RE: Donington Park To Launch Historic Festival
Discussion
plasticpig said:
Gizmo! said:
A clear hole in the calendar?
What, you mean apart from Brands Hatch Historic Festival, Goodwood FOS, Silverstone Historic Festival and Goodwood Revival?
None of which are in April. So there is a hole in the calendar as there is no Historic Festival in April.What, you mean apart from Brands Hatch Historic Festival, Goodwood FOS, Silverstone Historic Festival and Goodwood Revival?
I like the 70s/80s-centric idea though...
onemorelap said:
Whilst there is a gap in the calendar there are a lot of historic events throughout the year to choose from, not that i'm moaning or anything!!
Where i think there is a gap in offering something slightly different is for Donington to do an Historic festival in a similar vein to the revival but that focuses on the 70's to the late 80's early 90's max.
It would suit the circuit and the timing of it's re-incarnation under Tom Wheatcroft in the late 70's imo.
I'm really not knocking anything pre-70's as there are some fantastic bit's of kit from the Pre-70's that i still enjoy watching but these cars are very well catered for in historic / vintage racing and is what most festivals tend to focus on with the occassional post 70's race thrown in (Gpc at the Silverstone Classic for example)
Unfortunately "my generation" which were once watching Capris through Rover SD1's through to RS500 Sierra's, 935's through to GpC etc as contemporary are now watching them as classics. As such i think Donington could be a great setting to show these off to there best amongst a similarly "themed" environment with the revant races being tributes of those held back in the day.
If nothing else it will give me opportunity to wear my old Malboro World Championship Team Jacket that i've kept, if it still fits.........
Let's hope Mr Wheatcroft is reading this excellent comment very carefully. You try and out-Goodwood Goodwood and you're going to fail. They have that early vintage thing fully covered. But if you can get an XJR-9LM doing laps i'm there with bells on! Hell, if someone out there has the money why not bring out a tubo-era F1 car or 2.... it would be a hell of a show and it will allow us all to show our kids what we keep going on about!Where i think there is a gap in offering something slightly different is for Donington to do an Historic festival in a similar vein to the revival but that focuses on the 70's to the late 80's early 90's max.
It would suit the circuit and the timing of it's re-incarnation under Tom Wheatcroft in the late 70's imo.
I'm really not knocking anything pre-70's as there are some fantastic bit's of kit from the Pre-70's that i still enjoy watching but these cars are very well catered for in historic / vintage racing and is what most festivals tend to focus on with the occassional post 70's race thrown in (Gpc at the Silverstone Classic for example)
Unfortunately "my generation" which were once watching Capris through Rover SD1's through to RS500 Sierra's, 935's through to GpC etc as contemporary are now watching them as classics. As such i think Donington could be a great setting to show these off to there best amongst a similarly "themed" environment with the revant races being tributes of those held back in the day.
If nothing else it will give me opportunity to wear my old Malboro World Championship Team Jacket that i've kept, if it still fits.........
it sounds loke a great idea, lets hope that it is an event for the "ordinary" car fan to enjoy and not one that just caters for those with a large wallet, keep it relevant and keep it affordable.
I think the idea of a 70's 80's themed festival is a great one, especialy if it featured some of the appropriate btcc motors of the eara, now that would be fun.
I think the idea of a 70's 80's themed festival is a great one, especialy if it featured some of the appropriate btcc motors of the eara, now that would be fun.
Cotty said:
staceyb said:
Pistonfest Event!
Funny you should say that http://www.parkfarmhouse.co.uk/caravansite.htm
Love the Donnington Circuit, it's great for vintage racing and bikes.
Not up to major events though. Two and a half hours getting out of the car park at a certain Moto GP event proved that!
RoadRodent said:
Cotty said:
staceyb said:
Pistonfest Event!
Funny you should say that http://www.parkfarmhouse.co.uk/caravansite.htm
Love the Donnington Circuit, it's great for vintage racing and bikes.
Not up to major events though. Two and a half hours getting out of the car park at a certain Moto GP event proved that!
Marwood79 said:
onemorelap said:
Whilst there is a gap in the calendar there are a lot of historic events throughout the year to choose from, not that i'm moaning or anything!!
Where i think there is a gap in offering something slightly different is for Donington to do an Historic festival in a similar vein to the revival but that focuses on the 70's to the late 80's early 90's max.
It would suit the circuit and the timing of it's re-incarnation under Tom Wheatcroft in the late 70's imo.
I'm really not knocking anything pre-70's as there are some fantastic bit's of kit from the Pre-70's that i still enjoy watching but these cars are very well catered for in historic / vintage racing and is what most festivals tend to focus on with the occassional post 70's race thrown in (Gpc at the Silverstone Classic for example)
Unfortunately "my generation" which were once watching Capris through Rover SD1's through to RS500 Sierra's, 935's through to GpC etc as contemporary are now watching them as classics. As such i think Donington could be a great setting to show these off to there best amongst a similarly "themed" environment with the revant races being tributes of those held back in the day.
If nothing else it will give me opportunity to wear my old Malboro World Championship Team Jacket that i've kept, if it still fits.........
