The drive to save Donington
After the disastrous attempt to host the British Grand Prix at Donington in 2010, the circuit has been left a shadow of its former self. The last owner, Donington Ventures Leisure Limited, went ahead with ambitious plans to revamp the circuit before the company went into administration last November, leaving Donington Park without even the original functioning race track. To restore it to how it was just under two years ago is going to cost a minimum of £600,000.
For all motor sport enthusiasts this is sad news. However, there is light at the end of what has been a particularly dark tunnel: the control of Donington has been passed back to the Wheatcroft family. As we speak Kevin Wheatcroft, son of late circuit revivalist Tom, is doing everything he can to reopen it.
If you’re looking to invest in and save one of Britain’s best-loved circuits then now is surely the time. But if you’re not quite in the right financial situation then a motor sport enthusiast from Oxford by the name of Lee Coombs has come up with an alternative idea.
“I didn’t have any contacts, I don’t have any financial clout, but I’m a real enthusiast of Donington Park and historic racing in particular,” he says. “I found myself going on the internet every five minutes and reading about Donington and, quite frankly, depressing myself.
“I thought, ‘what can I do?’ I’m a Lotus owner and so contacted the forum and said ‘why don’t we drive up there and just show whoever owns the track that repairing it is a viable option’. So that’s what we’re doing. I didn’t realise it was going to take off like it has…”
The plan is to drive to Donington Park on March 7 and so far Coombs has managed to recruit nearly 700 people for the event through his new website (www.savedonington.co.uk) and various forums.
A hoard of spectators gather to see the top three finishers at the end of the 1938 Donington Grand Prix
The Wheatcroft family has had a torrid time of late and we urge you to go to Donington to show them your support on March 7. It’s not a protest, but merely a gathering of like-minded people trying to save one of Britain’s great circuits. Tom would have been proud.
Filed under: Blogs, Events, Miscellaneous
Tags: donington, Tom Wheatcroft
Ed returned from a stint in Milan, working on the Italian version of Autocar, and joined the team in August 2007. After two years of countless scooter accidents and a constant battle against coffee addiction it was a relief for him to start writing in his mother tongue. As well as managing the website, Ed writes various features and is a regular contributor to CNN, Channel 4, Sky News, the BBC and a number of radio stations. He was also awarded the MSA/Renault Young Motoring Journalist of the Year in January 2009. 
N. Weingart:
January 12th, 2010 8:13pm
Bravo Coombs! Brilliant idea to make a day of it. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see a historic event like the Goodwood Revival at Donington? There is so much potential there I can’t see it going to seed. I thought Palmer’s organization would snatch it up, may yet.
It’s a real pity what Gillette did to Donington.
Michael Spitale:
January 13th, 2010 9:35pm
as an American I am curious… Which track is more near and dear to Brits hearts… Silverstone or Donington? and part 2… which track was the better track for racing?
Young Clive:
January 13th, 2010 10:27pm
It is a great idea of Lee Coombs to organize the drive to Donnington.
A surefire way of getting at least local publicity, & maybe a National motoring magazine might take it up?
It will probably take years to get Donnington back to the National & International useage that it used to enjoy, & the person who runs it will need to be dedicated to that project & nothing else for it to succeed.
To keep mentioning Jonathan Palmer & his Team in this matter, is like calling on him to be the saviour of ALL the British Circuits, except Silverstone of course.
How about one of the F1 Teams Buy/Leasing it? If you remember McLaren were going to buy Lydden Hill, for a test track, at one time.
Think about all the problems that Silverstone had making its mind up about how to move forward after it lost the British Grand Prix, & even more mind searching when it was offered back to them.
Just a thought, are there to many Race Tracks in the UK now, could we do without Donnington? It is just a thought!!
Young Clive..
CasinoSquare:
January 14th, 2010 12:42am
Michael, in a personal opinion to your question, Donington was more fun to race saloons as Silverstone always felt too ‘wide’, although Silverstone is where I learnt to race open-wheelers and is a special place.
That said the most fun i ever had was in an Alfa 155 at Snetterton…
Keith Moralee:
January 14th, 2010 7:42pm
Donington is special because is is The Heart of British Motorsport. An ideal location and well attended as well as housing Tom Wheatcroft`s Collection which is a must for any fan! Silverstone may have the big races but Donington just has an atmosphere that is waiting to be experienced. I do not race (yet) but from a spectators point of view it is a great place to go. Added to that is the fact that in the pre war years the big guns came from Germany to do battle on the original circuit, most of which is still trace-able and the views of the surrounding countyside – well… long live Donington!!
Michael Spitale:
January 18th, 2010 2:21am
So what I am hearing is Silverstone is bigger on a world stage, but Donington is more “British” at heart….
Ed Foster:
January 18th, 2010 11:14am
Michael,
Both are great tracks, but Silverstone – in my eyes – is very much the home of the British Grand Prix. This certainly doesn’t mean that Donington is superfluous as it is a great track.
