JEC Racing - XK Challenge

The father and son pairing of Graeme and James Dodd must have thought that their opportunity in the race had been lost when the engine stalled from second place on the grid. Instead, in what became a principal feature of the race, we saw a meteoric and faultless drive from both to win from dead last.

At the start, it was Grahame Bull who took the lead from the second row, simply by driving round the outside of the field at the first bend (Paddock Hill) and in another storming performance, which included fastest class lap, Grahame opened up a twenty second lead after the completion of all the compulsory pit stops. Astoundingly, the steering wheel then came of in his hand and he spun into the gravel at Clearways, losing time whilst the wheel was replaced, and finally recovering to fourth, just two tenths behind Andy Moore in third.

Slightly behind, there was a battle royal involving John Roberts, David Hall, John Burton, Colin Youle and Michael O'Shea. The last forged ahead and eventually took second place and first in class C, whilst the Roberts car was ahead of the rest, with its second driver, Chris Keith Lucas, really hanging it out at the end to pip Burton and Hall to the line. And all after forty-five minutes of nose to tail racing. Wow!

Our XJS champion lady driver shared Trevor Groom's car for her first event in an XK, whilst the race of another father and son pair, David and Andrew Wenman, ended when an over-ambitious attempt at a pass ended with the car beached.

Andrew Wenman - RG

Andy KL, Mills - NG

Andy Moore - RG

Bull_Burton - CG

CKL, Skipworth - CG

Colin Youle - NG

Dodd_Skipworth - CG

First Bend, first lap - RG

Floyd_Dodd - CG

Groom, Floyd - CG

Groom, Mills - NG

Groom, Skipworth - NG

Hall, Burton - NG

Hall, Burton - RG

John Burton - RG

Michael O'Shea - NG

O'Shea, Roberts - RG

Skipworth, Floyd - RG

Skipworth, Groom - CG

Youle, Hill - RG

Pictures by Roger, Chris and Nick Gage

Report by Roger Gage

Terry Dye - JEC Racing Co-ordinator