Donington Park
Donington Park
Castle Donington
Derby
DE74 2RP
Tel: 01332 810048
Fax: 01332 850422
Website: www.donington-park.co.uk
Lap Record: 1m 31.243s
Lap Record Holder: Gregorio Lavilla, Ducati
Directions:
Donington Park is at the heart of the Midlands, approximately eight miles south of Derby, at the hub of the major road network, within five miles of the M1 junction 23A/M42/A42, M1 junction 24/A6/A453 and M1 junction 24A/A50, and is adjacent to the East Midlands Airport. The nearest railway stations are: Derby and Loughborough - Midland Main Line services, London St. Pancras - Sheffield Line.
Track Info:
Donington Park can justifiably claim to be Britain’s oldest and newest Grand Prix Circuit with a history as a circuit for motorcycle racing stretching back almost 75 years.
In 1931, Alderman John Gillies Shields JP, who lived at Donington Hall, entered into discussions with Fred Craner of the Derby and District Motor Club with a view to establishing a race circuit on some of the original carriage tracks in the grounds of the Hall.
The first race took place on Whit Monday 1931 and was won by dirt track rider Squib Burton riding his 350cc Raleigh machine.
Following the phenomenal success of those early motorcycle race meetings, the circuit was extended and the first meeting for cars was held in 1933. Pre-war meetings culminated in the Donington Grands Prix of 1935-1938, in particular the events of 1937 and 1938, which were won by Bernd Rosemeyer, and Tazio Nuvolari, in the monster works Auto Union machines.
The circuit was taken over by the War Office during World War II and became the largest military vehicle depot in Europe.
Tom Wheatcroft, who had attended the pre-war Grands Prix at Donington Park as a schoolboy enthusiast, discovered that the circuit was still derelict in the early 1970s, and he acquired it within a week, upgrading it and building completely new facilities.
The circuit reopened in 1977, and staged the 1993 European Grand Prix that was won by Ayrton Senna (the first Grand Prix to be staged at Donington Park since 1938).
But it has always been a motorcycle racers' circuit, and has been the home of the British Motorcycle Grand Prix for a considerable number of years, together with staging rounds of British Superbikes.
The Donington Grand Prix Collection, the largest collection of Grand Prix racing cars in the world, is strengthening the heritage and motorcycle-racing story through an ever expanding motorcycle heritage display which includes the motorcycle ridden by Squib Burton to win that very first race in 1931.