Ducati to celebrate centenary at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will celebrate 100 years of Ducati by bringing together some of the world’s most legendary riders for an iconic Balcony Moment on Thursday 9 July.
The Festival’s Balcony Moments are a celebration of motorsport legends in front of thousands of fans, and this year’s will see some of Ducati’s most successful racing champions and other riders from MotoGP, WSBK and BSB gather at Goodwood House. The list of names includes Carl Fogarty, Troy Bayliss, Casey Stoner, Dario Marchetti, Michael Rutter, Josh Brookes and Shane 'Shakey' Byrne. There will also be appearances on the balcony directly from the WSBK Donington race from Nicolò Bulega and Iker Lecuona (Ducati Corse Aruba Team), Alvaro Bautista, Tarran Mackenzie and Tommy Bridewell.
If that wasn’t enough, punters will get the chance to see the Collezione 100 on display in the paddocks. The ten unique motorcycles in the collection have liveries inspired by ten significant moments in Ducati's history. These include the 1972 200 Miglia di Imola race-winning Panigale V4 S 100 and the livery of the Diavel V4 RS 100, inspired by the graphics of the production 900 Replica (1979), which in turn was inspired by Mike Hailwood’s win on a Ducati in the 1978 Tourist Trophy.
Only one hundred units of each of the ten motorcycles will be available to buy.
The Duke of Richmond, CBE DL, founder of Goodwood Festival of Speed said: “Ducati is, quite simply, the most charismatic motorcycle brand in the world. It’s a little-known fact, but the first vehicle up the Goodwood Hilll, when we were planning the inaugural Festival of Speed in 1993, wasn’t a car, it was my own Ducati 888, a bike I still own to this day. It will be fantastic to have so many legendary bikes and riders joining us at this year’s Festival of Speed, as we celebrate Ducati’s centenary.”
The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place Thursday 9 – Sunday 12 July.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Goodwood