{"id":493101,"date":"2013-05-01T19:00:02","date_gmt":"2013-05-01T19:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/\/?p=17853"},"modified":"2024-12-02T19:50:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T19:50:10","slug":"donington-park-the-pioneers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/donington-park-the-pioneers\/","title":{"rendered":"Donington Park – The Pioneers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hermann Paul M\u00fcller\u2019s Auto Union heads into Schwantz Curve in 1938. Photo: Simon Lewis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Donington devotee John Bailie is researching, designing and editing a book, planned for launch later this year, which focusses on the venue\u2019s pre-war history and the dramatic progress it made in just a few full seasons of racing. It will include \u201cThen and Now\u201d images showing how the circuit has changed, as well as extracts from Bill Boddy\u2019s on-the-spot race reports of those pre-war meetings. Here, Bailie examines those years and the pioneering spirit that brought Donington to life and has kept it alive in recent times.<\/p>\n

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Original track map with the modern layout in blue.Photo: Bailie Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s an astonishing fact that in less than seven complete pre-war seasons from the commencement of car racing at Donington Park in 1933, the circuit expanded several times\u2014with continually improving facilities for competitors and spectators\u2014to such an extent that it attracted events which carried increasing prestige, such as the RAC Tourist Trophy and the British Empire Trophy. Its\u00a0ultimate accolade was the staging of four International Grands Prix, two of these the prestigious \u201cSilver Arrows\u201d Grands Prix of 1937 and 1938. Lesser known, but nonetheless significant, landmark occasions included the first ever \u201cLadies Only\u201d race in 1935, a demonstration run by John Cobb\u2019s land speed record-breaking Napier Railton, the running of the Coronation Trophy in 1937 (on Coronation Day itself\u2026a Wednesday), and in 1938 Bill Lyons, head of Jaguar, entered what was the only race of his life\u2026and won it!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n