Donnington Park Moto GP 2008 (What a palava)

Donnington Park Moto GP 2008 (What a palava) I have just returned from my first visit to the MOTO GP at Donnington Park, and I must say it will be my last. Neither will I be recommending it to any one I would call a friend in the future.

It is not a cheap weekend over £400.00 for four people including camping, weekend passes and Sunday Grandstand tickets but we were all looking forward to what was being hyped as the best weekend motorcycle racing money could buy in the UK – what a dissapointment.

From the moment we arrived on Friday Night the organisation was poor (very poor). Poor directions to the parking area and only three marshals from the front gate to the car park – people were just abandoning cars as they were being given no directions from anyone that they could see. A very long walk from the parking area loaded down with camping gear – no trailers as there are at many other tracks to offer assistance – again no marshals or staff to tell us were there was still some space available and we were left to roam the campsite in search of space.

Eventually we found a space next to a car park which was empty on arrival but was in use for Saturday and Sunday – use of this car park for campers would have saved us a 30 minute walk loaded down with camping gear. Toilets and showers were the usual portable affairs which in line with expectations were poor (although Brands Hatch has made significant improvements in this area) and too few in number. My Wife walked for 15 minutes to find a shower – and on finding them changed her mind due to the conditions.

Trackside – too few large screens making it impossible to keep in touch with the positions of riders during qualifying. Grandstand – 50% of access stairs closed so you had to clamber over rows of seated viewers to get to your seat. Again no sight of large screen to keep up with the action round the track. After watching all of the racing on Sunday we returned to our car at 17:30 – we eventually got out of the circuit at 21:00 hours.

Modern bikers are a patient bunch who on the whole can take the rough with the smooth – but we are mostly professional people – I was dismayed at the ability (or indifference) of the organisers to put on a show that will attract people back year after year. Still I am off to Assen again next week and will return to other tracks in the future to get my racing fix – but wild horses will not drag me back to Donnington Park.