When Donington reopened in 1977, I was involved as a committee member of the Nottingham Sports Car Club.  This reopening was a dream come true, not just for 'Tom' Wheatcroft, but passing the site on the way to Mallory Park on a regular basis, plus my late father's photographs, programmes and books were constant source of interest and I was proud to be involved in that May 28th meeting.

Bernard 'Tom' Wheatcroft with Gunnar Nilssen and Colin Chapman on the grid for the all Lotus race.  All pics on this website © Ray Green 2019.

 

The fact that the meeting very nearly didn't go ahead thanks to an objection from the local ramblers, depleted the expected crowd and the meeting was a financial disaster for the Lotus sponsors, the Else Motor Group from Codnor.  Following a last minute court ruling, the meeting was allowed to go ahead as 'a motor trial', but that unfortunately ruled out single-seater racing cars, so the race programme is very much a case of what might have been, or should have been, but for a small group of kill joys. ( I still have copies of that historic race programme for sale.)

Once the Donington Racing Club was up and running with a licence to promote meetings, the NSCC were once again out in the cold after their 1978 meetings, so without a regular home circuit, at an EGM held 26th November 1979, the NSCC voted to end the promotion of circuit race meetings. A very sad day indeed for a club with such a fine reputation for running friendly and efficient race meetings for 30 years. 

Thankfully, after the hassles of the May reopening, subsequent meetings went ahead as planned and Donington today, apart from the intrusive wire fencing, is a stunning track but without the dangers of the pre-war circuit.  

Offers or expressions of interest welcomed via email for the purchase of race programmes or specific photographs at a better resolution. All photographic images on this site are subject to © Copyright Ray Green.     

Link to : Mallory Park 1 - 1956 - 1959 completed

Link to : Mallory Park 2 - 1960 - 1969 completed

Link to : Mallory Park 3  - 1970 - 1977 completed

Link to: Silverstone 1 1948 - 1968 completed

Link to: Silverstone 2  1969 - 1977 completed

Link to: Croft & Cadwell Park - 1970 - 1974 completed July 16th 2019

Link to : Croft & Cadwell 2 - 1975 - 1978 completed July 19th 2019

Link to: Donington Pre-war - completed

Link to : Various circuits  - 1951 onwards - Goodwood Revival & Donington Masters under construction

Link back to Entry home  page: Entries 

  Click on the image for a larger version. 

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Programme

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177_0528 Donington

Formula Ford - cancelled

Special Saloons

Historic Sports car

Clubmans

Frazer-Nash handicap

Super Saloon

Historic Lotus

Formula 1300

Formula Libre - might have been cancelled?

MGA & Modsports

177_0730 Donington

Formula Ford 1

Formula Ford 2

Formula Ford 3

F3 Heat 1

F3 Heat 2

Day 1 of 2

177_0731 Donington

Special Saloons up to 1000cc

Sports 2000

Final - Formula Ford

Production Saloons

Single seaters

Special Saloons

Final - Formula 3

Production Saloons

Day 2 of 2

177_0827 Donington Large Format

Formula Ford - heat 1

Formula Ford - heat 2

Formula Ford - heat 3

Formula Ford 2000 Qualifying

Formula 3 - Heat 1

Formula 3 - Heat 3

Formula Super Vee

Special Saloons up to 1000cc

Formula Ford 2000

Clubmans A

Final - Formula 3

Clubmans B

177_0911 Donington

Formula Ford 1

Formula Ford 2

Production Saloons

Formula 4

Special Saloons - under 1000cc

Prod sports

Final - Formula Ford

Special Saloons - over 1000cc

177_0917 Donington

Reliant 750

Special Saloons & Modsports

Formula Vee

850 Mni Challenge

Formula Ford

Formula Junior

Formula Libre & Clubmans

177_1002 Donington

Formula Ford 1

850 Mini Challenge

Monoposto

Production Sports

Formula Ford 2

Renault 5 Challenge

Ford Escort

Formula Libre

Mini 1275

Special Saloons

177_1008 Donington

Teams 1

Teams 2

Teams 3

Teams 4

177_1029 Donington Large format

Formula Ford 1600

Mini 1000

Production Sports cars

Formula Ford 1600

Formula 2

Historics

Large format programme

178_0527 Donington

Formula Ford

Modsports

Formula Vee

Historic Lotus

Special Saloons

Formula Junior

Formula ford

Clubmans & Formula Libre

178_0909 Donington

Mini 850cc

Formula Ford

Historic Sports cars

Formula Libre

Special Saloons

Clubmans A & B

Monoposto & Formula Junior

Modsports & MGA

179_0415 Donington

Formula Ford A

GT up to 1500cc

Formula 4

Formula 1300

Formula Ford 2000

Historic single seaters

GT & Saloons over 1500cc

Formula Ford B

Clubmans B

Special saloons up ro 2500cc

179_0603 Donington Large format

Large format programme - but no entry list

Entries supplied by AT 180_0719 Donington

Standard Thoroughbred Sports

HSCC Classic Sports

Historic Sports & Single Seaters

180_0719 Donington

182_0703 Donington

Formula Ford 2000

Production GTD

GT D, E

Formula Ford 1600

Metro

GT A, B, C over 1500cc

Renault 5 Turbo

Formula 2

Saloons

Historic GP

Renault 5 Turbo

Jonathan Palmer

188_0717 Donington

Formula Junior/500cc

Pre 1971 Single Seater

HSCC 2 Litre

Pre 1971 Single Seaters & F1

HSCC Classic (sports & GT)s

Sports & GT novices

Pre 1965 & F3

Road Sports

193_0411 Donington European GP Large format

Formula Vauxhall

Formula Ford

Formula Vauxhall

Formula 1

Formula 1

Touring cars

Large format programme plus unused foam seat pad for sale

214_0607 Donington

Bentley Drivers Club

AMOC Intermarque

GT

Aston Martin St John Horsfall

Ariel Atom

Prewar Team Challenge

1950's Sports cars

Sunbeam Challenge

Medium format programme

Aston Martin

215_0704 Donington

Scottish BMW Compact Cup

215_0705 Donington

216_0702 Donington

Ferrari Classic

216_0703 Donington

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Race Programmes for sale   ERA Memorabilia    Motoring books