Donington Park will reverberate to the inimitable sound of classic racing engines when the Donington Historic Festival roars into action on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 April. The action-packed timetable has just been released, enabling fans to plan their visit to this hugely popular, family-friendly, historic motor racing event. And, with Earlybird tickets still available until 31 January, giving further savings over the normal advance ticket price, there’s time to bag a New Year’s bargain!
Highlights include the epic endurance battle that is the Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup, a whole host of races featuring Touring Car grids from the 1950s to the late 1990s, the ‘Mad Jack’ race for pre-War sports cars, the glorious combined grid for the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy for pre-56 sportscars and Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-61 sports racers, a round of the enormously entertaining Jaguar Classic Challenge and no less than three Ferrari-only races, when the Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Series joins the DHF line-up for the first time.
In addition to the spectacular, world-class race action, the event features track displays and parades, an open-access paddock and pitlane walks, a trade village, plus the presence of hundreds of cherished classic cars in displays staged by dozens of car clubs.
The provisional timetable for the 2023 Donington Historic Festival is as follows:
Saturday, 29 April
09:05 – 09:35 Jaguar Classic Challenge for pre-‘66 Jaguar cars (qualifying)
09:45 – 10:15 Historic Touring Car Challenge and Tony Dron Trophy for ‘70s and ‘80s Touring
Cars & Sixties Touring Car Challenge with U2TC for under two-litre Touring Cars (qualifying)
10:25 – 10:45 Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Series (qualifying)
10:55 – 11:45 Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup for pre-‘66 GT and Touring Cars,
pre-’63 GTs and pre-’60 Sports Cars (qualifying)
12:00 – 13:00 Jaguar Classic Challenge for pre-‘66 Jaguar cars (race )
13:00 – 13:50 Lunch Break / Demonstrations
13:50 – 14:40 Historic Touring Car Challenge and Tony Dron Trophy for ‘70s and ‘80s Touring Cars & Sixties Touring Car Challenge with U2TC for under two-litre Touring Cars (race)
14:55 – 15:15 Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Series (race 1)
15:30 – 18:30 Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup for pre-’66 GT and Touring Cars, pre-’63 GTs and pre-’60 Sports Cars (race)
Sunday, 30 April
09:05 – 09:30 HRDC Gerry Marshall Trophy for pre-‘83 Group 1 and 1½ Touring Cars (qualifying)
09:40 – 10:10 Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy & Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-’56 and pre-’61 Sports Cars (qualifying)
10:20 – 10:35 Dunlop Allstars for pre-‘66 Sports, GT and Touring Cars and HRDC Classic Alfa Challenge for 750-116 Alfa Romeos (qualifying)
10:45 – 11:10 ‘Mad Jack’ for Pre-War Sports Cars (qualifying)
11:20 – 11:45 HRDC Jack Sears Trophy for 1958-1966 Touring Cars (qualifying)
12:00 – 12:20 Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Series (race 2)
12:20 – 13:10 Lunch Break / Demonstrations
13:10 – 13:55 HRDC Gerry Marshall Trophy for pre-‘83 Group 1 and 1½ Touring Cars (race)
14:10 – 15:10 Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy & Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-’56 and pre-’61 Sports Cars (race)
15:25 – 15:55 HRDC Dunlop Allstars for pre-‘66 Sports, GT and Touring Cars and HRDC Classic Alfa Challenge for 750-116 Alfa Romeos (race)
16:10 – 16:50 ‘Mad Jack’ for Pre-War Sports Cars (race)
17:05 – 17:25 Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Series (race 3)
17:40 – 18:25 HRDC Jack Sears Trophy for 1958-1966 Touring Cars (race)
Earlybird ticket prices start at just £22 for a one-day adult (16+) entry, with discounts for teens aged 13-15. Under 13s are admitted for free. The event features free car parking. For further information and tickets please visit www.doningtonhistoric.com.
The Donington Historic Festival is staged in partnership between historic motorsport, motoring and aviation events company Historic Promotions and MotorSport Vision (MSV).
Founded in 2010 by Duncan Wiltshire and Richard Grafton, Historic Promotions organises specialist events throughout the UK. For more information about Historic Promotions, please visit www.historicpromotions.com
MotorSport Vision (MSV) is a UK private company and Europe’s largest motor racing circuit operator, with six venues in the UK (Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Snetterton, Cadwell Park, Bedford Autodrome and Donington Park) plus Navarra Circuit in northern Spain.
MSV’s many related businesses include running the British Superbike, GB3 and GB4 championships, and the world-renowned PalmerSport corporate driving event, which is based at its Bedford Autodrome facility.
