Image: © MRL
The 15th edition of the Donington Historic Festival, 1st-3rd May, will kick off the Motor Racing Legends season in grand style. The event promises 18 races over three days, along with a wide array of demonstrations and the opportunity to celebrate several anniversaries.
Ten weeks before the event, the DHF26 timetable has been unveiled. The 15th edition promises to be exceptional, featuring 18 races held on the Donington Park National Circuit. In addition to the competition, there will be plenty of attractions and demonstrations throughout the Early May Bank Holiday weekend, from Supercar Driver parades to Formula 1 demonstrations. There will be something for every petrolhead!
On track at Donington
Entries are streaming in, but here are three cars that are already registered and sure to attract plenty of attention.
Jaguar C-type
75 years since Le Mans victory
In 1951, Jaguar claimed the first of its seven Le Mans victories with the XK120-C, which went down in history as the C-Type. The car revolutionised motorsport thanks to its aerodynamic bodywork, designed by former aircraft engineer Malcolm Sayer, who relied on complex mathematical formulas to perfect its shape. Designed and built in just six months by a team of twelve, it took a surprise victory with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead at the wheel. The C-Type delivered Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton to the top step of the Le Mans podium in 1953, at an exceptional average speed of 105 mph! That year, it introduced a technology that would permanently transform racing: disc brakes.
Rudi Friedrichs enters his exceptional 1951 C-Type for the Donington Historic Festival, in the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy.
40 years after its launch
40 years ago, in March 1986, BMW launched the M3 E30. To homologate a Group A racing car, a modest 5000 units were slated to be produced, but that number eventually fell just short of 18,000. Entering racing the year after its unveiling, it went on to rack up countless victories, including four wins at both the Spa and Nürburgring 24-hour races, as well as two World and two European Touring Car Championship titles. The E30 M3 triumphed at Donington in the 1987 European Championship with Dieter Quester, and again in 1988 with Roberto Ravaglia and Éric Van de Poele.
Several Group A BMW M3 E30s will battle at the Donington Historic Festival, racing in the Historic Touring Car Challenge. One of these will be Ashley Muldoon’s Mobil 1–liveried car, a perfect replica of the machine Frank Sytner drove to the British Touring Car Championship title in 1988 (photo below). With their iconic box arches, they’re a spectacular sight, enhanced by the remarkable sound of the four-cylinder engine as it climbs beyond 9,000 rpm. The on-track celebration will be complemented by the presence of production models brought by enthusiastic car clubs, displayed in the infield.
Aston Martin V12 Vantage #004/034
Twenty years after the birth of the GT3
When it was launched in 2006, the GT3 category struggled to convince many, to the point where several observers predicted it wouldn’t last. Indeed, only seven cars were entered when British GT visited Donington Park in May 2006. Twenty years on, there will be many more in GT3 Legends! In two decades, the class has grown to include an incredible variety of models produced by the world’s most prestigious manufacturers: Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, and more. GT3 Legends focuses on first‑generation cars, those produced between 2006 and 2012, which are still very similar to their road-going counterparts.
The Aston Martin V12 Vantage was the second GT3 from the brand, developed with motorsport specialists Prodrive. One of its most iconic chassis will be on track at Donington: #004/034. In 2012, it was entered by the factory for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring as part of the Young Driver program. It later competed at the 24 Hours of Spa in 2013, then secured pole position in GTD at the 2015 24 Hours of Daytona before going on to finish runner‑up in its IMSA class. Jonathan Mitchell will race the car, which still wears the IMSA-spec colours of The Racers Group.
