Further to the confirmation earlier this week of the 2012 dates for Goodwood’s ever-popular annual motoring events, Lord March can now confirm the theme for next year’s Festival of Speed.

The 2012 Festival of Speed theme (28 June-01 July) is ‘Young Guns – Born to Win’, celebrating drivers and riders and designers and engineers whose supreme talent and insatiable thirst for speed shocked the establishment, affording them immediate superstar status.

Throughout motor sport history, an elite group of newcomers have announced their arrival on the world stage with performances so stunning as to instantly rewrite the status quo. From Bernd Rosemeyer and Mike Hawthorn, to Emerson Fittipaldi and Lewis Hamilton, Mike Hailwood and Valentino Rossi, to Henri Toivonen and Colin McRae, all made an impact that was as immediate as it is indelible.

The 2012 Festival of Speed will celebrate the careers of these overnight sensations – some of whom fulfilled their full promise; others who shone briefly before fading; but all of whom secured their own special place in motor sport’s rich tapestry.

Alongside this central theme, the 2012 Festival will mark the 60th anniversary of Lotus Engineering. Inspired by the incomparable Colin Chapman, this small British company utilised unparalleled technical ingenuity to dominate all levels of motor sport, from club racing to Formula 1, creating a glorious and enduring legacy. A spectacular collection of winning Lotus cars, from F1, Indycars, saloons and sports cars, will be a key attraction at this year’s Festival.

The Festival of Speed will also feature a glittering array of cars and motorcycles from a huge variety of disciplines, further enhancing the Goodwood event’s reputation as the world’s greatest celebration of motor racing history and culture. Tackling the famous Goodwood hillclimb will be everything from early Grand Prix and endurance machines, to off-road and contemporary racers and racing motorcycles.

Complementing the overall Festival of Speed theme will be a host of other attractions at the 2012 Festival. Aside from getting close to the action-packed hillclimb and paddocks, Festival-goers will be able to admire some of the most stylish vehicles ever designed at the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ concours d’elegance, see and potentially try the very latest road cars at the Moving Motor Show exhibition, glimpse into the future of transportation at FoS-TECH, see many of motor sport’s famous faces up close, swoon at the mouth-watering display of supercars, witness the exciting sideways action on the Forest Rally Stage, and become a part of the action at the off-road activity fields and Junior Festival of Speed. The hugely popular GAS (Goodwood Action Sports) will return for 2012 as well.

Goodwood Festival of Speed founder Lord March says: “I am really looking forward to having so many great cars and drivers here at the Festival of Speed to celebrate our 2012 ‘Young Guns’ theme. For me it is always magical to see so many of the world’s greatest drivers, riders and machines in action.”

As in previous years, admission to the Festival of Speed, plus the Goodwood Revival (14-16 September) and Moving Motor Show (28 June) will be strictly by advance ticket only, with 2012 event tickets going on sale from 9am Monday 29 October.

The ‘Young Persons’ ticket trialled by Goodwood in 2011 proved to be such a success that this half-price entry will be continued for next year, with the 13-18 age range now extended up to 21 years of age. Any young person aged between 13 and 21 can now purchase Festival of Speed and/or Revival tickets for half the full adult price. Children of 12 years or under remain free of charge, as does all car parking.