THE family which owns Donington Park claims the track's future is secure.

Kevin Wheatcroft, who worked at the track for 32 years, said work to reopen the venue is now underway.

It had been earmarked to take over from Silverstone as the host of the British Formula One Grand Prix from this summer but the deal was scrapped when businessman Simon Gillett's multi-million pound plans to upgrade the track fell apart.

The collapse of the planned upgrade led to worries about the future of the track.

However, Mr Wheatcroft, who worked there along with his father Tom, said: "I can reassure people we are doing everything we can to get things back to normal at Donington Park.

"It has been a very difficult time for the whole family, especially with the death of my father being played out against the problems at the circuit."

Mr Gillett's firm Donington Ventures, which had a 150-year lease on the circuit, was placed in administration in November, just over a week after Tom Wheatcroft died.

No buyer was found and it reverted to the Wheatcroft family on Christmas Eve.

Mr Wheatcroft said: "We were given back the keys to the circuit and immediately started to work out what happens next.

"The first thing has been to try to save as many jobs as possible.

"As of this week, we have re-opened the museum and cafe and race control office."

Large sections of the circuit were dug up last year as work started in anticipation of Donington Ventures finding the money to create a Grand Prix standard venue.

He said: "We have been assessing what is required to put things back as they were. We reckon this will cost in the region of about £600,000. We want to get the place operational again.

"We owe it to the many people who have been loyal to us throughout this, including the fans, the race and rally organisers and our staff."

While all the speculation over the future of the Grand Prix – now bound for Silverstone instead – has gone on, Donington has lost the right to host the British Superbikes and Moto GP events.

Mr Wheatcroft said: "We are in talks about British Superbikes and its return can't be ruled out at some point, and maybe even the dream of a Grand Prix will be realised one day.

"First we need to sell the lease to someone who can run the circuit on a full-time basis.

"It's too big a job for us and we want to identify someone who can take it forward.

"There is no shortage of people interested and we have found 12 potential buyers for the lease in just 12 days."

Mr Wheatcroft hopes to announce in the next two or three weeks who has bought the Donington circuit lease.