Easily the stupidest day in the adventuring stupidity calendar has arrived. Forget Wimbledon, Henley, Euro 2012 and even all this Olympics nonsence, this summer is all about the Mongol Rally Festival of Slow, the launch of the world’s most splendid motorcar adventure.

Vehicles of all shapes and sizes are parking up in the paddocks of Goodwood Motor Circuit and out pour humans of equally varied shapes and sizes. These fine humans go by the name of 'Mongol Ralliers'. They are brave, fearless fellows - exemplary examples of mankind you might call them, although you probably wont... but you should. They are on the cusp of launching into the mighty unknown - 10,000 miles of adventuring absurdity across 3 mountains, 2 deserts and one very vast Steppe.

Students are comparing false moustace lengths with mechanics. Doctors are comparing underpants with bikers. These Ralliers are all fellow adventurists for the next month. Along the tarmacadam of Europe they will trudge, where they will see other Rally cars almost hourly. When in Central Asia these encounters will become more infrequent, smaller convoys will form and un-form, friendships will be made, marriages will be un-made. By Mongolia the teams will converge once again on the un-roads of the Steppe. Cars will breakdown, teams will lend a hand or perhaps a foot, lorries will be flagged down, tow ropes will snap, engines will roar back in to life and then proceed to splutter suspiciously again moments later. Will anyone make it? No one knows. Proper adventure.

This is all to come however, for now Buddy, of Wild Rides TV show fame, has arrived and is the resident compere for the day depositing his mildly innapropriate and therefore highly appropriate anecdotes and witterings all over Goodwood's sound system. The announcements of Least Likely to Make it to Mongolia, Biggest Fairies, Most Ludicrous Unnecessary Item & Most Money Raised for Charity will be announced a little later.

Teams are being acosted by the resident Festival of Slow Russian spies, TV presenters, brides & border guards. We hear one Rallier has already asked to be dropped off in Volgograd en route with his new wife Tatiana, or was it Tanya?