SPARKS flew as the driver of the day blazed a fiery trail thrilling the crowds at yesterday's ninth Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Competitors included drivers from half of the world's Formula One teams, as well as legends spanning the decades.

But the ace who really had the crowds - more than 100,000 over the three days at this south coast classic - was not Jenson Button or Eddie Irvine, but a pensioner from America, Bob Wriggle.

His dragster flew for up to 100 yards at a time with its front wheels six feet off the ground, sparks showering from rear skids - which even briefly set alight start line bales.

His prize was two round-the-world tickets from sponsor Lufthansa which had flown his and many other amazing machines across the Atlantic.

He said: "I had a great time, and I am glad I came."

Button, who presented the award and switched from his usual Benetton F1 car for demonstration drives in a V6 Clio, said: "I wish I could pull wheelies like that."

Wriggle was among around 200 racing drivers and motorcyclists of all ages, over a third of them top-rate stars in their time including countless world champions, who were competing on the 1.16 mile hill climb course through the parkland grounds of stately Goodwood House.

Unlike other high-power motorsport events, the track was lined purely with straw bales, but these were big at half a ton apiece to prevent cars from running into trees or spectators.

The course climbs from the coastal plain near Chichester to the crest of the South Downs near the Goodwood racecourse.

The fastest time of the day, despite the presence of teams such as Ferrari, McLaren, British-American racing. Williams and Benetton, was set by David Franklin in an historic Ferrari with 48.2secs, averaging around 100mph despite the twisting nature of the narrow track.

Despite last year's double fatality involving a competitor and a marshall, there were still speeds and spectacles, but there was a high emphasis on raised safety standards at Britain's biggest motor racing event. Last year, the Goodwood Festival drew more spectators than the British Grand Prix, which takes place again at Silverstone this Sunday.

Top British F1 driver, David Coulthard, competed, but not in his usual McLaren. Instead he chose an historic Mercedes, and fooled onlookers by wearing borrowed Bentley overall and a West crashhelmet.

Other F1 drivers in more regular machinery such as Irvine, Pedro de la Rosa, Juan Pablo Montoya and Luca Badoer gave plenty of action, but more to amuse the crowds with a series of tyre-burning sprints rather than bidding for outright honours.

This weekend of nostalgia featured around a billion pounds of exotic machinery, from current F1 cars to racing vehicles going back over a century.

More reports and pictures in the Echo this Friday, as part of our Wheels supplement