Donington is Dead - Long live Donington [merged]

[grantp]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

plus rockingham of course


not bein funny but who would want to buy a house on a flight path next to a race track LOL......look on the bright side..the noise created by the airport may be doningtons saviour if people complain!

Hmm.

The new plans mention 'Affordable housing'.

The airport is getting quieter as time goes by. If Copenhagen results in what it is intended to result in, things will get quieter still.

One of the developers also now owns the land that was the Donington Power Station site to the north west of the village. It gives them control of almost all the land on that side.

The entire surrounding area is earmarked for massive housing development according to the local plan.

Must get some new batteries for my old calculator so I can try to add up what is going on.

There are places 20 or more miles from Heathrow that are more persistently noising from Heathrow/Gatwick noise levels than Donington is, in the absence of the track.

Just a few observations to throw into the mix.

[ascarracinguk]

i swear the government are trying to kill motorsport by builing houses next to tracks...when will they learn that motorsport is one of the biggest sports in the country and brings in more money and jobs than any other sport!..its gona bite em in the ass big style one of these days!

[Al Weyman]

Of course they are and this farce in Copenhagen will drive the final nail into it, just watch because sooner or later the greenies will vent their fury at us the same as the have at drivers of veal calve trucks, directors and workers of vivisection establishments, companies doing road schemes or any other 'cause' that is in vogue at the time. I give it 5 years max.

[Eddy V]

Ban them cows, they produce more gass than cars.
No joke, it is true.

[Al Weyman]

Yeah and when they tried to sell the calfs for meat they protested about that as well!

[strider]

Originally Posted by arnage arnie

BBC are saying Croft, not Cadwell.

...and that's actually good news for the beleaguered Croft circuit, which doesn't deserve to be having the problems it is.

In other news British F3 is not going to Donington either.

[chunder]

Sadly reading this thread from the beginning it seems that we are likely to lose one of the most pivotally importent tracks in our country.

And for little reason other than one man trying to get more money for his sponsors to hold a British GP and anther man blinded by a backhander enough to say he would promote a race at a track wholly unsuitable to hold a Gp and then get away with basically forcing a perfectly decent race track down wth abslutely no comeback or retribution brought?

From this we have lost perhaps the best bike racing venue in Britain, one of the best tracks to watch at and certainly if you live in the Midlands as I used to, the only place you can see top level motorsport at for a reasonabe cost.

Donington is in my blood, I saw my first ever big race there the 1979 F2 championship, and my first big bike race there, the 1984 Transatlantic Trophy, both forced me into loving racing as much as I do now and this meagre, sad, greedy,unimaginative, controlling, remorseless, selfish group of people have uttery single handedly destroyed a track that has great heritage, location and viewing.

I do hope they are pleased with themselves because if it was me I would be completely embarrassed and humiliated, and in Bernies case the least the selfish oik could do is try and get the track up to a level where it can be used again.

Shameful

[Al Weyman]

Can we bring back lynching?

[ascarracinguk]

i dunno...i think hung drawn and quarterd would be better....send his limbs to the 4 corners of the country so he cant mess up anythin again

[Al Weyman]

I wonder if we can get him to be surprise guest at our awards do in January in front of a 200 odd worse for drink lovers of motorsport!

[Gaz]

The only way I can see Donington being saved is for JP to come in and take it under his wing, that has to be what every British Motorsport fan must cross their fingers for. Looking at the pictures, there seems far much to do to get the circuit in order for next season anyway. Any new owner would need next season to rebuild and refurbish, ready for a 2011 reopening.

Mr Gillet has ruined a fabulous circuit, taking away one of this countries finest venues for the foreseable future. The worrying thing is the arrogant, little man still comes out with pipe dream statements, on the rare occasions he speaks these days. He needs to stop speaking and start selling before he is remembered as the man that closed Donington Park forever.

[Al Weyman]

Was'nt that the goal from day one? I have always been very suspect of the whole episode.

[Gaz]

Well the advantage we have is that he doesn't own the circuit, just the lease. Surely his recent actions should have some kind of affect on this deal? Mr Wheatcrofts son owns the circuit, what can he do to help rectify this sad situation? Surely his father would want him to rescue his beloved circuit from the depths its now in.

