Friday 29th October 2010

Pic Of The Week: Donington's Glory Days

A classic shot of a vintage Silver Arrow

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This week's news that the revitalised Donington is to host an annual historic festival to rival those held at Goodwood, Silverstone and Oulton Park has had us inevitably dreaming about Donny's pre-war days.

Donington Park was only the second purpose-built circuit in the UK, and the first 'parkland' track (Brooklands was more of a 'sspeedway' affair). After a couple of seasons of bike racing, Donington held its first four-wheeled motor race in 1933.

It held its first GP in 1935, which was won by a chap who we have to mention solely because of his fantastic nickname - Richard 'Mad Jack' Shuttleworth in an Alfa Romeo.

Later in the 1930s the crowds at Donington (60,000 spectators came to cheer on Dick Seaman in the 1937 event) also bore witness to some epic battles between the mighty German 'Silver Arrows' of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union, before the track was requisitioned as a military transport base in 1939, destined not to re-open for another forty years.

We reckon this shot of a Mercedes-Benz W125 in full flight is a fitting reminder of Donington's history. We're not sure wheter it's Seaman, Carraciola or Manfred von Brauchitsch at the wheel, but we do know that launching 595bhp's-worth of Mercedes into the air is a feat of damned amazing driving. Oddly, the chap waving the flag doesn't seem so impressed...

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[louismchuge]

Love this pic

The first one that's made it onto the work desktop

[soad]

We have a lift off! Top stuff!

[1000TCR]

louismchuge said:

Love this pic

The first one that's made it onto the work desktop

+1!

[JJ78]

as a big fan of donington I've seen this pic a few times but what I can't picture is where on the track this could be with such an elevation change to provide 'air time'... I'd guess it's on the way down to the melbourne hairpin but it could also be on the dunlop straight if the topography has been flattened over the years...

[MantaMike]

Donington Park looked quite different in 1937, i guess the pic is on the run doen to the old Melbourne hairpin.

[Riggers]

JJ78 said:

as a big fan of donington I've seen this pic a few times but what I can't picture is where on the track this could be with such an elevation change to provide 'air time'... I'd guess it's on the way down to the melbourne hairpin but it could also be on the dunlop straight if the topography has been flattened over the years...

Bearing in mind the proximity of the other track in the background I think it's at some point after the start/finish straight on the old map - part of the old Melbourne Loop and, these days, pretty much where they hold the market...

[GM182]

Could it be Tazio Nuvolari? Or was he Auto Union?

I once spent a few hours in the LAT picture archive in Teddington when on work experience for Autocar and it was an absolute treasure trove of old photos like this. I could have spent a week in there!

This one is now downloaded!

[MAD63]

I have a recording of that car made decades ago .. hair raising stuff . I dont care if todays F1 cars are faster ,Dick Seaman et al were made of stern stuff.

[Chunkychucky]

if they really want to get a historic festival going, they should reinstate that piece of track as it's clearly still there on google maps

[RacingPete]

This video from the 1938 Donington GP shows how awesome racing was then..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kypLpmrb9CU&NR=...

[jake15919]

Great car. Great pic.

I suspect the marshal has been posted a long way from the nearest Portapotty.

[goron59]

Brilliant

[Roy C]

The bump is/was on the the return from the old Melbourne hairpin (which is still there, beyond the modern version), on the reun up to Redgate, which was a left-hander in those days. I seem to recall that Tom Wheatcroft was put off reinstating the original loop due to it being just inside Derbyshire, meaning he would have to deal with two planning authorities.

GM182 said:

Could it be Tazio Nuvolari? Or was he Auto Union?

No & Yes.

It's a great circuit to spectate as well as drive. A bit too wet at this year's VSCC See Red though - I took cover in the car between races!

[Digga]

RacingPete said:

This video from the 1938 Donington GP shows how awesome racing was then..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kypLpmrb9CU&NR=...

Wish you cold get that close to F1 action now.

Only in rallying can you get near enough to feel the speed these days.

[GM182]

Roy C said:

GM182 said:

Could it be Tazio Nuvolari? Or was he Auto Union?

No & Yes.

Cheers!I'd better consult Wiki

[craig r]

It must be fate or something. This photo being 'pic of the week' and me starting a new job at Mercedes next week, will definately have to be my desktop when I get there!

And I agree that racing drivers then were balls out mantalists - knowing that if you crashed you WILL die, whereas now if you crash you will more than likely walk away from it. Not saying that's a bad thing though.

~ Craig

[nickpan]

When men were men..

[chevronb37]

I reckon that is GP 1937 when the W125s were raced by Lang, Caracciola, Kautz and von Brauchitsch.

The VSCC meeting was dry on the Saturday this year but saw photos from the Sunday and it looked a right wash-out! At See Red a couple of years back Tony Dron demonstrated a W154. Admittedly, maybe a fraction less fearsome than the W125 featured above, but to hear the noise rolling across the circuit and see Dron all arms and elbows out of Goddards was very special indeed.

I once read some speculation about what would've happened if M-B and AU had called in at Brooklands on their way back to Germany and had a crack at the Outer Circuit lap record. Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end just imagining it...

[austin]

GM182 said:

I once spent a few hours in the LAT picture archive in Teddington when on work experience for Autocar and it was an absolute treasure trove of old photos like this. I could have spent a week in there!

I spend most of my lunch hours in there. See here

A fair few from Donington.

More will come in time, still going through 1929.

[Nickellarse]

You have to say that if Bernie wanted to add some more spice to F1 then just ban spoilers! It would be great to see some of these cars getting some "air time".

That said, it was a testament to all the safety regs that Webber walked away from his "air time"!