Donington Park Masters Race Weekend (2024)

Donington Park has traditionally held the Masters Historic race weekend in the early Spring, but a move to a mid-summer slot on the calendar. Hot on the heels of the announcement, alongside the already diverse grids which run in the Masters series, a new category for Group C cars which competed in the World Sportscar Championship between 1982 and 1993 will run under the governance of Masters Historic Racing at selected events in 2025. One would hope that the undeniable popularity of these cars, and the era of Sportscar racing which they represent, will see renewed interest in the already popular and well supported Masters events.

Donington Park, the fifth event on the calendar for the Masters Historic series, arrived after a brief summer break, following their return to Brno in Czechia. A familiar circuit to many of the drivers, with Donington a well-established fixture on the calendar, and host to the pre-season test day for competitors. The undulating, twisty circuit represents the sum of some of the best component parts in UK circuit racing, a test and thrill for drivers, and a circuit which offers great spectating opportunities for the crowds.

Bringing a whopping six different grids to compete over the course of the weekend, with the timetable bolstered by the addition of the HRDC Dunlop All-Stars racing alongside the HRDC Alfa Challenge, bringing even more diversity to the on track action over the course of the weekend.

Alongside the headline-stealing Masters Racing Legends, for Formula One cars which competed between 1966 and 1985, contesting two races over the course of the event, Donington crowds were treated to two races for the Masters Endurance Legends grid, two races for the relatively new addition of the Masters GT Trophy, alongside singular races for the Masters Sports Car Legends, Masters Pre-66 Touring Cars and Masters Gentlemen drivers. All in all, a stacked programme which caters superbly to fans of historic racing in all its forms.

The weekend started in true British fashion, with heavy grey skies overhead and wet conditions, following the overnight rain, with early running on a damp but drying track, the weather improved rapidly, with sunshine breaking out part way through the morning sessions on Saturday. The shorter Donington configuration, which omits the GP Loop that takes in the Melbourne Hairpin, presents a relatively short but undeniably quick lap, where the quickest cars were lapping around the one minute mark, resulting in the track drying remarkably quickly.

As with any Masters Historic Racing event, there’s always a superb diversity to the grids, allowing spectators to catch sight not only of the perennial fan-favorites, but also some lesser-seen and lesser known historic race cars. Stars of the show this weekend were the supremely quick Ginetta Zytek 09S, packing a ferocious four and a half litre V8 under the bodywork, in a striking orange livery in the hands of Lawrence and Freddie Tomlinson, Lawrence being one of the drivers of this car in period, which enjoyed a thrilling battle with the Patron liveried HPD ARX-04.

Many of the Formula One cars in action would be a familiar sight to regular visitors to the Masters events, but the lesser seen Osella FA1D, in the stunning sky blue and white period livery truly sparkled in the sunlight on Sunday, providing a deeper dive into the Grand Prix cars of that era which slipped through the consciousness of many fans, where Marlboro McLarens and JPS liveried Lotus are forever etched in the minds of Formula One fans, it seems fitting to place the spotlight on some of those cars which never enjoyed the success

After a frenetic weekend of action, there are a few restful weekends ahead before a huge weekend at the Silverstone Festival, which sees some of the most densely packed grids of the season, and huge crowds in attendance to bask in the roar of historic engines and closely fought battles throughout the fields.