[chunder]

Well for me I think the best thing is to abandon thoughts of being as big as they were, downscale a bit, have more club meetings and try and lessen the "green" impact of the sport on the local area.

How on earth one goes about that I dont knowl but trying to attract big events there is a bad idea I think, many will be put off from what has happened and it is going to take a massive PR job from someone to sort it all out.

It is perhaps the most important of our tracks in that has possibly vital history formt he pre war era that SHOULD not die, and is also the best track for viewing and atmosphere.

Bring back the grass banks, dont gat any daft ideas about holding F1 just go back to what you were, the best bike track in teh UK and one of teh most amenable top flight venues.

[paddy]

I was at the first meeting when the track re-opened. I've got so many great memories of the place, particularly the F2 meetings of the late seventies. However I think it looks very bleak now. If the circuit does go it will be a sad day for British motorsport and Gillett and Ecclestone should hang their heads in shame. Sorry, they don't know what that is.

[Steven Humphrey]

According to the 'Support Donington Park' group on Facebook, Tom Wheatcroft's son kevin has taken control of the circuit and is striving to bring it back up to pre Gillett standards. Don't know how 'official' this is but it's the first glimmer of good news in quite a while.

[josvandeperre]

There seem to be two not very positive versions

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/ne...l/article.html

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=39718

[Tyrrell]

Well I think you have to understand something of insovancy before you start writing Donington's obituary.

DVH were only ever the tenant leaseholder of Weatcroft Developments, the freeholder. DVH went into Administration and were given breathing space while the Administrator considered he had a company he/ she could sell on as a going concern (mind you with a potential claim for mega millions from Bernie just why the Administrator thought that is beyond me). A critical date is 25th December. This is a rental Quarter Day on which the rent from 24/12 to 23/3 would become due. If the Administrator was still of the same mind and wished to remain in occupation he/ she would have to pay the rent. if not they must rescind the lease and give back possession to the Landlord. I guess this is what has happened.

Wheatcroft or another tenant would now be able to come in and re-start Donington FREE OF ANY OBLIGATIONS THAT DVH HAD. Now is the time that Jonathan Palmer for example shows some real interest. Save for the poor staff involved the latest news on Donington is I think good news.

A cynic might wonder just why Bernie has not been sabre rattling and threatening Court action on his failed deal with DVH. Them going into Liquidation (it follows a failed Administration) might just be what certain personnel had in mind all along.

[Craig]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80674

[Tim Falce]

Not a good Christmas for those put out of work is it.

[ascarracinguk]

no its not but look on the bright side, the weatcrofts now own it and have no debt with the track so a new tennant or the weatcrofts can start rebuilding again

[Delenn]

I actually think this is a good thing. Now the Wheatcrofts are back in control, things can start to happen. Administrators can often try to charge too much for assets in an attempt to earn money for the creditors. If there were any interested parties, they can negotiate a new lease with the Wheatcrofts. If not, maybe the Wheatcrofts will run it again. Either way, I consider the circuit being out of an administrators reach to be good news.

[terence]

I think it to be the best news yet,considering the contacts that Tom and family have in the building/construction world,hopefully we'll be getting even better news in the very near future.

[JimW]

Originally Posted by josvandeperre

There seem to be two not very positive versions

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/ne...l/article.html

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=39718

On the contrary, that's not bad news, it's excellent news.

It marks the end of DVLL and gives the Wheatcroft family the opportunity to lease the track to someone else. Sure they won't get any of the back rent they are owned from DVLL but then, they won't have any of the debts which DVLL doubtless still has.

Come on, step forward; who has a couple of million to invest now as a Christmas present for club motorsport? Back on the track by mid-year and no nonsense about the Grand Prix. Thin year in 2010 and back as a fine national and international venue in 2011. Re-employ all the people who made the track run and not the GP fantasists.

I don't think MSVR but someone else in motorsport seems interested.

Regards

Jim

[Dave 455]

Kevin has always wanted his huge collection of tanks and armoured vehicles to move to Donington but there was never room, this looks like his big opportunity.

Now the track is in pieces it would make a great traning ground for him to drive his tanks and other military vehicles.

He could operate this alongside re-opneing the grand prix collection.