Race Weekend Summary: Donington Park

The Donington Park race weekend on 20 June 2026 began with preparations from Wednesday 17 June, as Dan and the Crawley Race Team set up in the paddock and completed final checks ahead of Thursday testing.

Donington was always expected to be a challenge. Dan upgraded to the Caterham 270R specification just over a month ago and has had limited time to adapt to the car. Although based on last year’s Roadsport, the 270R delivers a significant performance increase through track-focused tyres, wider and stiffer suspension, a new ECU, and aerodynamic enhancements.

Most competitors entered the weekend with considerably more experience, having either raced in the 270R Championship for several seasons or upgraded from Roadsport at the end of last year. For many, Donington was already their fourth race weekend of the season.

Thursday testing was highly encouraging. Dan quickly gained confidence and matched lap times of some front-runners. After testing, a routine spark plug inspection led to an unexpected issue when a plug broke during removal, requiring several hours of engine inspection and cleaning. The team resolved the problem without lasting damage.

Friday ran smoothly, with the focus on car setup, tyre behaviour, fuel calculations, and continued pace improvements. By the end of the day, confidence was high heading into qualifying.

Saturday qualifying took place in damp conditions. The team opted for a setup suited to a drying track, and Dan performed strongly despite the challenge of finding clear track space and an effective slipstream. He qualified 15th out of 30 drivers, placing him solidly in the midfield and ahead of several experienced competitors.

Race 1

Dan made an excellent start but was boxed in on the opening lap. After initially running with the lead group, close battles allowed the front pack to escape. He finished 13th.

Race 2

Another strong start kept Dan with the lead group, and the plan was to manage tyre temperatures before attacking later in the race. A gearbox issue then prevented selection of fourth gear, costing around five seconds. Dan adapted his driving style and brought the car home in 13th despite the setback.

Race 3

Dan again started strongly, showed good pace, and completed several overtakes. Despite limited opportunities to move further forward, he delivered another clean race and finished 13th.

Weekend Summary

Although the team arrived aiming to challenge for podiums, the weekend delivered plenty of positives.

As an independent driver competing against more experienced rivals, Dan adapted quickly to a very different car and showed encouraging pace throughout the event. The team leaves Donington with valuable experience, a largely intact race car, and a much better understanding of the 270R package. Aside from the gearbox issue, reliability was strong.

Donington remained as demanding as ever, with several major incidents and significant damage across the field. Completing a clean weekend on a circuit where many corners are taken at over 100 mph was an achievement in itself.

Attention now turns to Oulton Park in mid-July, where the team will build on the progress made at Donington and continue closing the gap to the front-runners.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support.

Dan Crawley, Crawley Racing