Donninton I'm confused
Discussion
A while ago this year there were the threads about F1 going to silverstone and that donnintons track had all been ripped and dug up so it was a wreck and given back to it's freeholders.
So tp my surprise today on itv I saw the porche and ginetta racing on the donnington track. The track looked exactly as I remember certainly not new and evidently the pits had not been demolished they still looked the same old shabby as they were but fine for the job and thankfully got this great track back to racing.
Thing is for those who posted up about the track being dug up etc there is a disconnect and it's not just some posters but press articles too which may have led to those posters to post up.
So tp my surprise today on itv I saw the porche and ginetta racing on the donnington track. The track looked exactly as I remember certainly not new and evidently the pits had not been demolished they still looked the same old shabby as they were but fine for the job and thankfully got this great track back to racing.
Thing is for those who posted up about the track being dug up etc there is a disconnect and it's not just some posters but press articles too which may have led to those posters to post up.
I've ridden Donington twice since it reopened.
The section from Foggy Esses around Melbourne loop and back the the start / finish straight is still closed.
The rest of the track has new tarmac in paces, but the patching has been done brilliantly, in fact it makes for good markers on the track, as it's slightly darker.
Oh and it was a complete mess before Adroit fixed it up then handed it back to the Wheatcrofts.
The section from Foggy Esses around Melbourne loop and back the the start / finish straight is still closed.
The rest of the track has new tarmac in paces, but the patching has been done brilliantly, in fact it makes for good markers on the track, as it's slightly darker.
Oh and it was a complete mess before Adroit fixed it up then handed it back to the Wheatcrofts.
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-photos/4280// This is how the track looked at the back end of 2009. I think the track only officially reopened at the start of August
This is what happened:
as part of the rebuilding work once the GP contract was won, the track was aiming to look like this:
(new track in red)
The track was cut compleately between Macleans and Coppice, and a large tunnel dug down (its cheaper to cut and cover, then "drill" a tunnel under ground, if that makes sense??) As part of any planning regs, archaelogical surveys must be done to see whats underneath and , if necessary dig further to remove the remains before building over. Standard practice. So, in "time-team" style sections of the track were dug out and whats underneath assessed
The Dunlop bridge was also removed, as this would go straight into the new pits, which would not work.
A lot of earth was moved in the middle so there is the flat area for the new pits, and groove cut in for the new track already there. The sides are really steep!
And then Simon Gillette dissappeared, having not paid anyone anything. Contractors who did this work wre unhappy, and decided to take whatever they could- big steel doors from the conference space, for example went missing, wire, fencing etc etc. They stripped what was left
So the track was in an appaling state. A company called Adriot group agreed to repair the damage and get racing back, with a view to owning the circuit in the future and developing land around the track.
They repaired the track, but then Wheatcroft decided he didnt want the deal afterall, and said goodbye to the Adriot group. This is probably a very sour relationship...
So, the track is back but without the bridge (deemed beyond repair after how it was removed), and at the same time the opportunity was taken to move the esses further away from the buildings. It also gives a longer start/finish straight, faster speed into Redgate and a quicker lap time
Now, the track is fine. But, to be fair the whole place looks tatty. They have a mix of branding as well- the black/orange scheme and the newer colour scheme which will all be changed once more money can be found
For the moment, they are racing. The bigger imporvements, and hopefully a return to access in the centre will come later
as part of the rebuilding work once the GP contract was won, the track was aiming to look like this:
(new track in red)
The track was cut compleately between Macleans and Coppice, and a large tunnel dug down (its cheaper to cut and cover, then "drill" a tunnel under ground, if that makes sense??) As part of any planning regs, archaelogical surveys must be done to see whats underneath and , if necessary dig further to remove the remains before building over. Standard practice. So, in "time-team" style sections of the track were dug out and whats underneath assessed
The Dunlop bridge was also removed, as this would go straight into the new pits, which would not work.
A lot of earth was moved in the middle so there is the flat area for the new pits, and groove cut in for the new track already there. The sides are really steep!
And then Simon Gillette dissappeared, having not paid anyone anything. Contractors who did this work wre unhappy, and decided to take whatever they could- big steel doors from the conference space, for example went missing, wire, fencing etc etc. They stripped what was left
So the track was in an appaling state. A company called Adriot group agreed to repair the damage and get racing back, with a view to owning the circuit in the future and developing land around the track.
They repaired the track, but then Wheatcroft decided he didnt want the deal afterall, and said goodbye to the Adriot group. This is probably a very sour relationship...
So, the track is back but without the bridge (deemed beyond repair after how it was removed), and at the same time the opportunity was taken to move the esses further away from the buildings. It also gives a longer start/finish straight, faster speed into Redgate and a quicker lap time
Now, the track is fine. But, to be fair the whole place looks tatty. They have a mix of branding as well- the black/orange scheme and the newer colour scheme which will all be changed once more money can be found
For the moment, they are racing. The bigger imporvements, and hopefully a return to access in the centre will come later
Great to see it back on tv and still in its original format, from the tv it looked like all was well and nothing had changed.
Where is the clown that almost ruined one of our best circuits? Is he still in the uk?
SG deserves to be strung up from the Dunlop bridge and left there until he pays some of his bills.
Where is the clown that almost ruined one of our best circuits? Is he still in the uk?
SG deserves to be strung up from the Dunlop bridge and left there until he pays some of his bills.
Ian974 said:
I never got these put up after the festival, but the whole place looked a bit of a state back in june:
Between mcleans and coppice (i think)
exit of coppice
Sounds like the circuit itself is fixed, but the infield looked like it needed a huge amount of work...
Wahey, I see me Between mcleans and coppice (i think)
exit of coppice
Sounds like the circuit itself is fixed, but the infield looked like it needed a huge amount of work...
MGZRod said:
Ian974 said:
I never got these put up after the festival, but the whole place looked a bit of a state back in june:
Between mcleans and coppice (i think)
exit of coppice
Sounds like the circuit itself is fixed, but the infield looked like it needed a huge amount of work...
Wahey, I see me Between mcleans and coppice (i think)
exit of coppice
Sounds like the circuit itself is fixed, but the infield looked like it needed a huge amount of work...
TXWRX said:
I wonder where Simon Gillett is now, not attending any race meetings in the uk anytime soon thats for sure!
Oooh, I sat next to him at my Uncles wedding last year- before this all fell through. Seemed like a nice chap & enjoyed talking to him about his toys.Not really kept up to speed with the 'goings on' much past the fact that it all went tits up for him & his partner.
Took some pictures at the BTCC to show my mate who's off in Singapore (the swine!)
This is about as far up mcleans as you can get, there was a little man with a radio telling everyone they couldn't go further, as although the track is finished the spectator areas are unsafe
View from Starkeys. Craners are intact, but you can see the extensive reworking of the infield, where spectating can no longer happen other than directly opposite the old pits. It's not clear from the pic, but the big puddle just above the bridge is actually the beginnings of a corner, featured in the drawing someone posted above.
Pic from Craners across old hairpin from the outside. Again the remodelling is evident. Also, no Spitfire!
This is about as far up mcleans as you can get, there was a little man with a radio telling everyone they couldn't go further, as although the track is finished the spectator areas are unsafe
View from Starkeys. Craners are intact, but you can see the extensive reworking of the infield, where spectating can no longer happen other than directly opposite the old pits. It's not clear from the pic, but the big puddle just above the bridge is actually the beginnings of a corner, featured in the drawing someone posted above.
Pic from Craners across old hairpin from the outside. Again the remodelling is evident. Also, no Spitfire!
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