Let's hope Mr Wheatcroft is reading this excellent comment very carefully. You try and out-Goodwood Goodwood and you're going to fail. They have that early vintage thing fully covered. But if you can get an XJR-9LM doing laps i'm there with bells on! Hell, if someone out there has the money why not bring out a tubo-era F1 car or 2.... it would be a hell of a show and it will allow us all to show our kids what we keep going on about!Where i think there is a gap in offering something slightly different is for Donington to do an Historic festival in a similar vein to the revival but that focuses on the 70's to the late 80's early 90's max.
It would suit the circuit and the timing of it's re-incarnation under Tom Wheatcroft in the late 70's imo.
I'm really not knocking anything pre-70's as there are some fantastic bit's of kit from the Pre-70's that i still enjoy watching but these cars are very well catered for in historic / vintage racing and is what most festivals tend to focus on with the occassional post 70's race thrown in (Gpc at the Silverstone Classic for example)
Unfortunately "my generation" which were once watching Capris through Rover SD1's through to RS500 Sierra's, 935's through to GpC etc as contemporary are now watching them as classics. As such i think Donington could be a great setting to show these off to there best amongst a similarly "themed" environment with the revant races being tributes of those held back in the day.
If nothing else it will give me opportunity to wear my old Malboro World Championship Team Jacket that i've kept, if it still fits.........
I must admit to thinking that the higher echelons of historic racing is generally in a bit of limbo at the mo when it comes to some cars from the 70's and 80's. Sure, things like Gpc and F1 upto the death knell of the DFV are pretty well represented (and well appreciated btw
) but where are the ex works m3's, TWR Bastos Sd1's or Jag XJS and spice capri's, Eggenberger and Rouse Sierra's etc etc. And of course the turbo F1 cars that you mention.Apologies, the last paragraph sounds a bit like a spoilt kid given the rich's of classic machinery we can enjoy watching racing on a regular basis (usually racing hard as well)but where are the cars mentioned previously?
1.Are they all hiding in collections waiting for the right series to evolve?
2.In some cases are they to technical or similarly to expensive to run?
3.Is the time just not quite right for these cars to flourish in the same vein as the rest of historic racing?
Don't know the answer tbh but i'd be pretty confident that Donington would be a good venue for a festival celebrating machinery of the age and type mentioned previously.
I grew up watching racing in the 70's and 80's , mainly at Donington, attending events like the ETCC, BTCC,F2,F3,F3000, WSPC, the DTM in either 90 or 91 when Soper tried to stick it to the Audi's (probably the best single drive bar one i've seen at Donny)and of course the F1 in 93. I was even a regular visitor to the Lombard when it was an annual visitor to the circuit on the Sunday. And that's without even mentioning the numerous bike GP,s WSB and BSB rounds that i've been to over the years.
The place has seen everything since it's re-introduction in the 70's so i would just see it as a bit odd that a classic festival at such a classic venue(that should be about celebrtating Donington as well as the cars) would once more have D Types and 250F's as the main attraction.
I'm going, i really do sound like a spoilt kid now!!
The best weekend I've ever had (as suporter / spactator) was at brands. Aston owners club (50th anniverary??) - the intermarque / Porsche open were there (I was spannering), along with group C, historic F1 etc. IMO this era (like others have said) is very, very entertining indeed. Goodwood et all will always be the king of the really old stuff, but there is nothing like the noise of a grid of 15 odd group C's in the start grandstand. Oh, hold on there is - 28 70-90's (inc turbo era) F1 cars - I heard them for a week afterwards, but it was worth it =)
Duncan Wiltshire said:
"by placing the needs and wishes of owners, drivers and knowledgeable enthusiasts at its heart. This will be a truly prestigious annual event, inviting only the very best race series and the highest-calibre cars and drivers."
That comes across as very patronising given that some very knowledgeable enthusiasts and highly regarded owners & drivers attend Goodwood Revival. 
With HSCC at Oulton, Cadwell and Croft; VSCC at Oulton, Cadwell and Donington; AMOC at Oulton and CPoP I actually think we do pretty well for decent historic events in the frozen North. I only hope the Donington event is well-supported and promoted. The recent Masters events there featured really pretty shocking turn-outs for the general public. They need to find a means of capturing the public's imagination - as MSV have done with the Gold Cup, which now features enormous crowds and not just the geeks. I think they will struggle in the short term to create the right atmosphere without the infield for displays. Traditionally at the Ferrari/Maserati festival they had huge swathes of machinery filling the infield and plenty of merch vendors in the area as well to create a centre-piece. I fear the spectating areas may end up too far from the core of the off-track entertainment which might fracture things slightly. Still, great news for Donington and those of us north of Watford.
Heads up for a programme tonight relating to the failed F1 bid.
Not to sure i want to see Mr Gillet on camera once more but should be available on i-player if you aren't in the East Mids and want to have a look.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00cn6l7
Not to sure i want to see Mr Gillet on camera once more but should be available on i-player if you aren't in the East Mids and want to have a look.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00cn6l7
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