Stars gear up for top action

PETROL heads will flock to Eastern Creek in March for the Top Gear Festival Sydney.

The festival, over two adrenalin-packed days (March 9-10), will draw car lovers from across the country and the rest of the world to the newly refurbished Sydney Motorsport Park.

British Top Gear hosts, Jeremy Clarkson and James May as well as The Stig, will join Australian co-host Shane Jacobson and international celebrities for nine hours of automotive action.

Jacobson said it would be the greatest outdoor motoring festival in Australia.

"The reason is its diversity," he said.

"And, let's be honest, it's because of the madness.

"You put Jeremy Clarkson, James May and myself on a track with a bunch of race cars mixed in with Mark Webber in a Formula One, an aeroplane that races cars, bring in Craig Lowndes, grab Fabian Coulthard and all the touring car masters, throw them on a race track and you go berserk.

"I reckon that's a pretty good recipe."

Highlights include Australian Formula One driver Mark Webber who will attempt to break the lap record of one minute and 19 seconds in his Red Bull F1 racer.

Clarkson and May will attempt to speed up the Express Postal service with the Postie Bike Challenge and The Stig will set power lap times in some of the rarest supercars seen here.

Also, former F1 world champion Alan Jones will be setting his 1980 Williams F1 car against Bathurst legend Colin Bond in Alan Moffat's 1977 Ford Falcon.

Jamie Whincup will be taking on aerobatic pilot Matt Hall to settle which is faster around the track — a plane or car.

Plus, 16 drifters will tear up the track in a drifting session.

Details: topgearfestival sydney.com.au.