Friday, Donington Park announced two major developments. The first announcement is that Donington Park has passed FIM inspection, just ahead of this month’s WSBK stop, and next month’s MotoGP stop at the historic British track.
The second announcement is that DVLL, the track operator which leases the premises from landowner Tom Wheatcroft, has settled on , thus insuring the continued use of the track for motoring events.
Donington Park has faced a plethora of issues after it built a new paddock access tunnel for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the largest concern being the available run-off on the affected McLeans and Coppice corners.
However after viewing the latest changes to the construction, FIM Safety Officer Claude Danis has confirmed that the necessary changes have been made to restore run off to the affected areas. With the FIM licence now granted, the planned rounds of World Superbikes and MotoGP can go ahead unhindered. Previous events had seen those McLeans and Coppoice under a standing yellow flag, which is a quick-fix that would not fly in the premiere racing classes.
While the FIM inspection was one major hurdle, the biggest was the ongoing dispute between DVLL and the track owners, the Wheatcroft family. The Wheatcrofts were claiming nearly £2.5 million in unpaid rent, which if not resolved would leave DVLL in breach of its lease, and unable to use the track for racing. Both DVLL and the Wheatcroft family issued a joint press release stating that the issue has been settled in private.
Donington Park will host WSBK and MotoGP this year, but MotoGP will be held at Silverstone in 2010, as Donington will host Formula 1 next year.
Source: MotoGP Matters
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