Donington Park Sat/Sun June 23/24 2012
After a rare weekend off, it was back to Donington on the weekend of June 23/24 for a very busy 2 day 750MC organised meeting. Very busy is something of an understatement with a hugely ambitious 28 race schedule in place with 12 races on Saturday and 16 on Sunday. The 750MC are organising less meetings in 2012 so it would appear that their doctrine is to cram as much as physically possible into each day. We ended up losing the final race on Sunday, SportSpecials (nee KitCars) due to time constraints, so it was just the 15 races in total......Dare one say it, but there was probably too much racing scheduled! Both days the length of races was reduced from 13 minutes + 1 Lap to 11 minutes + 1 lap (after 4 races on Saturday and 6 races on Sunday)
All the 750MC formulae had double-headers over the weekend save the 750 Trophy which had just the 1 race. Such was the entry in the Locosts that they had 3 races. There was some very good racing throughout the weekend with only the Formula Vee's letting themselves down with both races having 2 red flags which are blighting the championship this season.
Donington does seem to be one circuit where keeping to time seems to be very difficult. Reasons why would seem to be varied but in my opinion the recovery of broken down/crashed cars has always been a little slow so maybe new recovery crews are needed. The layout of service roads and access points needs to be looked at with more exit points to the perimeter road to get cars off track quicker. Donington also has some of the biggest gravel traps in the UK if not the world, especially those at Old Hairpin & Redgate, so it was unforgivable of the 750MC not to have a full compliment of snatch tractors in place last weekend with a very tight timetable in place. Cost of circuit hire would seem to indicate that the more you pay the more tractors you get. It's the little details that all add up to help a meeting run smoothly such as getting cars on track as soon as the last session has ended, gridding up on a dummy grid to help drivers know where they're starting and marshals/clerks of course not venturing onto the circuit when they don't have to.
I have to say as a hardened spectator of many years that I've never been as shattered after spending 2 long days spectating! The weather didn't help with the it being more Midsummer Murder than actual Midsummer....Both days were cold and very windy as the dreadful weather of 2012 continued.Admission was £10 each day (£5 DPRAC discount) and programme £2
All the 750MC formulae had double-headers over the weekend save the 750 Trophy which had just the 1 race. Such was the entry in the Locosts that they had 3 races. There was some very good racing throughout the weekend with only the Formula Vee's letting themselves down with both races having 2 red flags which are blighting the championship this season.
Donington does seem to be one circuit where keeping to time seems to be very difficult. Reasons why would seem to be varied but in my opinion the recovery of broken down/crashed cars has always been a little slow so maybe new recovery crews are needed. The layout of service roads and access points needs to be looked at with more exit points to the perimeter road to get cars off track quicker. Donington also has some of the biggest gravel traps in the UK if not the world, especially those at Old Hairpin & Redgate, so it was unforgivable of the 750MC not to have a full compliment of snatch tractors in place last weekend with a very tight timetable in place. Cost of circuit hire would seem to indicate that the more you pay the more tractors you get. It's the little details that all add up to help a meeting run smoothly such as getting cars on track as soon as the last session has ended, gridding up on a dummy grid to help drivers know where they're starting and marshals/clerks of course not venturing onto the circuit when they don't have to.
I have to say as a hardened spectator of many years that I've never been as shattered after spending 2 long days spectating! The weather didn't help with the it being more Midsummer Murder than actual Midsummer....Both days were cold and very windy as the dreadful weather of 2012 continued.Admission was £10 each day (£5 DPRAC discount) and programme £2
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