Over the last few years, the Donington Historic Festival has become a staple of the Superformance Ferrari Club Classic Calendar, with each subsequent year building on the successes of the last.

This year saw a new name at the helm of the event and with that some sweeping changes to the paddocks. The layout of the event was refined with a renewed focus on paddock presentation very much apparent. Lines of uniform gazebos stretched along the tarmac, with enough flags and new branding throughout that you wouldn’t be mistaken for thinking this was a whole new event. This year was certainly going to be different from those before.

The biggest changes to the event were the introduction of a third day, with the event now running from Friday to Sunday, and the choice to compete on the lesser used GP layout, utilising the Melbourne hairpin.

QUALIFYING

A mostly clear sky and warmer temperatures, the conditions favoured the more powerful F355s meaning those in the older cars would have a harder time keeping up, or so we thought.

Arriving in the morning after a mammoth drive the day before from Barnard Castle to Kent to collect his 328 GTB, to then drive back northwards to Donington Park was Chris Butler, who put on a stellar display to mix with the faster machinery in Classes 4 & 5. Unfortunately, Butler suffered a minor mechanical failure during qualifying which would end his morning session early. This would be quickly rectified before Race 1.

Making his series – and racing – debut was Superformance spanner man Lewis Sharman, with a drive in the 348 Challenge previously campaigned by Colin Sowter. Not content with simply finishing the session in one piece, Lewis qualified in a very respectable 13^th position on the grid, with a personal best time of 1:56.3, a 2-sec drift from Group 4 leader Myles Poulton who posted a 1:54.3.

Returning in the family heirloom – the Mondial affectionately known as The Black Pearl – freshly revived for another campaign in Class-2, was Robin Fisk. Ahead the battle for Class-2 front runner would be led by Jago Keen, followed by William Moorwood and Richard Fenny.

Wayne Marrs with a stellar drive qualified strongly to put his F355 Challenge on poll, followed by Gary Culver in his 328 GTB, with Chris Compton Goddard and his F355 Challenge and Colin Sowter with his F355 Spider rounding out the front two rows. 

RACE 1

Excitement is building as the cars are held in the collecting area, ready to be released for their formation lap. This is after all the first race of the 2025 season, the first of our three days of racing at the Donington Historic Festival, and the first time the series has raced on the Melbourne Hairpin for a very long time.

Anticipation building as the cars take positions on the grid, there is a slight delay caused by a mirror in need of adjustment by a marshal. Quickly corrected it’s time to race!

A slow start from Wayne Marrs would see Colin Sowter surge ahead at lights out, chased down by Tim Mogridge and Tris Simpson. Wayne Marrs wasn’t alone with start line woes, Chris Compton Goddard suffered a poor start which would ultimately cost him most of the hard work from qualifying, although it wouldn’t be long before Chris would charge his way through the grid to regain position later in the race.

Robin Fisk suffered an immediate mechanical failure which would see him escape at the first corner, although after investigation this is found to not be terminal, and Robin would return to fight another day in Races 2 & 3.

As Colin Sowter leads, he is being quickly reeled in by Marrs who soon makes his way back into pole position. This would however be short lived as after a short while ,on lap 3, Wayne would be forced to retire the car on the exit of the Melbourne Hairpin with a mechanical failure, forcing a hazard board to remain in position for the remainder of the race.

Sowter retakes pole position and has a healthy lead for much of the race, leading for most of the race, up to lap 8 where he would be caught off the pace by Tim Mogridge and Tris Simpson who capitalise and pass in quick succession where they would remain until the conclusion of the race.

The white F355 Challenge of Vance Kearney was a welcome return to the grid after a fire at Thruxton in 2024. Kearney would fend off Compton-Goddard who would ultimately be forced to retire the car with an engine problem, meaning Vance would secure his qualified position to take 1^st in Class and 5^th overall.

It is easy to fall into the trap of focussing on the frontrunners at any race, and to do so you would be missing on notable battles throughout the field. There was a wonderful trading of places for the duration of the race between Tony Claringbould, Nigel Sayles and Lewis Sharman.

