Donington Park Sunday 1st October 2017

As is the way in 2017...after an enormously long gap between meetings it was 2 in a week for The Spectator and back to Donington Park for the 750MC Finals weekend on the (much better for racing..) National circuit layout. It didn't seem 5 minutes since the opening 750MC fixture back in March and after a long and varied season for the club it was time for their final "normal" meeting of the year aside that is from the Birkett Relay at Silverstone later in the month. On paper this meeting always looked a cracker and it certainly didn't disappoint!
After a rather strange 20 minute Closed Wheel Practice..which saw mainly Civic Cup contenders gain a little track time...plus a couple of qualifying sessions, it was racing all the way starting with the first of two Formula Vee races. After overnight rain the track surface was slightly damp for Ian Jordan's victory but was drier for the day's later race which saw Graham Gant triumph. The quality of racing throughout the field was excellent and after a few years where entry levels had tailed off it's fantastic to report 30 cars on the grid for the 2017 finale.
The venerable Mazda MX5 has championships organised by 3 different clubs and it was the 5Club version providing the action twice on this particular day. It doesn't quite have the volume of entries as the BRSCC run series but a healthy 21 cars is still a good show. Ali Bray won race 1...was excluded for contact...then re-instated! Champion Ben Short wining the second race.
The pair of Locost races were hugely entertaining..the brick like aerodynamics of the Caterham-esque chassis and equality of the1300cc Ford engine make for some epic close fought racing. Still one of the very best entry routes into starting circuit racing the Locost championship has been a success for many years now. Jack Coveney claimed the spoils in the pair of races which saw drizzle fall in the later race leading to numerous spins at the Old Hairpin!
Only 13 starters for the single RGB Championship race which saw Jason Stowe spin off dramatically in the Craner Curves..his Spire shedding it's bodywork in clown car type fashion as it headed towards the gravel trap! Billy Albone's Spire thankfully kept it's clothes on as he powered to victory. Rather bizarrely Albone stopped at the side of the circuit on his slowing down lap halfway down the Craner Curves and was handed a gigantic "Spire Sportscars" flag to wave to the sparse crowd present to watch!! Not quite like the days when Ayrton Senna used to regularly grab a Brazilian flag from seemingly out of nowhere after a Grand Prix win...but  after many years of watching racing,I think that's the first time I've seen flag grabbing at a club meeting!
The Monoposto Club run an Autumn series called the Tiedeman Trophy and the first rounds of which were held at Donington. A varied grid of 26 machines with the motorcucle engined Dallara of Andrew Gordon-Colebrooke wining race one only to spin out in the drizzle of race two letting Neil Harrison's Dallara take the win.
The noisiest races on the timetable were easily the pair of Civic Cup encounters. Lee Deegan won race 1 then sat out the second race of the day as he had clinched the overall title. Mark Grice winning that particular race.
The Clio 182 races saw 22 start the championship final round then only 13 start the non-championship "Showdown" which rounded out the days propceedings in the gathering gloom. Indeed the "Showdown" wasn't listed in the timetable in the programme so I hope there weren't any racegoers who left early! Not the first time that that has happened with a 750MC programme....
Last but not least to mention was a single race for the reborn Hot Hatch Championship. Having been killed off in 2009 then re-launched last year, the phoenix has truly leapt from the flames as 26 cars were on show at Donington. The Honda Civic of Stephen Sawley wining from the Fiesta of Alistair Camp. It was good to see a varied mix of evenly matched cars and although the glory days of Hot/Stock Hatch may be over, the recovery signs are there for the future.
So after 13 races it was time for everybody to head home after what was easily the most entertaining meeting I've been to this year and maybe for a few years.
With no real stoppages the action flowed and finished in just about daylight which is a rarity at Donington in Autumn! The 750MC are a great club who continue to provide the humble clubman with value for money racing. Long may they continue.
Admission on the gate was £15 (with £2 DPRAC discount..) and I actually purchased a programme for £3. As befitting the 1st day of the 10 month, the weather was distinctly Autumnal and a cool breeze kept a lid on the temperature all day and indeed provided a few showers later in the afternoon.A last minute decision to put gloves in the bag proved a wise one!