The more circuits we have up and running to a high standard in Britain the better as it creates some competition between them all, which in turn leads to better facilities.
Having spent much of my life up in Scotland I’m not sure I’d have had even half the amount of time on track as I have if it wasn’t for Knockhill. It’s not renowned for having the best facilities (or weather) but it’s great that it’s still running and supporting local interest!
I think the chances of Donington regaining some of its headline races in the near future are slim, but as long as it can be brought back to what it was, there’s no reason why it can’t in the more distant future. Especially if some money is spent on it. Where that will come from is anyone’s guess….!
EF
David Meadus:
January 18th, 2010 9:12pm
Silverstone is the home of the British Grand Prix. Donnington could be argued is the home of the clubman racer. I found it the most enjoyable circuit to drive, much more so than Silverstone, as Donnington in a lower powered car was much more technical. It is a travesty what happened to Donnington, but thank goodness it wasn’t damaged further during the terrible farce last year.
I’m not unduly concerned, as I’m confident that the circuit will be returned to its former self. It will be great to see the different shows of support to raise awareness and funds, such as the drive being organised by Lee Coombs
peter robinson:
January 19th, 2010 11:45am
As Donnington has such significant pre-war history it is particularly important to keep it as an operating circuit. As a spectator, it is an attractive circuit because the changes in altitude provide something missing from tracks such as Silverstone and Snetterton. The nature of the landscape allows one to walk round the whole circuit and see corners from varied angles. To oldies like me it has the same appeal as the GP circuit at Brands: a road circuit a million miles away from Bernie’s sterile ersatz, Legoland/Scalectrix ideal. I hope Donnington survives.
Keith Moralee:
January 19th, 2010 11:57pm
When people talk of the British GP they think naturally of Silverstone. When you talk about Brands Hatch and Donington it is from the heart. Donington is very central within England and has good travel networks close by. I am sure racing will resume soon in 2010 and will throw up some great weekends. Think back to Senna in `93, Mansell in THAT BTCC Mondeo, Ron Haslam on the Norton, Rossi in recent years, and then all the classic racing that goes on. There is the fantastic Donington Collection built by Tom Wheatcroft and various other events that take place there, this is the reason so many people do not want Donington to die.
Mullarkian:
January 20th, 2010 3:38pm
Silverstone is not the home of British motor racing. It was and always will be and airfield. Donington was used before WWII and it and any of the ‘park’ circuits provide better viewing facilities than an airfield. Brands Hatch was always the best circuit to view the GP on, at Silverstone you can watch the cars for 300 yards at the most.
Stephen G:
January 21st, 2010 8:42pm
I know he is a popular punchbag, but for me Bernie really is the villain of the piece when it comes to Donington. Surely a guy as smart as him never really thought the GP was going to happen there? Just look at the access for one thing, and he made them build a dual carraigeway to Silverstone. I think it was all part of his bargaining with the BRDC, and he didnt really care what happened at Donington (unless of course he is now looking to buy it up cheap !)
Ade:
January 22nd, 2010 3:00am
This whole mess is Bernies fault… the least he could do is stump up a fraction of his many millions to at least set the track back to it’s original condition
Lee Coombs:
February 2nd, 2010 9:38pm
Please visit the website for all the latest, very exciting, news.
Thanks for your support.
Lee
DAVE HOTCHIN:
February 4th, 2010 5:23pm
Donington is a superb circuit for bikes, Silverstone is a F1 venue, totally unsuited to bikes. B.E. employed somebody totally inept to vandalise a going concern for whatever polical reasons Popular opinion was that the whole wacky idea was a non-starter This has left MotoGP, WSB and BSB plus club level bikes and cars minus a venue that everyone enjoyed.
I think the least Bernie can do is to finance the work required to put the circuit back to what it was.
I’m overwhelmed by the support Donington is receiving and wish everyone concerned in its revival success.
Andy Reeves:
February 5th, 2010 12:01pm
Could not agree more with the previous comment.BE is responsible for the vandalism,and I am sure that Tom had doubts about it too.But the promise of the GP was too good to miss.
If the situation arose that a cooperative was needed then it is now.
It is in the interests of british motorsport to
reinstate the circuit.
jim reed:
February 18th, 2010 7:35pm
Iread with interest it will cost £600m to put the track back at donnington, why not ask every dedicated fan like myself to donate the admission price it would have cost to watch a race at donnington, after all we would have been there if racing had been possible. just an idea how we can help.
peter robinson:
March 1st, 2010 9:07am
Why not give fans/drivers/teams a chance to buy a share(s) in the ‘restored Donnington? You then get a future discount on ticket price/track day cost/testing costs etc. Simple, effective, raises cash from the sport
alex boyle:
April 7th, 2010 5:07pm
Good idea Peter Robinson ( 1/3/10).If every motorsport enthusiast in UK donated £1 this would more than pay to restore circuit.I also agree that it is largely Ecclestones fault;he must have realised early on that that dreamer Gillett could never pull it off.Have raced Donington myself;great drivers circuit.