06 May 2025

Donington Historic Festival

Mad Jack Race at Donington Historic Festival

Last weekend, we competed in the Mad Jack race at Donington Park Circuit. The Mad Jack Race is for Pre-War Sports Cars and celebrated the 90th anniversary of the first Grand Prix held at Donington in 1935, which was famously won by Richard ‘Mad Jack’ Shuttleworth.

The grid featured an impressive lineup of historic marques, including Alfa Romeo, Alta, Alvis, Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Frazer Nash, Jaguar, Morgan, Talbot, and Riley.

With qualifying held on Friday and the race set for Saturday, all cars were primed for action in the paddocks. Great to see the Bentley 3/4 ½ Litre driven by Morley C/Morley J securing an impressive fourth-place finish in the qualifying.

An engaging race report highlighted Gareth Burnett and Rudi Friedrichs delivering an exciting contest for the overall lead in their respective Alta Sports and Alvis Firefly Special. After the mandatory pit stops, Burnett pulled ahead to secure the lead. Despite facing issues with second gear, Friedrichs held onto second place ahead of Robert and Joshua Beebee in their Frazer Nash TT Replica.

Our technical support team, delivered by one of our Project Leads, was on-site throughout the event, working with passion and diligence trackside. With experience at historic races such as Le Mans Classic, the Benjafield’s 24Hour race in Portimão and Goodwood headline events, our technicians consistently deliver outstanding support, playing a key role in maintaining vintage Bentleys so they perform at their best.

Great to be a part of the Mad Jack race amongst many other vintage Bentleys sharing the same passion for these British pre-war cars. Congratulations to Morley C/Morley J for securing a top 10 finish in a Bentley 3 4 ½ Litre. 

Thank you to the Motor Racing Legends team and Donington Park Circuit for hosting another fantastic event, we’re looking forward to next year.

Photo Credit - Jordan Butters and Ollie Smith, Donington Official Photographers