NEVER mind the F1 heroes and bike legends, in just over a fortnight the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed will be invaded by some of the world’s greatest extreme motor sport stars performing amazing stunts behind the wheel or handlebars of their machines.

Ken Block, cult American star of his own hugely-popular Gymkhana videos, and now a rising World Rally Champion driver, will be publicly demonstrating his wild 800bhp+ Ford Fiesta Gymkhana 3 car for the first time in Europe, as well as screaming around the tough Goodwood Forest Rally Stage in his works Ford Focus RS WRC rally car.

On two wheels (occasionally) will be the Red Bull X-Fighters, arguably the world’s most spectacular freestyle motocross riders.

Four riders from this, the most prestigious and challenging form of freestyle motocross, will be in action on Saturday and Sunday at the Festival of Speed.

They will be performing around the Goodwood cricket pitch on a purpose-built course.

Twelve-time World Trials Champion and Goodwood favourite Dougie Lampkin, pictured, will be making a welcome return to the Festival, running amok throughout the beautiful West Sussex parkland all weekend on his 290cc Beta EVO T2 trials bike. The latest Dougie Lampkin vs Goodwood video can be viewed and/or downloaded from the Goodwood website at goodwood.com/ dougielampkin or youtube.

Top Irish stunt rider and recent BMW Motorrad UK signing Mattie Griffin will be making his Goodwood debut performing jaw-dropping tricks on the hillclimb to delight festival-goers.

With such great stars in action, the 2010 festival really does promise entertainment in the ‘extreme.’