Further ahead after swift repairs post qualifying, Chris Butler and Phillip Connell would also battle for position with the latter doing just enough to keep Butler behind at the chequered flag.

Myles Poulton would have a largely quiet race finding clear space to keep pace throughout, ultimately retaining his qualified position to finish 2^nd in class.

Gary Culver charged onwards in the closing stages of the race, but couldn’t quite find the opening required to get past Sowter finishing 4^th overall but 1^st in Class.

The overall podium would feature three Class-5 F355 Challenge cars, with the outright win being claimed by Tim Mogridge, followed by Tris Simpson and then Colin Sowter.

A big congratulations go to Lewis Sharman who not only survived his first ever race without incident (also in his boss’s car which must sharpen the senses) but also securing 3^rd in Class.

With Race 1 complete and the cars tucked away for the night, all eyes now turn to Day 2.

RACE 2

A slightly cooler start to the day on Saturday and the Superformance Race Centre is proving popular with breakfast and coffee flowing, and with plenty of time for spectating before our afternoon race the spirits are high for the day ahead. There is however one racer absent from the morning buzz in the paddock, Chris Compton-Goddard’s F355 Challenge is no longer able to compete. Not one to spend the weekend spectating, Chris has made the decision to make the not insignificant journey back to Hampshire to collect the 308 GTB, driving in the early hours to make it back in time.

The mechanical issue which ended Wayne Marrs’ campaign early the day before has been diagnosed and repaired, and with no success ballast from Race 1 to worry about, is sure to be a contender for the podium. Also happily returning to the grid was Robin

Fisk, with the issues that forced the early retirement in Race 1 remedied.

Forming on the grid using second best qualifying times would see Wayne Marrs return to pole, followed by Gary Culver in his 328 GTB and the now 10kg heavier F355 Spider of Colin Sowter. Tim Mogridge wears an additional 65kg of success ballast and starts from P5 with Tris Simpson carrying 25kg in P8.

Chris would be forced to start from the back of the grid due to the change of car and was sure to be one to watch as he made his way through the pack, although having not turned a wheel in five years there was some trepidation as to how Chris would handle the last-minute switch.

Lights out and Wayne is off to a flying start, reaching the first corner with little challenge from the rest of the pack, something that would continue through the race as Wayne pulled away.

The racing is clean early through the first lap however as the pack approaches the Melbourne Hairpin there is a spin from Vance Kearney that splits the field, with Stuart Bitmead also spinning off track during evasive manoeuvres.  Both recover but not before Tris Simpson capitalises and climbs to third place by the end of the first lap, continuing to pressure the 328 GTB of Gary Culver for the remainder of the race.

There is a battle for 10^th place between Lewis Sharman, Tony Claringbould, Jago Keen and Nigel Sayles, with the 308 GTB of Jago Keen finding its way up to P10, however this would be short lived where shortly after Lewis would take the position for the rest of the race.

It isn’t long before a suspected oil leak rears it’s ugly head as grip on track begins to lessen. The culprit is identified with a fine blue smoke being visible behind Jago, who is forced to retire halfway through the race.

Phillip Connell unfortunately falls casualty to the reduction in traction at the exit of the Old Hairpin, travelling the substantial distance at speed to collide side-on with the tyre wall. Thankfully nobody else is involved and Connell is a-ok, albeit with some cosmetic damage to his lovely yellow F355.

Robin Fisk drives well in the Mondial to chase down the 308 GT4 of the more experienced Richard Fenny, learning the lines of the track before making his move on lap 4 to take P18. Unfortunately, Fenny retires the car shortly after having lost half his engine, which is later revealed to be an ignition fault which would be remedied overnight.

Marrs catches the eye of the marshals, with a bonnet pin removing itself from his F355, causing the front left corner to lift at speed. This does little to slow Marrs who continues to drive sans bonnet pin to the chequered flag, 7-secs ahead of Culver. Tris Simpson claims P3 3-secs later, rounding out the Race 2 podium.

