Donington Park

Adroit and Donington Park

Following the failed Grand Prix attempt by DVLL, Donington Park had laid dormant, unused and decaying for 8 months when following much negotiation The Adroit Group were chosen as the Company to take over the Operating Lease. This meant embarking on an enormous amount of work if the events already scheduled for the middle of August were to go ahead. This gave a construction period of 12 weeks, during which we not only had to design the new corner at Goddards, but get approval of all the alterations with the FIA in Geneva, as well as accommodate the annual 'Download Festival'. These things along with the usual delays involved with putting all of the relevant Health & Safety documents in place meant a final construction period of around 7 weeks!

ARMCO barriers, gravel traps, tyre walls, communications and lighting systems all needed replacing and re-aligning around the circuit, but these are straightforward processes, more difficult was the work required at the new tunnel access and at Goddards chicane.

DVLL had constructed a new tunnel access between McLeans and Coppice which needed to be stabilised and a new run of 'Spengler' type fencing installed over it. It also needed strengthening supports installing on the underside of the tunnel to reinforce the steelwork originally put in place.

With all the technical repairs taking place to bring the circuit in line with what was required for the FIA Grade 2 licence it would have been easy to forget the cosmetic side of things. Adroit however organised a schedule of mowing all the grassed areas to get the grass looking its best, as well as weeding, painting the barriers around almost the whole length of the 2 mile circuit. The pit complex also had a change of colour scheme and all of the kerbing and start finish line was re-painted.

In the midst of all this work Steve Watton from Adroit and Duncan Green from Pick Everard had made the trip to Geneva to discuss with the FIA the arrangements for the new chicane which was to replace the old Goddards corner. Will Savage put the design into a workable set of figures and after John Williams had set out the whole section, excavation and profiling was undertaken and the final resurfacing was completed ready for the first inspection by the ACU on the 3rd of August. An incredible feat of engineering and determination had allowed the circuit to be ready well in time for the first Motorcycle meeting on 13th-14th-15th August. The subsequent inspection by the FIA on the 25th August meant all was now ready for the first car meeting, the Masters Series on the 3rd-4th-5th August. A meeting which truly cemented the revival of Donington Park as an International venue.

However during this whole period the negotiations for the signing of the lease had not resulted in a final agreement and on the 12th August Kevin Wheatcroft decided he wanted to retain the circuit and keep operations under his own control. A sad end to the desire of Managing Director David Broome’s vision of running the circuit but none the less Adroit had put Donington Park back on track, in record time and to a superb specification.