Biography
Kaye Earnest Donsky, known as Kaye Don, was born in Dublin on 10 April 1891. Kaye Don began his career as a motorcycle racer but soon switched to cars and won the inaugural 1928 Ards-Belfast circuit, Northern Ireland, Tourist Trophy with a Lea-Francis. In 1928 he had three ex-works Sunbeam cars which he named "Cub", "Tiger" and "Tigress". Don regularly raced at Brooklands and driving a Sunbeam on 22 September 1928 he set an outer circuit lap flying start record of 131.76 miles per hour (212.05 km/h) and increased this to 134.24 miles per hour (216.04 km/h) on 5 August 1929. Driving a Wolseley Viper at Brooklands Don achieved many class records between 1928 and 1930. Driving the V-12 Sunbeam Tigress at Brooklands on 9 June 1930, Kaye set a new Outer Circuit lap record of 137.58 miles per hour (221.41 km/h).
Kaye Don died in Chobham Surrey in 1981 aged 90. In memory of his heroic achievements at Brooklands race track the area has a street named after Kaye Don in the borough of Elmbridge District. Perhaps the best memorial to him was made by Kaye Don in a victory speech to the Empire Club of Canada in 1931, when he was the holder of land and water world speed records and said "One or two experiences that I have had have been somewhat thrilling".
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