The Donington Historic Festival descends on Donington Park next Friday, 2 May, for three days of world-class historic motorsport from classic race cars spanning ten decades. Visitors can also enjoy a host of other attractions, including track demos from the Williams-BMW FW22 F1 car, super touring car track demos, supercar and car club parades and displays, children’s entertainment and even brass band performances at this enormously popular, family-friendly event.
Motor Racing Legends, behind some of Europe’s leading historic racing, has taken over at DHF and expanded it to a three-day format, which means more races and more race grids.
The full Donington Park Grand Prix circuit is in use for the first time in the event’s history. So, visitors can enjoy the glorious sight and sound of battles through the Fogarty Esses, round the Melbourne Hairpin and through Goddards Hairpin.
2025 is the 90th anniversary of Richard ‘Mad Jack’ Shuttleworth’s victory at the first Donington Park Grand Prix, in 1935. The Pre-War Sports Cars race, named in his honour, celebrates that milestone with a near-capacity grid and special prizes, too.
At the other end of 10 decades of motorsport history is the addition of Motor Racing Legends’ new GT3 Legends series. With racing supercars from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and more set to feature, it brings an exciting new dimension this year.
Other changes to the line-up include two standalone races for the 1960s touring cars of the U2TC, while the ever-popular Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup endurance event is a two-hour evening race this year.
Racing through the weekend
Each of the three days of DHF 2025 is packed with superb track action, with 17 races showcasing 12 top-class historic racing grids.
Friday 2 May sees historic Formula Junior out on track, with two FJHRA ‘Silverline’ Championship races for these nimble little single seaters from the 1950s and ‘60s. There’s race action, too, for U2TC – under-two litre touring cars of the early 1960s – while Ferrari fans will be treated to the first of three Superformance Ferrari Classic Series battles taking place over the weekend.
Qualifying sessions are no less entertaining at DHF, and Friday’s visitors can enjoy the ‘Mad Jack’ for Pre-War Sports Cars, echoing the races of the earliest days of racing at Donington Park. There are qualifying sessions too from the sleek GT cars of the HMRN Pre ‘63 GT grid and the wonderful mix of pre-’66 GT and touring cars and pre-’61 sports cars that is the Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup. Bringing things (almost) up to date will be the monsters of the 2010s in the new GT3 Legends series.
Saturday 3 May opens with a lively qualifying session for the crowd-pleasing 1970s and ‘80s machines of the Historic Touring Car Challenge with Tony Dron Trophy. There’s qualifying, too, for the beautiful pre-‘56 and pre-‘61 sportscars of the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy grid.
Saturday’s race action kicks off with the ‘Mad Jack’ for Pre-War Sports Cars. There’s a very special addition to the grid in the form of four of the Bentley Continuation cars – three Blowers and a Speed Six. Just twelve of each of these exceptional, hand-built machines have been made, and this is the first time so many of them have raced together. The racing continues with HMRN Pre ‘63 GT and the first of two GT3 Legends battles, along with second outings for U2TC and the Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Series. The day ends with the epic Royal Automobile Club Pall Mall Cup race, which this year is a two-hour endurance race.
Sunday 4 May is an absolute treat for touring car fans, with classic tin-tops galore, along with the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy & Stirling Moss Trophy race, a second GT3 Legends race and a third Superformance Ferrari Club Classic race. The action opens with the Historic Touring Car Challenge with Tony Dron Trophy race and continues with the pre-‘83 Group 1 & Group 1/2 touring cars of the HRDC ‘Gerry Marshall Trophy Series’ and the 1958-‘66 touring cars of the HRDC ‘Jack Sears Trophy’. The weekend concludes in exuberant style with the pre-‘66 sports, GT and touring cars and Alfa Romeos of the HRDC ‘Dunlop Allstars’ racing with HRDC ‘Classic Alfa Challenge’.
Track demos and off-track attractions
A mighty Williams FW22 Formula One car, driven in period by Jenson Button during his debut F1 season, will thrill visitors. Few of those present will ever forget the unmistakable sound of that 800+bhp BMW E41 V10 engine echoing around Donington Park in the more-than capable hands of six times Indy 500 entrant James Davison! It takes to the track as one of two high-speed demos on the Saturday and Sunday of the event.
The other demo to look forward to turns the clock back to an immensely popular era in touring car history with a superb clutch of super tourers. The entry includes 24 Hours of Spa winners, German touring oddities, BTCC winners and controversial Opels all resplendent in their period race liveries.
Other attractions include an open-access race paddock, free pitlane walks, a trade village, Sporting Bears charity passenger drives, and displays of hundreds of cherished classic cars staged by dozens of car clubs, plus lunchtime club track parades. New for 2025 are parades from nearly 100 stunning exotics from Supercar Driver, which are also on display throughout the weekend.
On the Saturday and Sunday, youngsters can take part in circus skills workshops, get their faces painted or have fun in the funfair, while brass bands will entertain Infield visitors. Finally, it’s eyes to the skies on the Saturday and Sunday, when Festival-goers can enjoy flypasts from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, with an iconic Spitfire paying a flying visit each day.
Advance discounted ticket prices start at just £15 for an adult (16+) Friday entry, with discounts for teens aged 13-15. The three-day weekend ticket represents exceptional value at just £45 for adults and £28 for teens. Under 13s are admitted for free. Advance booking closes at 4pm on Wednesday, 30 April, with tickets then available on the gate throughout the weekend. For further information and to secure tickets please visit www.doningtonhistoric.com.