Donington Park Event Report

Donington Park welcomed Trackday Championship (TDC) on Saturday 19 July for the third round of the 2025 season. It was a day to remember for Clubracer’s Henry Wright and Kevin Glover, who secured their first Overall and Class B TDC victory.

Equally delighted will be Frogjam Motorsport’s Pummell/Robinson and Enhanced Motorsport’s James Howells, who picked up victories in Class C and D respectively.

Qualifying

Reigning Champion Nicole Drought (Motion Motorsport) has been in terrific form again so far in 2025 and was immediately on the pace in qualifying. The Irish driver continued to set the benchmark, before an impressive time of 2m0.588s by Wright/Glover secured pole position in their VW Golf. Drought would have to settle for second, finishing the session just 0.225s behind the polesitters.

Father and son duo George and Jack Wright qualified third, ahead of fastest Class C qualifiers Pummell/Robinson. MCS Racing’s Nathan Mcphail looked strong, ending the session as the second-fastest C qualifier and marginally faster than class rival Dan Abbitt.

Stephen Docker’s tremendous form in Class D continued, as the Mazda MX-5 driver qualified fastest in class. Hills/Griffith qualified an impressive second-fastest in class in their first TDC appearance of the year - just 0.012s in front of Howells.

Race

Wright/Glover maintained their lead through the opening laps, managing the tricky conditions well. Drought remained in second but was applying the pressure to the #38 car in front, while Wright/Wright had made the move to third.

Pummell/Robinson and Docker continued to pave the way in classes C and D, but with plenty of challengers pushing them hard. Abbitt was hot on the heels of the Frogjam Motorsport Clio, while another father and son duo in the form of James and Phil Hart were enjoying a strong start to sit third in Class C.

There was plenty of overtaking going on throughout the championship’s three classes, as competitors looked to find an edge on their rivals through the downpour. PRO-AM Racing’s Ogden/Furnell were on the rise, as was Mangoes Racing’s Jack Goes.

With the conditions worsening, a red flag was called to stop the race.

Upon the restart, Wright/Glover continued where they left off, leading the pack around the Leicestershire circuit and into the pit window. Each team has to complete a mandatory two-minute pit stop and it was clear that there was some differing strategies at play.

Amongst those utilizing a savvy stop was Howells, whose pace had already seen the Fiesta driver rise through the order. Howells, as a result, was now entrenched in an exhilarating battle with Docker for the Class D lead. The duo traded positions on multiple occasions, as the clock ran down.

When the checkered flag signaled the end of the race, it was Wright/Glover who recorded a richly-deserved first Class B victory in TDC! In challenging circumstances, the duo had enjoyed a phenomenal race.

The rival VW Golf of Wright/Wright finished second in Class B, after a solid performance from both drivers. An excellent recovery drive from an early mistake was rewarded with a third-place trophy for Apple Car Centre’s Jordan Honeybone, along with a decent helping of championship points.

Pummell/Robinson were pushed hard by Abbitt in Class C, but didn’t succumb to the pressure to take their second Class C victory in as many races. Both teams had put in excellent performances, finishing not just as the top two in class, but also P2 and P3 in the overall classification. Algar Racing’s Shane Roe was another to enjoy a solid race, battling with higher-classed cars enroute a Class C podium finish in third.

The highly entertaining battle between Howells and Docker culminated with Howells pipping Docker over the finish line by a mere 0.466s! It was a first TDC class victory for Howells who will be immensely proud of his efforts. Docker’s tremendous year continued with the second-place finish, while fellow MX-5 driver Steven Orant (STAL Powered for Racing) claimed the final spot on the Class D podium by keeping the A.L.E Racing MG ZR behind by 3.363s.

Congratulations to all!

TDC will return on Saturday 9 August on the picturesque Oulton Park International circuit.

Photo: Gary Hawkins