Donington Park major resurfacing works complete
24 May 2023
Donington Park has been completely resurfaced by Aggregate Industries, working alongside Driven International, in a collaborative project that has seen the MotorSport Vision owned 2.5 mile circuit undergo a full resurfacing for the first time in over 20 years.
The essential and extensive track maintenance works, which included the removal and replacement of more than 6,500 tonnes of asphalt, were completed over 22 days ahead of the start of the 2023 season, and Driven International are proud to have been involved with the project, providing design, specification and on-site specialist track engineering support.
The collaborative project saw Aggregate Industries work together with track-owners MotorSport Vision (MSV) and Driven International between October and December 2022, with as many as 100 workers on-site at peak times to ensure the project was completed effectively, on schedule and within budget.
More than 5,000 tonnes of specially formulated high-grip SuperPrixmat™ Ultra asphalt was provided, designed exclusively for demanding high-performance motor racing circuits. It also provided 846 tonnes of binder course and 740 tonnes of stress-absorbing membrane interlayer, SuperSAMI. Using the Topcon Smoothride system on the Powerplane cold milling equipment resulted in maximum precision, achieving an average International Roughness Index (IRI) of 0.3, a third of the specified requirement.
Donington Park is an extremely important circuit in MSV’s portfolio, hosting both World Superbike and British Superbike events, where some of the best international riders push their 220bhp race bikes to the absolute limit. With just two tyre contact patches, the size of the palm of a hand, to be able to rely on the grip and consistency of the surface is critical.
I was at Donington for the BSB weekend and heard nothing but the highest praise for our new surface, which was immensely satisfying. Riders loved the increased grip, in both dry and wet conditions, and its smoothness. Just a few weeks before, the top British Touring Car Championship drivers echoed these sentiments.
Motor racing circuit resurfacing is a challenging engineering operation where a lot can go wrong. However, I congratulate Aggregate Industries on doing an outstanding job, on budget, on time. And Driven International for their expert design and engineering contribution to set the specification.
Jonathan Palmer
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MOTORSPORT VISION
In the initial stages of the resurfacing process, 40mm of material needed to be removed from the previous top surface to pave the way for the laying of the new track. Using a digitally controlled road planing process, this both removed any undulations and optimised the drainage as well as the camber of the corners according to the Driven International design.
The new asphalt, sourced from three plants, was laid initially in the pit lane and on the iconic section of track between the Craner Curves and the Start / Finish Straight before covering the full extent of the National and Grand Prix circuits.
Materials which were ground up during the initial stages of the process will be reused around the site, with nothing sent to landfill. This will assist in improvements to the campsites, external pathways, and the maintenance yard, enabling other areas of the venue to benefit.
Working together with both MSV and an extensive supply chain has required exacting levels of technical capability and advanced innovative solutions from across the Aggregate Industries team.
The resurfacing of any major project requires meticulous planning and a true collaborative approach across all involved contractors. The resurfacing of Donington Park was no different, and we’re delighted with the end result – a bespoke solution that meets the durability requirements of one of the world’s most iconic race tracks.
Vicky Smith
REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR SURFACING SOLUTIONS, AGGREGATE INDUSTRIES
After the work was completed, the circuit was initially re-opened for a handful of test and track days, primarily on four wheels, though there was a single motorcycle day during this period. Early responses from those using the circuit were overwhelmingly positive from all, with a noticeable step up in grip levels reported.
Following the Bennetts British Superbike Championship (BSB) last weekend, there was an overall improvement to performance levels and circuit grip, resulting in the fastest BSB laps set to date.- This culminated in the Omologato Superpole qualifying session when double race winner Kyle Ryde set the fastest ever Bennetts BSB lap of the venue to take pole position. Ryde’s effort of 1:27.320 was almost a second faster than anything previously achieved in Bennetts BSB at Donington Park.
It felt great to be able to do that time in Superpole qualifying. We had dry and warm conditions and that lap time was a good 1.2 seconds quicker than I went here last year, so they have done a great job with the resurfacing of the track for sure.
The new surface is really smooth now and the bumps have gone; the only way I can describe it easily to people is that it is like a snooker table. It is really grippy and even at the test in the colder conditions earlier in the year you could really notice the difference.
Kyle Ryde
Bennetts British Superbike Championship rider, 2x winner at Donington Park
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