Dennis to give motor sport safety lecture at NEC show

Ron Dennis has been lined up to deliver the 2009 Motorsport Safety Fund Watkins Lecture at the Autosport International show on January 9.

The lecture at the NEC in Birmingham has become one of the highlights of the British racing car show and is named after former F1 medic Professor Sid Watkins, who has made the speech twice before. It is usually attended by some 500 delegates who are directly involved in the sport. Previous speakers include Sir Jackie Stewart, Max Mosley, Niki Lauda, Ross Brawn, Bernie Ecclestone, David Richards and Martin Brundle.

Newly retired F1 ace David Coulthard, Le Mans winner Allan McNish, sports car driver David Brabham and rising star Oliver Jarvis are among the names already signed up for the ’09 event from January 8-11.

Coulthard will be celebrating his career at the show, with a selection of cars and karts he raced during his career being brought from the David Coulthard Museum in his home village of Twynholm. “Autosport International has been a regular event for me over the years,” said Coulthard. “It’s quite fitting that we should collaborate on displaying the cars that I have been lucky to drive throughout the years; I have been at the show at the beginning of most of the seasons that will be represented.”

McNish will be celebrating his famous 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours victory when he defeated the quicker Peugeots at the wheel of the Audi R10. Radical has also been confirmed for the event, where it will be displaying its latest machinery in new livery. Crowd favourite Terry Grant, the stunt driver who holds 16 world records, will star once again in the 4700-seat Live Action Arena.