Tag Archives: Senna

Grand Prix City – Donington Park Museum

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Donington Park Museum

(Ayrton Senna & Juan Manuel Fangio)

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to drop in to the Donington Park Museum, home to the Donington Park Grand Prix Collection. Donington Park dates back to at least the Doomesday Book compiled in 1086 and is one of the longest established deer parks in the UK.

Auto Union Type D, Donington Park Museum

(1939 Auto Union Type D)

After serving as a Prisoner Of War camp for German officers in World War 1, a race track was built in 1931 for £12,000. The track played host to Grand Prix races featuring the Mercedes and Auto Union ‘Silver Arrows’ Grand Prix cars, Tazio Nuvolari driving an Auto Union during practice for the 1938 British Grand Prix fatally struck a stray deer.

Trippel SG6, Donington Park Museum

(1942 Trippel SG 6)

During World War 2 Donington Park became home to 50,000 vehicles as the largest military transport depot in Europe. In 1971 local building magnate Tom Wheatcroft took over the Donington Park circuit and 8 years later racing was resumed after a nearly 40 year break. The highlight of the resumption of racing at Donington was almost certainly the 1993 European Grand Prix.

Vanwall VW9, Donington Park Museum

(1958 Vanwall VW9)

Tom Wheatcroft alongside his property developing business had a passion for racing, collecting vehicles associated with the circuits pre war history, vehicles used in WW2, during which Tom served in a tank regiment and British built Grand Prix cars.

March BMW 732, Donington Park Museum

(1973 March BMW 732)

He also sponsored and entered talented drivers, including Derek Bell, Richard Morgan and in particular Roger Williamson whom Wheatcroft financed in Formula 3 and 2 and an ill fated Grand Prix drive in which Roger met his untimely demise in a horrific accident during the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix.

McLaren M15, Donington Park Museum

(1970 McLaren Offy M15)

The Donington Park Museum houses the largest collection of McLaren

Williams FW02, Donington Park Museum

(1973 Williams – Cosworth FX3B)

and Williams vehicles outside of these two prestigious manufacturers own collections.

Hill GH2, Donington Park Museum

(1975 Hill – Ford GH2)

I spent several memorable hours going round the museum housing a veritable feast of some of the highs and low’s of British Grand Prix endeavour. Situated just of the M1 near Nottingham, at just £8 a visit, I’ll look forward to dropping in again when the opportunity next presents it’s self.

Slightly off topic, wishing all GALPOT readers in the USA and US readers abroad Happy Independence day.

Thanks for dropping today’s Donington Park edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil psycho on tyres’ i hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for a look an Independence day cruise in the UK. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Sundance Winner – Senna

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Senna Movie

Last night I was taken to the cinema at Watershed in Bristol by a non racing fan Fiona with a professional interest in documentary films to go and see ‘Senna’ a 90 min documentary about three time Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna.

Directed by Asif Kapadia the film is apparently unusual in being the first such documentary which is made entirely of archive footage for its visuals, with a handful of contemporary voiceovers by persons who knew and were involved with Ayrton during his 34 year life.

The film focuses on Senna’s Formula One career from 1984 to 1994 using some excellent TV highlights of his driving prowess mixed with interviews, many of the best conducted in his native Portuguese language, along with drivers meetings which took place before crucial races in Ayrton’s career.

I have to confess, perhaps as a result of having become aware of Grand Prix racing at a time when racing drivers were killed at an alarming rate, I was never the biggest of Senna fans. I always respected his achievements but found the aggression, which I saw him display racing wheel to wheel first hand, in the lower formula before he reached Formula One just a little too foolhardy for my tastes.

However this documentary did leave me with a useful reminder and insight into just how exciting Brazilian Ayrton Senna was to watch at the wheel and just how focused he was with the job at hand.

I loved the relatively low fi 80’s TV picture quality on the giant cinema screen, and could have easily enjoyed this film if it had been an hour longer in the same vane. Much to my surprise Fiona and her partner Caroline both announced they had also enjoyed it !

This cross gender appeal of the drama of Senna’s life no doubt contributed to ‘Senna’ wining the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

No matter how little you know or even like Formula One racing this is a seriously engaging documentary, definitely one not to miss.

My thanks to Fiona for taking me out last night.

Thanks for joining me on today’s ‘Sundance award winning’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a lil’ psycho on tyres’, I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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A Lesson From Lotus – Elan plus 2

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The elegant Lotus Elan plus 2 was introduced in 1967 .

It was capable of 120 mph powered by a 126 hp 1558 cc / 95 cu inch 4 cylinder engine.

5200 plus 2’s were made between 1967 and 1975. The registration of this model suggests it was made in between 1971 and 1972.

This non standard badge, celebrating all of the Lotus world constructors championships is at least 6 years younger than the rest of the vehicle to which it is affixed. Lotus Team Manager Peter Warr who played a role in the 1970, ’72 and ’73 championship victories passed away yesterday.

Peter should be best remembered for taking Ayrton Senna to Lotus on Ayrton’s own terms and extending the life of the Lotus F1 team by several years after the death of founder Colin Chapman. However he is most well known for saying of Nigel Mansell (above Lotus 87 in 1981) “he’ll never win a Grand Prix as long as I have a hole in my arse”, which was probably all the encouragement Nigel needed to leave the Lotus team and become the winner of the 4th most Grand Prix of all time a World and Indycar champ. The lesson from Lotus must be ‘never speak ill’. RIP Peter Warr.

Thanks for dropping by, don’t forget to come back now.

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