Chris Butler and Myles Poulton drive well through the race to secure P6 & P7 respectively, finding space to quietly make progress with little challenge made from the typically faster F355’s of Vance Kearney and Stuart Bitmead, never quite recovering after the spins from earlier in the race.

Chris Compton-Goddard’s 308 GTB proves reliable after storage and goes on to claim the top spot in Class 2, also nudging 20-secs clear of the 328GTB of Robert Greaves, securing P13.

William Moorwood is simply too fast for Robin Fisk to catch through the later portion of the race, securing 2^nd in class and P15.

Connell’s F355 is recovered after the race concludes where, whilst unsightly, the damage is mostly cosmetic with a quick repair (thanks to Chris C-G for the scavenged track rod) required for Day 3.

To the sounds of the Pall Mall Cup, a two hour race to end the day, teams and drivers begin to prepare for the earlier race on Sunday afternoon, our last for the 2025 Donington Historic Festival.

RACE 3

One thing that became increasingly clear over the weekend is just how well the Superformance Race Centre has integrated into the paddock. When we weren’t racing the drivers’ lounge was often packed with racers, preparers and others making the most of the hospitality.

Racing early Sunday afternoon has the benefit of heading home before the end of the day, although it does mean less time for socialising after the race, with many breaking down awnings and packing tools shortly after lunch before being called to the assembly area for our race.

A few changes from Race 2… with university duties calling, Robin Fisk makes way for father Peter Fisk, who will now start from the back of the grid. Chris Compton-Goddard would start in P13 rather than the back of the grid, with Chris Butler starting from P6 in his Class-3 328GTB, just ahead of Myles Poulton’s Class-4 328GTS in P7.

Early on in the first lap Gary Culver would find his way around the now heavier F355 of Wayne Marrs, although as the race continued this would be short lived, as by lap 2 Wayne would retake the lead and hold it for the remainder of the race.

By the end of the first lap there is disappointment for Lewis Sharman as Tony Claringbould has climbed two positions to place his Mondial in front, however Lewis would answer back and pull ahead on lap 2.

There would be a battle for the majority of the race for second and third positions between Vance Kearny and Colin Sowter. Vance, somehow making his F355 the widest car on the track, managed to hold off Colin until lap 6. The Melbourne Hairpin proved a particularly exciting portion of the lap between these two, with Vance blocking the apex with late braking each lap.

Hunting behind them was Tris Simpson, who was trying to make up for a loss of position on the opening lap. By lap 8 Tris was back on the podium, hunting down Sowter by lap 10.

In the closing stages of the race it was apparent that Tris was on a charge and closing in on Wayne fast, reducing the gap by a whole second each lap, and with only 2-laps to go and a 2-second gap it was going to be close. Unfortunately for Simpson the race would end before he could make up the final second to Marrs.

In Class-2 it would be apparent that sadly Chris Compton-Goddard’s luck from Day 2 was not to carry over, experiencing brake inconsistencies (a suspected wheel bearing failure) he would be forced to retire the 308 on lap five.

Also throwing in the towel due to mechanical hiccups would be Richard Fenny, the engine issue from the previous day ending his campaign on lap five also.

Pete Fisk also experienced technical difficulties returning to the pit on lap four in the family Mondial, unable to repeat the success of Robin Fisk from the day before. In the 2025 Battle of the Fisks that makes it Robin 1 – Pete 0.

AWARDS

The Scrutineer’s Choice Award was presented to Chris Compton-Goddard for going above and beyond, acting in the spirit of the series, making the mammoth effort to collect a car in order to continue racing over the weekend despite mechanical failure.

The RnR Performance Cars Driver of the Meet Award was presented to Tris Simpson for his consistent performance, pressuring at the front for the duration of the event.

UP NEXT

With the dust settling (and the rain just about starting) all eyes turn ahead to the next event for the Superformance Ferrari Club Classic, the Thruxton Retro taking place on 20^th-22^nd June.