This weekend Dad’s friend Chris White from Box Fast Transport invited us to join him at Donnington Park for the track day cup racing weekend. Chris was racing in his Mini which he also hires out for motorsport enthusiasts that can’t afford to run their own car or dont want to run one for the year. You can see more about that here –> https://boxfasttrackdays.co.uk/
FRIDAY
Finished school, packed my bag and away we go. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Donnington from where we are. My sister and I just watch Netflix on the way.
When we arrive at the track it was quite late, so we just watch come TV and go to bed. We are directly next to the East Midlands Airport and the planes fly directly overhead, I think they stop about midnight – they are so close and so loud!
SATURDAY
Early start to the day, up at 8. Dad is working on the spanners for Chris. He’s got a qualifying session and a race. There is a problem with the car after the qualifying, it isn’t running right, hesitating and stalling. Dads stripped the whole front of the car to look for air leaks. It turned out to be an issue with the MAP sensors but they didn’t need replacing in the end just cleaning and resetting. I was really excited to be able to help with the car prep. I found it really interesting.
After the racing we got to go look around the pits. I was looking forward to finding James Kell. Obviously not myself. There is another James Kell, James Kell Racing. I found out about him in 2019 when watching the BTCC and it’s supporting races. It was really wierd hearing my name, well his name, on the TV! in 2019, we reached out to him and we were invited to go and see him when he was racing at Croft.
This year he’s racing in the GT3 in a McLaren 720S and GT Cup in a Mercedes. This weekend is a GT Gup meet. He is doing a few different races. One Sprint race and pitstop races with his dad (also called Darren Kell). These are like 50 minutes long and there is a pit stop where they change drivers.
How cool would it be in a few years if It could be a pit stop race, James Kell and James Kell?? I’ve got some work to do to get there then!!
So after a goo day racing, Mum fires up the BBQ and has a few drinks with Dad, Chris and Chris’s family. I’ve just chilled out and watched Netflix before going to bed once the aeroplanes let me!
SUNDAY
Dad’s not on the spanner today so its just a day for us to watch the racing. Lucy has really been enjoying herself this weekend. It’s a shame she didn’t get to come to Silverstone F1 really but Mum and Dad thought it would be too loud for her.
Today we got to watch a lot of races, there was old F3 cars, there was some historic V8 cars (Bandits) and then there was James Kells races…. GT Cup sprint race and GT Cup Pit Stop races. James won his sprint race and we legged it round to see him collect his trophy.
James has always been epic with me. In 2019 he stood with me for a photo and gave me his baseball cap that he was given with his trophy. This time he’s got me up on the podium with him. He did offer me his cap, but I didn’t want to take it from him… he earned it! I’ll have to work for mine in the future.
Chris was the second to last race out, and after qualifying 10th in class earlier in the day he managed to make up 4 places, coming 6th.!! Time for home because Mum has the food shop coming between 9 and 10 tonight! Quick pitstop of our own at Donnington Services for a burger and fuel before the hour and half home.