Fast Eddie makes debut on Broadway.

Eddie Irvine made his debut on Broadway today - at the wheel of the Jaguar R1 Formula One car.

The Jaguar Racing driver piloted the R1 along five blocks in the heart of New York's theatreland while team-mate Johnny Herbert ran alongside him in one of the city's famous yellow taxi cabs as part of a promotion to signal Formula One's return to the United States.

The R1 set off at 10.00am and, with the assistance of the NYPD, fought its way through New York's notoriously heavy traffic to the finish line at Times Square. Thousands of onlookers lined the route from Broadway to Times Square to add to the excitement of the event.

''I was thrilled to be given the chance to take centre stage, albeit a bitumen one,'' Irvine said, ''I've encountered traffic on a race track, but to be in the thick of it, in a Jaguar, on the streets of New York was brilliant. It was an effective way for Jaguar Racing to help the promotion of Formula One in the US ahead of the grand prix in Indianapolis. It was a fun day, and we certainly won over a few more Formula One converts today. There is so much expectation among the American fans.

''I trust that we won't be running at such a sedate pace when we get to lndy for the grand prix. I am really looking forward to this weekend's race. The track layout is challenging and will throw up a few technical challenges we haven't seen before in F1.''

''The atmosphere was unbelievable,'' said Johnny Herbert, fresh from trailing Irvine in an old-style New York cab, ''I knew we would create a fuss, but the turnout was overwhelming. It shows that the American public are really getting behind Formula One.''

''It's really great that F1 is returning to the USA at Indianapolis, the home of the lndy 500, which is a race I want to compete in the future,'' Herbert, who is heading to the United States next year to compete in the CART series, added, ''I'm looking forward to the challenge of the banking and can't wait to get out there and give it a go!''