11 Cockhall Close – Litlington – Hertfordshire – England SG8 0RB telephone: + 44 (0) 1763 853985 email: [email protected]

Gulf Oil Dragracing `Choice of Goodwood’ at Festival of Speed

Litlington, Cambridgeshire, UK, 3rd August 2013

The Goodwood Festival of Speed was founded in 1993 by the Earl of March in order to bring motor racing back to the Goodwood estate — a location steeped in British motor racing history. The Festival of Speed is now the largest motoring garden party in the world – a unique summer weekend that brings together an impossibly heady mix of cars, motorcycles, stars and motor sport ‘royalty’ to create the largest automotive culture event in the world. More than 250 signed on photographers (and many TV crews) from around the world was testament to the global interest in the event.

The team was personally invited by Lord March to show the record crowds of around 200,000 what a 1500HP Nitromethane Top Fuel Bike both looked and sounded like. And it did not fail to impress, drawing large numbers of amazed visitors to its pit area, for warm ups on nitro and whilst on its way to the holding area prior to the demonstration run `Up the Hill’. And it was not only the general public who were impressed, members of all the F1 teams in attendance spent time taking pictures and scrutinising the engineering detail with even iconic GP riders taking time to try out the bike for size. -2-

The Gulf Oil Dragracing – Grand Prix Originals pit area was located in the F1 paddock where the latest exotica and their drivers were on show for the world to see, hear and touch.

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Of course a hill climb with bends is not the normal habitat for such a machine, and so rider Ian King elected to make his exhibition runs a series of straight line `spurts’ interspersed with slow corners. The team prepared the bike as best they could under the unusual track conditions and mid 30 degree heat to great effect, but quickly worn tyres and clutch packs were the order of the weekend.

The team made two runs per day in the group that included the motorcycles and the F1 cars (including drivers such as , , and Sebastien Buemi) and were neatly sandwiched between their two and four wheel peers usually just before the F1 car and, for a special run up the Hill, Jackie Stewart in the iconic Silver Arrow Mercedes.

However, the highlight for the team was to be asked to bring the Gulf Oil – GPO machine to the prizewinner’s enclosure at the end of the event where they received a surprise honour in the form of the Goodwood Choice Award, selected by a group of judges including Lord and Lady March. Ian King shared the stage in receiving his award with alongside a who’s who of motorsport over the years including , , , Kenny Brack, Derek Bell, , , Kenny Roberts, Kevin Schwantz, Freddie Spencer, Randy Mamola and Hollywood star Peter Fonda (who was riding the iconic Captain America Harley from his film Easy Rider). A fitting end to a fantastic weekend.

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The team would like to thank Lord and Lady March, Jack Tetley, Christine Reddington, all the staff and marshalls and the fantastic visitors who made the event a truly memorable one.

Photos courtesy of Louis Beaumont, Jeff Bloxham, Jakob Ebrey and Matt Sills

The team will defend their FIM European Dragracing Championship crown and selected invited events across Europe remaining in 2013:-

FIM European Drag Bike Championship Round 3 - Hockenheimring (Germany), 9th-11th August Round 4 - Santa Pod Raceway (UK), 5th-8th September

The Gulf Oil – GPO Dragracing team uses and endorses exclusively Gulf Oil greases and lubricants in their history making machine.

The team is extremely proud to be supported by many leaders in their chosen markets in their challenge for the 2013 European Championship:-

APE - The world’s most innovative manufacturer of aftermarket parts for race bikes ACTION CAMERAS - Europe’s leading source for action sports cameras COMETIC GASKETS - The Premier Manufacturer of racing gaskets GATES - The world’s most trusted name in drive belts, hoses and hydraulics GOODRIDGE - The most innovative and the best in fluid transfer systems GRAND PRIX ORIGINALS - The brand for drive and lifestyle, past and present GULF OIL INTERNATIONAL - The world’s most iconic brand in automotive fuels and lubricants HOTROD HANGAR – Home of the world renowned custom artist Knud Tiroch HYPERPRO - The leading producer of progressive suspension products for motor bikes JE PISTONS - The world's premier manufacturer of high performance forged pistons KIBBLEWHITE PRECISION MACHINING - The highest quality valve train components available KING RACING – The most successful Top Fuel Bike team in European Dragracing history MICKEY THOMPSON - Simply the best drag race tyres in the world MRE - Leaders in trackside support for drag race components nand air shifting systems MTC ENGINEERING - Manufacturer of clutches for the fastest motorcycles in the world NITROSHUTTER - Europe’s leading dragracing photojournalists NCTENGINEERING - Manufacturer of the world’s leading non-contact motorsport torque sensors NEXUS UNDERWRITING MANAGEMENT - 1st class support services to underwriting subsidiaries NGK SPARKPLUGS UK – The world’s one spark plug manufacturer PAR WILLEN – Master webmeister and proprietor of HarleyDrags.com PORTABLE SHADE - The best custom branded collapsible canopies available PRO ALLOY MOTORSPORT - The UK’s leading fabricator of alloy tanks, intercoolers and radiators PUMA ENGINEERING - Manufacturer of the world’s most powerful motorcycle engines RSG CUSTOMIZE - The UK’s most creative website designers and vinyl artists SUPERTOUGH - Custom cases and covers for the Film, TV, Music and Motorsports Industries SPIES HECKER - the world's leading supplier of paint for car, commercial and industrial finishing. VAN ES MOBILITY – The leading manufacturer of telematic products for management of moving objects VANSON LEATHERS - The most iconic brand in motorsport leather goods WEB CAMSHAFTS INC - Simply THE company for Top Fuel Bike camshafts WORLDWIDE BEARINGS - The world’s leading supplier of ceramic bearings for racing ZODIAC - Europe’s largest supplier of performance and aftermarket HD parts

Read more about Ian King and the Gulf Oil Dragracing – GPO Team at www.gulfoildragracing.com