Gardner, Roberts at Goodwood Festival of Speed

In 2011 we were lucky enough to attend the Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS), and it's safe to say it's arguably the world's coolest motorsport festival.

The 2012 FoS is shaping up to be a massive event, with a number of big name riders and drivers confirmed for the event, including Aussie two- and four-wheeled guns Wayne Gardner and Mark Webber.

Gardner will be riding the 500cc Honda GP bike on which he won the 1987 World Motorcycle Championship. He will joined by the legendary grand prix rider Kenny Roberts Sr, who has three 500cc world championships to his name.

Riding his 1980 Yamaha YZR500, Roberts will be one of the star attractions for motorcycle fans, as will MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow, who will be tackling the hillclimb course on a Yamaha.

Steve Parrish will be riding the late Barry Sheen's bike, and a selection of other racing greats will also be in attendance: Kiwi World Superbike ace Aaron Slight, seven-time GP victor Henk van Kessel, James Ellison, Guy Martin, Stuart Graham, Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne, Stuart Easton, and Sammy Miller -- even 10-time Sidecar World Champion Steve Webster, partnered by three-time Sidecar World Champion Paul Woodhead.

The event is held at Goodwood House every year, a stately home in West Sussex, about an hour's ride south of London. It's held on the massive Goodwood estate that includes a hillclimb track, a circuit and enough paddocks to display hundreds of vehicles, from vintage bikes to brand new vehicles, prototypes cars, race bikes and concepts.

It truly is a stunning festival and if you're ever in the UK at the right time we would heartily recommend checking it out.

For 2012 the Goodwood FoS runs from June 28 to July 1. Most of the participating vehicles can be seen on the hillclimb course, which will include the most powerful MotoGP bike in history, the 2006 Ducati factory racer that was ridden by Spain's Sete Gibernau.

A few of the famous four-wheeled stars attending include F1 winner Mark Webber, along with former world champions Jensen Button and Lewis Hamilton. GP legends from the past such as Alain Prost, Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart, John Surtees and Emerson Fittipaldi will also be in attendance.

Set up like a motor show in parts, with plenty of displays from the manufacturers -- last year Honda had its own ferris wheel -- the FoS is a hive of activity and is unlike any other motorsport event in that the public has almost unfettered access to all vehicles, riders, and machines.

Whether it's the high-flying motocross shows, the live music or the rally racing displays, there's never a dull moment, and in 2012 the overriding theme is "Young Guns -- Born to Win". There will be a two-stroke celebration too, with bikes like the Harley-Davidson 350RR and Honda NS500 on display.

Check out the official Goodwood Festival of Speed website for more details.