Donington Park is a racing track, which occasionally appears in racing games as well as a venue in Guitar Hero: Metallica. The track is located in North West Leicestershire. Donington Park hosted the 1993 European Grand Prix which is famously remembered for the performance of Ayrton Senna. It is the location of the Download music festival which takes place annually.
History
Donington Park was constructed before World War II, and during the war, was used for the storage of military vehicles. The location was purchased in the 1970s by a local construction entrepreneur, who managed to return the track to its former glory. It was used for the Moto GP races, and is one of the preferred locations for the professional riders.
In 2008 won the contract to host the British Grand Prix from 2010 onwards, however during 2009 financial problems engulfed Donington Ventures Leisure Limited leading to the collapse of the deal. The Grand Prix would then return to Silverstone, leaving the Donington Park renovations in a half completed state.
Donington also hosted Moto GP events from 1987 until 2009 when it lost the contract to host the event to Silverstone. One of the reasons behind this was due to the prosed Formula One deal.
Music also has a strong connection to the site with the Monsters of Rock festival taking place between 1980 and 1996, leading to it being dubbed "The spiritual home of rock and metal" to many fans. After the cancellation of Monsters of Rock a number of events took place until 2003 when the new Download Festival launched, which has since became an annual event.
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