DONINGTON HISTORIC FESTIVAL

This weekend, the Donington Historic Festival kicked off the Motor Racing Legends season. Among the highlights of the weekend was the Generations Trophy race, which brought together 36 families and around fifteen completely novice drivers. Not bad for a series launched just last October!

There was also a big turnout in the Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup, with 40 cars on the grid and ten marques represented by iconic models: Aston Martin DB4 GT; Ford Falcon; Lotus Elan 26R; Shelby Cobra 289; Porsche 911; etc. This two-hour endurance race, held on Saturday evening at dusk, was won by Lukas Halusa and Alex Ames at the wheel of the extraordinary Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Low Drag (49 FXN), one of just 12 produced at the time.

Among the other exceptional cars present this weekend were the 1932 Maserati 8C 3000 (Pre-War Sports Cars), the 1962 Ferrari Breadvan (HMRN Pre '63 GT), and the 1984 Jaguar XJS (Historic Touring Car Challenge). Formula 1 machinery also featured prominently, with cars racing on the HGPCA grid, including the legendary 1960 Ferrari 246 Dino, alongside demonstration runs from later?era machines including the exotic Footwork FA13.

Fans found plenty to enjoy from a more contemporary era too with 28 cars from the 2000s and 2010s entered in GT3 Legends, as well as a selection of exceptional road cars presented by Supercar Driver: Ferrari SF90 Spider, Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, etc. Exhibitors, car club displays and partners also made a major contribution to the success of the event.

Shaun Lynn, President of Motor Racing Legends: "This is only the second edition of the Donington Historic Festival organised by Motor Racing Legends, and we are now fully beginning to reap the rewards of our work. As early as last year, one of our major initiatives was to equip ourselves with 200 individual tents to replace awnings and closed garages. Our aim is to open up the paddock to spectators so they can admire the cars in the best possible conditions, enjoy their sounds and interact with owners and mechanics. We want to encourage the passing on of passion. This is also why our hospitality remains open from morning to evening. It has been specially designed to welcome children and accompanying guests, who can enjoy themselves while following their loved ones' races on a big screen. Finally, on track, we pay particular attention to car eligibility and fair play in driving, two essential elements for building competitor loyalty. We will continue to work hard to ensure that all our events live up to this standard.”

The Motor Racing Legends season will continue in six weeks' time, on the 19th to the 21st June, with the first edition of the London Historic Trophy at Brands Hatch circuit. This event will mark the launch of a new series: the 2 Litre Sportscars.