2011 Donington Historic Festival Brings Living Motorsport Museum

One of Britain’s most famous circuits is to host a collection of over 300 historic racing cars stretching across six decades during the Donington Historic Festival (April 30 - May 1st), an event that is described as a ‘living motorsport museum’. For example, ‘living motorsport museum’s Group C Racing will see 25 race cars lining up to the grid, mostly from the 1980s.

The range of marques is likely to include Porsche, Jaguar, Spice and Mercedes, plus Aston Martin, Nissan, Tiga and Courage.

The Donington Historic Festival will also be notable for the return of the legendary Group B rally cars on a specially designed, all-Tarmac stage, including Audi quattro, MG Metro 6R4, Ford RS200, Lancia 037, Porsche 911 RSR, Peugeot 205 T16, and a Ferrari 308 GTB.

The pre-’63 GT cars series is likely to attract entries as SWB Ferraris, DB4GT Astons, AC Aces, MGA Twin-Cams, a Sebring TR3, along with SZ Alfas, Lotus Elites, E-types and Morgans – all to genuine pre-1963 specification.

Organised by the HSCC, the Historic Formula 2 Trophy, for cars from the Formula 2 era 1967 – 1978, attracts entrants from across Europe and beyond. There’s also the FIA Lurani Trophy (for Formula Junior cars from 1958 to 1963).

The Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy, supported by EFG Private Bank, is for genuine sports-racers of the post-War era, up to and including December 1955 – such evocative machinery as Jaguar D-types and C-types, Aston Martin DB3s and Austin-Healey 100Ms.

The latest highlight announced for the event is the ‘Mad Jack’ – named in honour of Richard ‘Mad Jack’ Shuttleworth, winner of the first ever Donington Grand Prix, in 1935. The race is for 8-litre Bentleys, Type 35 Bugattis and Alfa 8C Monzas, along with a full array of pre-War models from such marques as Aston Martin and BMW, through to Talbot and Frazer Nash.