12.08.12: THE JAGUAR HERITAGE RACING TEAM ENJOYED GREAT SUCCESS IN THE 40TH NÜRBURGRING AVD OLDTIMER GRAND PRIX FROM 10-12 AUGUST, ITS LINE-UP OF MK 2, C-TYPE AND E-TYPE JAGUARS – WITH DRIVERS ALEX BUNCOMBE, CHRIS WARD AND FRANK KLAAS – RECORDING BOTH OUTRIGHT WINS AND CLASS VICTORIES.
The highlight of the weekend came on Saturday when, after a lights-to-flag victory in the first of two E-type Challenge rounds on the Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, JHR driver Alex Buncombe then ran straight to the team’s C-type for the prestigious one-hour pre-’60/’61 sports and GT car event. Racing again within just a few minutes as dusk fell, Alex drove brilliantly to a great class win and fifth place overall, the C-type similarly on-song throughout.
Speaking immediately after this intense period of competition, Alex said: “Driving these cars is a real privilege, and the whole team has done a great job. Both the races today were fantastic for me, and everything went exactly as we planned.»
The hard competition began for the JHR team 24-hours earlier, as on Friday 10 August the Mk 2 saloon was entered in the tough 3.5-hour ‘Marathon’ – the only event in this year’s Oldtimer meeting that ran on the fabled Nordschleife. Alex completed the first stint in hot conditions without incident, before a smooth pit-stop after nine laps saw him hand over to Frank Klaas. Still running strongly, a final stop for fuel then saw Chris Ward take the wheel for the last stint – the car’s consistently quick pace meaning that, despite a fuel pump issue two laps from the end, the team still recorded a solid third in class.
On the Grand Prix circuit for the final day’s racing on Sunday 12 August, Alex Buncombe took the wheel of the C-type again in the second pre-’60/’61 sports and GT car race, this time run over 30-mins. Once again, car and driver performed well, Alex recording another class win and fifth place finish overall.
The team’s final race of the weekend was the second round of the E-type Challenge where, following his earlier win, Alex once again started from pole position – the only disappointment before the race being that the sister car of Frank Klaas/Chris Ward was unable to take the grid following a mechanical issue in race one. That disappointment, however, was soon tempered by another win for Alex, though it wasn’t without some drama as he was tipped into a spin on the very first corner. Having rejoined in fourth place Alex was back in the lead by the end of lap one, coming home a comfortable 4.1-seconds clear at the flag to complete a great weekend’s racing.
The next outing for the Jaguar Heritage Racing team will be at the Goodwood Revival, 14-16 September.
Jaguar runs a dedicated test and engineering facility at the Nürburgring where all its models, including the current XF, XJ and XK ranges, are tested both for dynamic ability and durability.
The Jaguar Heritage Racing programme was launched on 12th March 2012 and is operated and managed by JD Classics, based in Maldon, Essex.
The Jaguar Heritage Racing programme supplements the activities of Jaguar Heritage – a charitable trust and custodians of an extensive collection of priceless models from Jaguar’s past. Its cars are not campaigned competitively on-track, but will continue to be exhibited – and demonstrated – worldwide.
Throughout the season the activities of the Jaguar Heritage Racing programme will be broadcast around the world via its global media partner, CNN.
Text by: Jaguar.
