Friday 7th September 2012

You Know You Want To: Donington's bridge

The Dunlop bridge was a Donington landmark for years - and is now for sale

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Auctions always throw up some weird and wonderful lots. The proliferation of 'barn-find' cars in auction houses indicates there's a buyer for anything if you look hard enough.

Donington landmarks up for grabs...

So how about a bid on some true racing memorabilia? At the Goodwood Revival next Saturday (September 15), Bonham's will auction off the Donington Dunlop Bridge in aid of Hope Against Cancer.

That's right, the iconic Dunlop Bridge, a landmark of the Derbyshire circuit since 1977, will be sold to the highest bidder. The lot comprises fibreglass sections of the bridge, the side supports and the Dunlop letters. There is no metal structure as that was sold for scrap in 2009 when the ill-fated remodelling of Donington began. Still, there's nothing stopping the successful bidder making another metal structure and building the bridge up again...

And that isn't all. Other features of Donington will also be sold off for charity. A nine-metre wind tunnel model of Project Blue Star, a land speed record car from the 1970s, will feature in the auction. As well as this, the Pirelli-branded clock that was until recently located on the Old Hairpin bridge will be open to bids. The final piece of the Donington landscape to be sold will be the advertising signs that used to hang below the Dunlop Bridge.

This could take some explaining back home...

Christopher Tate, Managing Director at Donington Park, believes the "time has come" and that the circuit needs "to make space for new developments in the paddock area".

So not only is the money going to a good cause, the auction is benefitting one of Britain's best circuits and you could get yourself a piece of motorsport heritage. But a word of warning: a crane is needed should you fancy the land speed record car...

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DUNLOP FOOTBRIDGE
Price: Up for auction...
Why you should: An iconic motorsport landmark you could put in your back garden!
Why you shouldn't: Doing the above might not go down so well...

[graham22]

Is the sparkplug up for sale - that'll be great in the garden.

[Steamer]

Ummm that Dunlop bridge would make an excellent feature entrance to the Cul-de-sac... I wonder if the other residents would mind?

[Frimley111R]

Noooooo. That's iconic. No reason why it could be kept. Bad decison by the owners IMO.

[CliveM]

Mr Clarkson, your garden gate has arrived....

[DanDC5]

CliveM said:

Mr Clarkson, your garden gate has arrived....

[BBS-LM]

Frimley111R said:

Noooooo. That's iconic. No reason why it could be kept. Bad decison by the owners IMO.

Just what I was thinking, the one thing you think of when going to the Donington Race track is the Dunlop Bridge.

[Redlake27]

Dunlop did try and get Birmingham City Council and the Highways Agency to agree to relocating it, back on April 1st...


http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news--general-...

[V8 FOU]

CliveM said:

Mr Clarkson, your garden gate has arrived....

The Biggest Gate IN THE WORLD.

And on that Bombshell.......

[Arun_D]

For a good cause, yes, but it's just not the same without it. Such an icon.

Also, PHers take note, there's no double-N in Donington.

[fatboy69]

A shame that an iconic piece of British Motorsport history, albeit only a bridge, is being unceremoniously dumped by the circuit owners.

Not sure why they cannot utilise the bridge at some point at the track. Tom, bless him, will be turning in his grave at the thought if his bridge being sold like this.

It would however look great at the entrance to my cul-de-sac however i know exactly what the other residents, & swmbo, would say...

Pity however i hope it goes to a good home where it will be loved & not sold for scrap.

[FWDRacer]

Garden

Me.

SWMBO

A philanthropic sort buys it and reinstalls it at the circuit!?!

[DanDC5]

I wonder if what they'd do if someone bought it and donated it back to the circuit?

[OllieC]

I havent been to Donington for a few years, has the circuit changed much since the ill fated F1 bid ?

I'm hoping not ! The website suggests the basic layout is the same ?

Thanks

[Captain Muppet]

BBS-LM said:

Frimley111R said:

Noooooo. That's iconic. No reason why it could be kept. Bad decison by the owners IMO.

Just what I was thinking, the one thing you think of when going to the Donington Race track is the Dunlop Bridge.

Is it? I always think of all those curves going down the hill and back up again.

[Dr Interceptor]

Any idea of dimensions?

>>>goes to measure back garden

[mrmr96]

BBS-LM said:

Frimley111R said:

Noooooo. That's iconic. No reason why it could be kept. Bad decison by the owners IMO.

Just what I was thinking, the one thing you think of when going to the Donington Race track is the Dunlop Bridge.

...except it's not been there for years.

[MogulBoy]

I seem to recall Barry Sheen coming off his bike when he got air under his front wheel whilst cresting the rise that appears to follow immediately after the Dunlop bridge. Am I wrong? I can't seem to find it on the 'tube.

[mrtwisty]

Odd decison, selling off the character and heritage of the track like this.

Sad really, I'm very local to the track - many happy memories of going there as a child, awakening the nascent pistonhead within. I was hoping one day to see cars and bikes screaming along underneath it again along the back straight

[phillpot]

fatboy69 said:

Pity however i hope it goes to a good home where it will be loved & not sold for scrap.

It's fibreglass = zero scrap value hence it's still there and didn't get weighed in years ago!

[dapearson]

OllieC said:

I havent been to Donington for a few years, has the circuit changed much since the ill fated F1 bid ?

I'm hoping not ! The website suggests the basic layout is the same ?

Thanks

The final chicane on the national layout leading onto the start/finish straight has been re-profiled. It's also located further forward, as i found in qualifying for the first round this year. I didn't bother testing. The car in front braked on the first lap and i nearly took us both out!

Lap time was approx 1/2 sec quicker too.