Five intriguing cars at the Donington Historic Festival

Some star names enjoyed victories at last weekend’s Donington Historic Festival, including the likes of three-time Indy 500 conqueror Dario Franchitti and 2003 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Guy Smith.

But alongside the triumphant machines was an enormous range of cars with intriguing stories behind them. Here is just a small selection.

V10 Williams FW22 turns heads

Amid all the talk about bringing V10 engines back to Formula 1, spectators at Donington had the chance to enjoy the wonderful sound of two cars from that glorious era.

Rob Spencer took to the wheel of an ex-Giancarlo Fisichella Benetton B198, while Williams Heritage had brought along an FW22 from 2000 that was pushed to its limits around the Leicestershire track by six-time Indy 500 starter James Davison.

“It’s the most alive I’ve ever felt – the power, the braking, the g-forces,” said Davison. “Through the Craner Curves I wasn’t expecting that force I would have on my body – it felt like I had the air squeezed out of me. We’re not running tyre warmers, so the out-lap was very sketchy!

“I was sat in the main grandstand at the 2000 Australian Grand Prix, and I didn’t think then that I would get to drive an FW22. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity.”

Unique Nissan among the Super Tourer stars

It was not just F1 cars that enjoyed demonstration runs at Donington – a whole mix of tin-tops from the halcyon Super Touring era also took to the track.

Among them, Jonny Westbrook had brought a rather unusual 1995 Nissan Primera. Unlike the cars that featured at the front of the British Touring Car Championship, this one was four-wheel drive. Raced in Europe by Ivan Capelli, it is the only example of its kind still in existence.

Other Super Tourers on track included Yvan Muller’s 2000 Vauxhall Vectra, back in the UK for the first time in 25 years. It ran alongside more commonly seen Vauxhall Cavaliers and Honda Accords.

Unusual Ford Zephyr back in action

New BTCC recruit Dorlin enjoyed being behind the wheel of the Zephyr again

Photo by: Steve Jones

Think of pre-1966 touring cars and the likes of Lotus Cortinas, Ford Mustangs and Minis all spring to mind. A far less obvious choice is a Ford Zephyr – the machine that new BTCC recruit James Dorlin was piloting in the Jack Sears Trophy a week after making his Toyota bow at Donington.

Dorlin has raced the Zephyr a couple of times in the past, most recently at the 2023 Goodwood Revival, and was giving the car a pre-Goodwood run, finishing 14th overall and third in class.

“It’s good fun, it just lacks a little bit of power – everything is in slow motion compared to last weekend!” said Dorlin. “You don’t ever see these cars out there, so it’s good [to race something different].”

One-off Terrier struggles to bark on return

Ex-Hart Terrier was having only its second UK race in 20 years

Photo by: Steve Jones

Among the Formula Junior single-seaters in action on Friday was a unique Series 2 version of the Terrier Mk4, a car that was raced in period by renowned F1 engine builder Brian Hart.

It was Adrian Holey’s first time out in the car, which has rarely been seen in recent decades. “It’s only raced once in this country in the last 20 years,” he explained. “I bought it from Jonathon Hughes, who did one race in 2020, which he won at Mallory Park.”

Holey qualified fifth among the front-engined ranks, but only managed five laps before the Terrier started overheating. Further troubles then put him out of the race early on.

“After being stood for so long, you expect a few problems, but I think it’s got a lot of potential,” Holey added.

New Mustang among the GTs

Tordoff’s Mustang was an interloper among the Pall Mall Cup sportscars but finished sixth

Photo by: Steve Jones

The Pall Mall Cup enduro is designed for sportscars but there was an interloper among the ranks last weekend when former BTCC stars Sam Tordoff and Andrew Jordan entered the race in a newly-built Ford Mustang.

Having scored a number of dominant victories in recent years in a Ford Falcon, Tordoff wanted a new challenge, and the Jordan Racing Team transplanted the 4.7-litre engine from the Falcon into the Mustang, bedecked in the same distinctive rubystone red colours.

The duo finished the two-hour contest in a very impressive sixth overall, using it as an extensive test session, but it was perhaps a step too far for the car when it suffered gearbox problems in the closing stages of the subsequent Jack Sears Trophy contest as Tordoff was on course to win. The issues were hurriedly repaired in time for Tordoff to bag a podium in the event-closing Allstars race.