, southern England, to experience one of the most enjoyable events on the British motorsports calendar – the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The highlight of this unique event is the hillclimb runs, during which legendary vehicles and stars, including five BMW motorcycles and five cars, enter a time-trialled hillclimb along a world-famous 1.16-mile drive through the Goodwood House estate.

Last year it was BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s World Superbike racer Troy Corser who tackled the hillclimb on his S 1000 RR race bike, but for 2011 it will be his team-mate Leon Haslam who will be racing up the hill, signing autographs and meeting fans during the weekend.

John Surtees OBE, the only man ever to be crowned world champion on both two and four wheels, will be making the run on a supercharged 1939 Type 255 Kompressor race bike. Making 60bhp and weighing just 138kg, the 482cc supercharged BMW Boxer took Georg Meier to victory in the 1939 Senior TT race on the Isle of Man.

BMW stunt star Mattie Griffin, one of the best freestyle riders in the world, will be at the event for the second year in a row, treating visitors to a dazzling display of motorcycle handling, performing stoppies and burnouts as he wheelies up the Goodwood hill. Mattie will be performing two shows a day on his specially-prepared F 800 R, which will also be on display in the paddock, where he will be meeting and chatting to fans and visitors.

Away from the hillclimb route, visitors to Goodwood can experience the BMW Pavillion, a huge building which showcases a range of BMW motorcycles and cars, as well as the advanced technology and rich heritage of the brand. This year it will include the award-winning RR supersports bike, as well as the stunning HP2 Sport in Motorsports colours, featuring the most powerful boxer engine ever built.

The two sportiest motorcycles in the BMW Motorrad range will line up alongside the ground-breaking new K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL six-cylinder grand tourers that represent the pinnacle of luxury touring and advanced motorcycle technology.

Tony Jakeman, BMW Motorrad UK Marketing Manager, said: “The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an event unlike any other in motorsport. Not only do the bikes, cars, riders and drivers span every series and era, but the 150,000 visitors are able to walk among the paddock, experiencing the sights and smells of the machines.

“We’re very excited to be bringing a range of stunning motorcycles to join the BMW cars, and especially to have two of our most iconic bikes, the BMW S 1000 RR World Superbike and the Type 255 Kompressor, ridden up the hill by two of the most recognisable faces in British motorsport: John Surtees and Leon Haslam.”

For more information about this event, visit www.goodwood.co.uk