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| Location | North West Leicestershire, England |
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| Opened | 1931; re-opened in 1973 |
| Major Events | World Stock Car Championship Donington Grand Prix (1973 - present) Eurocup Race of Donington (1996 - present) |
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Donington Park
Donington Park is a multi-use motorsports venue located at Castle Donington near Leicestershire. The track is the host for the prestigious Donington Grand Prix, a World Stock Car Championship race that has been held since 1973. Donington Park is known for its fast and flowing layout, with a pair of high-speed straights and fast cornering sections. Due to its relatively high speed interspersed with a pair of slow corners, it is a difficult track for stock car drivers to master.
History[edit | edit source]
Pre-War Racing[edit | edit source]
Donington Park opened in 1931 as the first permanent racing facility in England after a local garage owner approached the owners of Donington Hall Estate to use the grounds as a road racing facility. The first race was held on the estate's existing roads; the facility's managers obtained permission to construct a permanent course in 1933 by sealing and widening the existing roads to form a permanent course. The facility closed in 1939 when it was acquired by the British government to serve as a vehicle depot for World War II.
Revival and Grand Prix Beginnings[edit | edit source]
The facility fell into disrepair after the war, as racing activities failed to return in the post-war era. A local group of businessmen, seeking to revive motor racing in the area, purchased the track in 1971 and immediately began restoration. The course owners planned to re-open in 1973, and realized the need for a marquee event; for this, they looked overseas to the American National Stock Car Series, which had grown in popularity in the post-war era. The course was initially planned only to hold motorcycles, but a waiver was granted in March 1973 to allow cars on the track. The first running of the Donington Grand Prix occurred on June 17.
Growth and New Ventures[edit | edit source]
The track added multiple events as its popularity grew, eventually hosting touring car racing, motorcycle racing, and even a Formula A Grand Prix in addition to its marquee stock car race. The owners also added a hairpin to extend the Grand Prix layout in 1985, renaming the original layout its "National Circuit", a name which remains in use today.
The track began hosting music festivals and concerts in the 1980's, beginning first with the Monsters of Rock festival. A historic museum opened in 1988, on the site of a smaller museum that opened in 1973.