Historic Cars in Their Glory at Donington Historic Festival

Donington Historic Festival has been running for a few years now and it’s definitely earned a place as one of the biggest and best events on the historic racing calendar. There’s something very special about seeing historic racing cars actually racing, rather than standing in a museum. The sounds, the smells, the excitement, it all takes you back in time to when these vehicles were the height of modern technology. And what better setting than the iconic Donington Park, England’s first permanent park circuit that played host to many of these vehicles when they were new.

The event is held over the weekend from Friday May 3^rd to Sunday May 5^th. The races are really thrilling of course, but there is so much more happening over the festival too. You can spend time strolling around the paddocks, getting up close to all the cars which is a fantastic opportunity. There’s also plenty more action going on. Several F1 cars will be there including a 1977 Hesketh and a rare Honda R8 1082. You can take a look at them, then watch them take to the track for a demonstration. There will be historic kart displays and if you’ve ever fancied riding in a Ferrari 360 Spider or a Maserati GranCabrio Sport, Dream Rides will be here to offer you the chance of a 10 mile ride in any of their selection of awe-inspiring sports cars. All proceeds raised from this experience will go to the Rainbow Hospice for Children and Young People in Loughborough, so your ride of a lifetime also helps this great cause.

It’s not all about cars at the Donington Historic Festival, look to the skies for flypasts on Saturday and Sunday. At 13:00 on Saturday a Hawker Hurricane, and on Sunday at 14:15, a BBMF Douglas C-47 Dakota. There will be club displays too, and you can even book in your own classic car, a great opportunity to talk to other classic car owners and enthusiasts.

Tickets can be bought in advance at a discounted price of £40 or at the gate for £50 and that covers you for the entire weekend. Teens between 13 and 15 have a reduced ticket price of £24 in advance or £27 on the door, and under 12s get free entry so it’s a fantastic weekend for all the family. Daily tickets are also available if you don’t wish to attend for the entire weekend.

For more information check out the official Donington Historic Festival website www.doningtonhistoric.com