Donington targets August re-opening
Simon Gillett’s Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd had secured a 17 year deal to take the event to the East Midlands venue, but the plans lurched from one disaster to the next before DVLL entered administration in November and British GP moved back to Silverstone.
The aborted plans have left the famous Donington circuit in a state of disrepair and have seen numerous championships – including the British Superbike Championship – elect to take its races elsewhere as questions continued to be raised about the future of the venue.
With the likes of the BARC and Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision group having been linked with taking over the circuit, Donington owners the Wheatcroft family have now revealed that a target date of August has been set to reopen the venue for on-track activities.
Plans and costings to carry out the remedial work required are currently being worked out, with project advisors led by ex-Aggregate Industries director Philip Barltrop and Duncan Green of Pick Everard Consulting Engineers, having held meetings with John Symes of the MSA.
“We are currently finalising plans and costings for the works to repair the damage done in and around the race track at Donington Park," Kevin Wheatcroft said. “We are confident that the new improved race track can be re-opened, subject to obtaining the necessary racing licences, during August 2010."
The statement from the circuit also revealed that race director Robert Fearnall is already working on an appropriate race programme for 2010 which will be announced as soon as possible.
The British Touring Car Championship is due to visit Donington Park for the penultimate rounds of the season in September – with series director Alan Gow stating on more than one occasion that he was confident the event would take place – while the British GT Championship season finale is slated to take place the following month.
The announcement from Donington comes on the same day that Silverstone officially launched the new Arena circuit which will host the British Grand Prix later this year. YahooEurosport