Donington Test Day – Golden Oldies
Report by Graham Atkinson Photography
15 April 2026
I had a fairly good idea of which cars would be attending the Donington Test Day — I was expecting something quite unusual. It was only a couple of days before the GT Cup’s first meeting of the season here at Donington. Sure enough, most of the GT Cup were present and practising. They were grouped together on track, as expected.
The Ginetta Juniors were holding their media launch day, and it seemed like every car in the championship had turned up. They also had their own dedicated session.
On busy test days like this, cars are grouped according to similar performance levels. This helps reduce speed differences on track, which can otherwise be dangerous—similar to the issues Formula 1 has been facing with closing speeds.
That left everyone else in Group Three, which is where my selection of cars comes from for this report. These were mainly historic and classic cars, often arriving on trailers behind vans. In many cases, the owner is also the driver, mechanic, and restorer. Each one has a story to tell.
Donington Test Day – Mark Taylor and the Ferrari 328 GTB
Let’s start with Mark Taylor, whom I met while helping him reverse his trailer into one of the garages. Sitting proudly on it was a beautiful red Ferrari. This example is one of only 120 1987 328 GTB models imported into the UK.
Once he had unloaded and settled in, Mark shared his story. He previously worked in Formula One with the Footwork Arrows/March team. PR work for Renault and British Touring Car drivers followed. Then, at the age of 45, he took up karting—much like many aspiring young drivers.
Mark proved to be very successful, winning the Rotax Max Championship twice, representing the UK in European karting. He is still racing regularly at Kimbolton. Mark is also competing in the European Cup at Le Mans this October.
Last year, the opportunity arose to buy this Ferrari. Although he hadn’t planned on purchasing one so soon, his father encouraged him to go for it—and he did. The car had been in storage for some time and required quite a bit of work, including updates to meet current regulations.
He later took it to Silverstone with a driving coach for a shakedown to ensure everything was running properly. This Ferrari 328 GTB is basically a standard road car with a roll cage added. Like many classic car owners, Mark didn’t want it sitting idle—he wanted to race it.
As he told me: “It was always my boyhood dream to become a Ferrari racing driver, and hopefully I will be.”
Calling Mark that evening to see how his day had gone. He said it had been brilliant—and by the end, he had set times fast enough to qualify second in class for the upcoming meeting at Oulton Park. It seems he may well achieve that dream.
Sam Summerhayes and the Mini Miglia
The next two cars proved difficult to track down. I had spent most of the day trying to find their drivers in a paddock packed with cars and hospitality units spread over a large area.
Just as I was about to leave, I decided to have one final drive around—and this time, luck was on my side. I met Sam Summerhayes, owner of a Mini Miglia. After helping him secure his garage marquee during a sudden gust of wind, we got chatting about his racing journey.
Sam began racing at just 10 years old in Mini Junior Stocks and worked his way up through the ranks. He entered Mini Miglias in 2014, and this is now his third car in the class.
Mini Miglia is the pinnacle of Mini racing. Introduced in 1970, it features 1275cc engines, slick tyres, and strict regulations. Owens Fabrication built Sam’s car, hand-building the shell and supplying complete ready-to-race cars. However, Sam built this one himself, fitting it with a KED engine producing around 130bhp and Colin Ward suspension.
Despite the strict rules, Sam emphasised that you don’t need to spend huge amounts to get involved. The Libre class allows older cars with more flexible regulations to compete alongside the Miglias, offering a more affordable entry point.
For Sam, the best part of the sport is the atmosphere: “It’s friendly both on and off the track. Everyone helps each other out, and the social side after the racing is just as important.”
The Russell Family and Their MGB
After leaving Sam, I made one final attempt to find the driver of a red MGB at the far end of the paddock. This time, someone was there—a young driver named Evie Russell.
She was just about to head out for her session, so time was short. She mentioned that both her father and grandfather also race the car and would be happy to talk.
Her grandfather, Gordon, has been racing for an incredible 58 years on both two and four wheels. Now aged 80, he is still actively competing and clearly loves every minute of it. He also spoke proudly of Evie, who is already within a second of his best lap times—a remarkable achievement.
Evie’s father, Mike, originally made his name racing motorcycles, enjoying a successful career before retiring about seven years ago. He then joined his father in racing the MGB and also owns a 1960 Austin Healey 3000, which he races whenever possible.
At just 18, Evie is the newest member of the team but is progressing quickly. She is currently studying for a motorsport degree and hopes to build a career in the industry.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA – A Rare Icon on a Test Day
Another car at the Donington Test Day—often overlooked but now extremely rare and highly sought after—was the 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA.
By the end of 1964, Alfa Romeo’s competition department, Autodelta, decided to transform the Sprint GT into a dedicated race car. Alfa Romeo built 500 GTA models, with the “A” standing for “Alleggerita,” meaning lightweight.
To cut weight from 900kg to 740kg, Alfa replaced many body and floor panels with aluminium. They used magnesium alloy extensively in the structure, suspension, and engine components, as well as for the wheels and even the door handles. They replaced all glass except the windscreen with Plexiglas and stripped the interior to the essentials.
Installed with a more powerful engine, this example was one of just 28 Autodelta works cars. At one stage, it even ran with a supercharger, though they later removed it due to high fuel consumption.
The GTA proved hugely successful, achieving over 200 race wins in 1966 alone and going on to secure three European Touring Car Championship titles.
That concludes my look at the latest Donington Test Day. You can find more of my reports in the PistonClick Photographers area.
