VIP treatment, noise, smells and full sends. Here's Paul's account of a day at Donington Historic Festival.
Earlier this year, Supercar Driver did something brilliant. We teamed up with Motor Racing Legends. On paper, that means their members get access to Secret Meet (you’re welcome), and our members get the keys to a calendar of old-school racing events with proper hospitality — because if we’re going to do something, we do it properly.
But I’ll be honest. When I first saw “Donington Historic Festival” in my calendar, I thought I knew what I was in for. Some dusty MGs. The odd Austin-Healey. Men called Nigel in tweed. And a tannoy system last used at the Battle of El Alamein.
What I got instead was Dario Franchitti absolutely sending it round the Melbourne Loop in a touring car with no regard for mechanical sympathy, Gregor Fisken wrestling a pre-war car that looked like it had no brakes or seatbelts, and a paddock full of glorious, noisy, angry machines that reminded me why I fell in love with cars in the first place.
And that’s not even the best bit. As Supercar Driver members, we were treated properly. We were the only club with VIP paddock parking right in the thick of the action – not tucked away in some overflow field. Just steps away from the garages and the noise. Every member also had the chance to head out on dedicated parade laps around the circuit at lunchtime. Proper laps. Proper cars. Proper fun.
And when it came to lunch, we didn’t mess around either. VIP hospitality was included – hot food, comfy seating, and, most importantly, a full Pick & Mix stall loaded with cola bottles, flying saucers and Wham bars. That’s how you do race-day snacks. All completely free. Just turn up, park in the paddock, and enjoy everything as part of your Supercar Driver membership.
Motor Racing Legends might just be the best-kept secret in motorsport. These aren’t parade laps. This isn’t some slow-moving nostalgia trip. It’s proper, elbows-out racing – the kind you feel in your chest and smell in your nose. There’s real risk. Real consequences. And, crucially, real people. It’s not a sanitised show. It’s not behind glass. It’s noisy, oily, and slightly chaotic – which is exactly how motorsport should be. You don’t just watch it. You feel it.
You might think a historic festival is all about vintage stuff puttering around. Think again. Here’s what we saw:
GT3 Legends is a new series launched by Motor Racing Legends, and it’s fast becoming the championship to watch. Think about it. The early GT3 era gave us some of the best-looking and best-sounding race cars ever made. Ferrari 458 GT3s, Porsche 997s, Aston Martin DBRS9s, BMW Z4 GT3s – the lot. The kind of cars that made you shout “LOOK AT THAT!” even if you were halfway through a bacon sandwich.
They’re all eligible for GT3 Legends, and because it’s run by proper racers who care more about action than PR, the grid is already full of very fast, very committed drivers doing battle in machines that still have plenty to say.
Here are just a few names and cars worth keeping an eye on:
It’s not just about the cars – it’s the way they’re driven. No one’s coasting. No one’s taking it easy. These are hard, fast laps in machines built to fight, not pose.
Here’s the thing that really surprised me – and probably the best bit of all. You can walk right into the paddock. No gates. No wristbands. No “VIP-only” signs. Just you and the cars. And the drivers. And the smell of hot brakes and unburnt fuel. It’s intoxicating.
I had a chat with a bloke rebuilding a gearbox in the back of a van. I watched a teenager wiping flies off a Porsche’s splitter like it was her first-born child. I stood close enough to a V12 being warmed up that I nearly lost an eyebrow.
You can’t get that at most modern motorsport events. You certainly can’t get that in Formula 1 – unless you’re worth billions or have access to a royal helicopter. Here, you can get within arm’s reach of racing machinery that still makes the hairs on your neck stand up. And you can bring your kids, and your sense of humour. It’s grassroots motorsport with a V8 soundtrack.
Donington itself was buzzing. And not just with your usual motorsport anoraks. There were families. Teenagers. Petrolheads of all shapes and sizes. People who came because they love the noise, the cars, and the idea that motorsport doesn’t have to be exclusive, over-regulated or boring. People stayed all day. They applauded overtakes. They shouted at marshals. It felt alive. Like motorsport with a pulse.
Now for the really good news. The GT3 Legends series – that grid of beautifully angry machines – is coming to Secret Meet this summer. Yes, our Secret Meet. That means you, as a Supercar Driver member, will have full access to some of the best GT3 cars ever made – all running, driving, and making very expensive noises. You can get up close, have a chat with the drivers, and then watch them throw these things around a track like they’ve just been told there’s no tomorrow. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be fast. And it’s going to make you fall in love with motorsport all over again.
I went to Donington expecting something slightly sleepy. Something you’d do on a Sunday before heading to the garden centre. Instead, I got a full-throttle reminder of what racing used to be – noisy, open, chaotic, and brilliant. And now, thanks to the partnership with Motor Racing Legends, our members get to be a part of it. Use it. Go to one of the events. You’ll come away smelling of fuel, slightly deaf, and absolutely grinning. Which is exactly how a day at the track should end.
