That Rainy Weather…Not.
It was fabulous: torrential showers were forecast, they arrived but passed either side of us, so all the races were dry and that certainly makes a change for the UK this year: The F1 British Grand Prix was severely affected, which took place only 70 miles away at Silverstone.
75th Anniversary of VSCC
The Vintage Sports Car Club is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary this year with an enhanced series of events; this See Red meeting being one of them. Details here: https://www.vscc.co.uk/
Donington Park is a splendid circuit just about in the middle of England, with excellent highway access and situated right next to the East Midlands Airport which is the UK hub for DHL transatlantic/European freight flights; there is an excellent aviation museum and occasionally the airport has more exotic visitors than the big yellow Boeings, see photo below!
A Spectacle of Races
There were eight races on the card and a separate Autosolo (first one for the VSCC) on an unused part of the circuit, I completely missed this due to talking to folks in the pits and paddock- apologies!
Races events included:
- Mephistopheles Trophy and Lanchester Trophy for pre-1925 racing cars
- Bill Philips Trophy for standard and modified pre-war sports cars
- Donington mug and John Goddard Trophy race for VSCC Specials
- Redgate mug trophy race for pre-war Le Mans cars
- Amschel Rothschild, Shuttleworth, Nuffield and hawthorn Spanish Trophies for front- engine racing cars
- Williams, Bruton, Kenneth bear and John Bowen Trophies for pre-1935 Grand prix cars
- All-comers handicap race for pre-war cars
- Longstone Yyres Long Car race
Some quite exotic titles there, many of the trophies were donated by members of the VSCC over the years. Quick reminder that the term “Vintage” in the UK means up to 1931; that’s what the Club decided 75 years ago and so it remains. Of course, there are races arranged sometimes which are for cars outside of that period as many members have cars either more modern, or even older ones, ranging into the Veteran years from the very invention of the motor-car.
I’m happy to report that there were, as usual with the VSCC, no safety-car or red flag interventions; I only wish that this were the case with more modern racing categories. There were just a few off-circuit excursions into the gravel traps but I’m not aware of any notable damage to these fabulous old cars, the standard of driving with the VSCC is always admirable with none of the borderline destruction-derby attitude of some drivers seen at a certain other well-known UK old car event.
Full details of practice times and race results can be found here: https://www.theresultslive.co.uk/vintage-sports-car-club/2024/2024-meetings-2. From this excellent source you will be able to see the variety of entries.
Check out the VSCC website for a full race report later in the week; it usually takes them a few days to put together in-depth notes on each race; they also have access to plenty of stunning photographs.
Next stop: VSCC Blyton Park Sprint (I’ve never been there before and I don’t think the VSCC has either), followed by Oulton Park Gold Cup race weekend at the end of July.
2024 VSCC SeeRed Donington Park Photo Gallery
