Gascoyne to drive creation at Goodwood.

Mike Gascoyne's relationship with employers Jordan is evidently still in good shape, as the team's technical director gets to drive one of his own creations at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.

Gascoyne will be at the wheel of last years Mugen-engined 199 for the blast up the 1.2mile hillclimb course at Goodwood House on Saturday and Sunday. He is expected to join a host of other motorsport celebrities and a wide range of racing machinery from past and present as drivers attempt to beat the hill record set by Nick Heidfeld and McLaren in 1999.

''I don't think that there is any danger of me setting a new record,'' Gascoyne smiled, ''I only sat in the car for the first time when I had a seat fitting on Wednesday!

''The first chance I will get to drive it will be when I set off for the two practice runs on Saturday, and then it will be against the clock on Sunday. I have also never been to Goodwood before, and I hear that there isn't much room for error, so I'll try not to get too carried away!''

Gascoyne already has experience of Formula One cars, however, having competed in a variety of Tyrrells in the British BOSS racing series. His best outing resulted in third place at Brands Hatch in one of the 1994-spec cars, but Gascoyne is keen to point out that technology has moved on a bit since the Tyrrell was built.

''That car had a semi-automatic gearbox but, unlike the latest ones, it also had a foot clutch,'' he explains, ''and the engine I raced with had been detuned and only revved to 13,00rpm - the Jordan will rev to 17,000!

''It is in full race-spec, exactly as it finished the end of last season. I may be familiar with every inch of the car from a technical point of view, but knowing it and driving it are two entirely different things - especially on a narrow road in a country estate!''

The Festival of Speed takes place at Goodwood House, near Chichester in West Sussex this weekend, with action on the hill starting as early as 9-00am on both days.