Donington Park Test Day: From Ford RSR to Aston Martin LMP1

From a Ford Escort RSR to an Aston Martin LMP1

Donington Park’s unsilenced test day once again delivered an incredible variety of machinery. Alongside the full GB4 and GT Cup grids, who were preparing for their race weekend, a host of spectacular LMP1 cars also took advantage of the unrestricted running ahead of next week’s Le Mans Classic.

With so much choice, narrowing down the stories wasn’t easy.

This week I focused on two very different teams that actually shared something in common. Both featured father-and-son driver pairings, yet they represented opposite ends of the motorsport spectrum.

During the day, I also heard the phrase “gentleman racer” for the first time. The term dates back to the early 20th century and describes drivers who own and fund their own racing while receiving no payment to compete. It probably sums up the vast majority of competitors in classic, historic and vintage motorsport today.

Lola Aston Martin DBR1-2 & Pescarolo-Judd LMP1

Belgian racer Christophe d’Asembourg was putting his stunning 2009 Lola Aston Martin DBR1-2, chassis number 007, through its paces ahead of next week’s Le Mans Classic.

The car was developed for the 2009 Le Mans Series, where it claimed overall championship honours with Jan Charouz, Tomáš Enge and Stefan Mücke. It also finished fourth overall in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Christophe began racing in Historic Formula One in 2006 and has since competed in well over 100 races across Europe, Mexico, Abu Dhabi and the United States. His collection includes the 1981 Williams FW07C driven by Alan Jones and a 1982 Brabham BT49C, both of which he races alongside his son, Werner.

When I asked whether he had enjoyed success in Historic Formula One, Christophe smiled.

“I’ve done quite well, but this is not my profession. I do it just for fun. I enjoy it; it is my passion.”

Later, Christophe’s son Werner joined us. He was driving the family’s Pescarolo-Judd LMP1, although its day ended early after developing oil pressure problems. The Front Row Racing team wisely chose to retire the car before any serious damage could occur.

Werner explained that motorsport had always been part of his life.

He travelled around Europe with his father from a very young age before eventually competing alongside his father and brother in the Hankook 25 Hours Fun Cup at Spa-Francorchamps.

Laughing, he described that event as:

“not really a race, just a long drive.”

His real racing career started only four years ago, when he was 30 years old. After spending four months travelling around Latin America with his then-girlfriend, now his wife, he returned home. Christophe invited him to Donington Park for a test in the Williams Formula One car.

Just a few laps changed everything. He was completely hooked.

Today, Werner leads the Masters Historic Formula One Championship, something that clearly makes his father immensely proud. Summing up his passion for racing, Werner said:

“It’s the most fun you can have with your pants on.”

I’ll drink to that.

I also witnessed Christophe pushing the limits through Redgate. He overcooked the corner, took a brief trip across the grass, then calmly rejoined without causing any damage. That’s exactly what testing is for.

Sharp-eyed spectators may have noticed the Pescarolo carrying both numbers 15 and 17. The explanation was simple. The team normally races as number 17, but Le Mans Classic allocated them number 15. Someone forgot to replace the bonnet decal, leaving Christophe to explain the mystery.

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Ford Escort Mk1 RSR & Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo

Another father-and-son pairing came from Surrey, where David Gad and his son Jack combine running the successful DWG Construction Group with competing under the DWG Motorsport banner.

David’s racing journey began in 2017 after buying a Ford Escort as a fast road car.

That didn’t satisfy him for long.

Before long, the Escort received a Millington Diamond twin-cam YB engine, transforming it into a serious competition car. David and Jack raced it together for several seasons before commissioning Sonny Howard of SHP Engineering to build a full RSR in 2021.

Howard enjoyed a brief racing career before establishing SHP Engineering in 1982. Earlier in his career, he served as lead engineer for Team Total Ford with Barry Lee in Hot Rods and Rallycross, while also working with Team Vauxhall and rally legends Russell Brookes and Pentti Airikkala in the World Rally Championship.

Over the years, he has built around 45 spaceframe Mk1 Escort RSRs, designed exclusively for track and competition use.

To complete the project, the team turned to Julian Godfrey.

Godfrey is no stranger to success, having won the British Rallycross Championship six times. For more than 35 years he has specialised in race engine development and vehicle preparation for numerous teams. He built and installed the Cosworth YB engine and continues to oversee the preparation and setup of the car for David and Jack.

David handed the Escort over to Jack for CSCC Modsports and Slicks Series competition. It didn’t take long to realise just how talented his son was.

Jack regularly won races or stood on the podium, and by 2023 they had expanded into Europe, competing in the Dutch Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge (YTCC).

Stepping Up to GT Cup Racing

At the start of last season, David and Jack made the leap into GT Cup by purchasing a Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo. Despite suffering a few mechanical gremlins and several retirements, they finished runners-up in the championship during their debut season.

Jack admitted the Lamborghini demanded a completely different driving style compared with the Escort, making the transition far from straightforward.

This season has brought more frustration.

A broken driveshaft and a detached wheel resulted in two more retirements, leaving them playing catch-up in the championship standings. To make matters worse, one of the rear shock absorbers exploded during this test day.

Fortunately, as Jack pointed out, it happened during testing rather than during a race weekend.

Both David and Jack explained that running a successful construction business brings constant pressure. Racing gives them the perfect opportunity to switch off and enjoy themselves.

David admitted, however, that motorsport still comes with its own stresses.

“It doesn’t always run the way you want it to run, and you’ve always got the cost of everything in the back of your mind. We’re very grateful for all our sponsors, especially DWG and Greystone, our two main supporters.”

The pair also wanted to thank the DWG Motorsport team for preparing the Escort RSR, Julian Godfrey for his ongoing support with the car, and Topcats Racing for running the Lamborghini throughout the GT Cup season.

As always, I’d like to thank every driver and team member who took time out of a busy test day to speak with me. Their willingness to share their stories is what makes this Donington Park Test Day: From Ford RSR to Aston Martin LMP1 feature possible.

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