Superlatives flowed as each attendee arrived at Donington Park for the 2020 Supercar Driver Secret track day. The quality and variety of vehicles on show, from the 1920s to the latest 2020 hypercars, was remarkable. In one of the most extraordinary of years, what has become clear is that we all just want to get back to normality. The result was a full grid of cars on track, and around 500+ supercars on show from the last 40 years.
From a ‘Classic Car Finance’ perspective, it was extremely satisfying to see at least twenty cars we have funded over the last couple of years at the event. A variety of classic, race and supercars all enthusiastically exercised on the track on a mild-autumn day. On this day, it was carbon brakes and the superb Donington circuit that occupied our minds, as the mass gathering of enthusiasts brought their “perfect car” and parked it proudly in the paddock for others to see.
I have to admit that my Porsche 968 (which is a superb car to drive) was almost a little overshadowed by many of our clients and other cars on show. Nonetheless I drove it to and from the event with a smile on my face. My 1994 is an example of one of the best handling Porsches of all time, it’s a brilliant car, and whilst it is only a £20k car it is my supercar steed of the day.
The highlights of the day included a:
- Lagonda V12 race car
- Jaguar D Type
- Ferrari 250swb
- McLaren F1
- Brabham BT62
- Mercedes CLK GT1
- Saleen SR1
As a classic car guy, I couldn’t decide which Ferrari was the one to have: I love the Enzo; the F40 makes me shiver when it starts up; the 250swb is achingly gorgeous; TDF, 812, 355, 458. They are all so nice and accomplished.
McLaren also captivated me, maybe I’m bias as my son races a 720S GT3. However, the McLaren F1 just has a place in my heart, it’s so perfectly packaged, though anybody that wants to own one will need £25m to make it a dream come true. I drove one in Yokohama around twenty years ago and I couldn’t believe how brilliant it was then, and I’m sure it still is now.
One to check out is the Praga, boasting a 600kg Renault turbo engine and Hewland gearbox, it’s simply carbon fibre excellence. Buckets loads of mechanical and aero grip with a superb power to weight ratio for a very reasonable price. A pretty car that packs a punch, and a race winner in the right hands.
On the track there were some questionable decisions being made by various owners, though cars are typically forgiving, the damp conditions on the day were not. Despite the power of the cars, having the talent to push it on the track (without the financial pain of “finding the limit”) is another matter. No doubt they will be back in 2021 to try again!
I drove home in my Porsche 968, and was grateful to have attended the, not so secret, Secret Meet for autumn 2020. It is truly a fantastic day for car enthusiasts and brings me hope for the following year. Roll on 2021, we are all going to have a ball…I hope!
