The Jaguar Heritage Challenge will return for a second season in 2016 as Jaguar Heritage confirms next year’s race calendar along with the driver award winners from the inaugural 2015 season.
The 2016 Jaguar Heritage Challenge will take place over four race weekends between April and August and drivers will have the opportunity to race on renowned circuits in the UK and Germany – plus one more special race date due to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Confirmed dates for the 2016 Jaguar Heritage Challenge are as follows (fifth race to be confirmed in due course):
Donington Historic Festival: 30th April – 2nd May
Brands Hatch Super Prix: 2nd – 3rd July
Nurburgring Oldtimer Grand Prix: 12th – 14th August
Oulton Park: 27th – 29th August
During the 2015 season, nearly 100 drivers took to a selection of the greatest tracks in the UK along with a spectacular race at the Nurburgring Oldtimer Grand Prix to compete for overall class honours during the successful first season of the new race challenge.
A large variety of Jaguar’s Heritage models were represented over the course of 2015 including an ex-Sir Jackie Stewart E-type (SSN 300), which, driven by Mike Wilkinson and John Bussell, won overall at the last round at Oulton Park.
In addition, a selection of stunning D-types, Mkl and Mkll Saloons, low-drag E-types plus XK120 and XK150s competed wheel-to-wheel.
The announcement of the new race calendar coincided with the announcement of the 2015 Jaguar Heritage Challenge award winners in recognition of a thrilling season of memorable historic racing.
Taking overall honours for a thoroughly consistent and outstanding season was Andy Wallace, driving his Heritage Mk1 Saloon. With two second-place finishes at the opening race at Donington Park and Brands Hatch, Andy then registered three Class B wins to gather the most points after the final reckoning.
Wallace said: “It is a genuine honour to receive the top award for the Jaguar Heritage Challenge as it has been tremendous fun to race competitively with so many talented drivers and in such a varied grid of Jaguar Heritage models, too. I’m very much looking forward to the close and competitive racing again in the Challenge in 2016.”
Returning to the results and finishing in second place overall was Bob Binfield. Binfield raced his stunning E-type to one class win, a pair of second-place finishes and one third place over the five races with just a single non-classification at the Brands Hatch round.
John Burton rounded out the podium at the awards ceremony having secured two spectacular class wins at Brands Hatch and Oulton Park and a second at the Nurburgring.
Each of the winners received a Bremont watch from the Jaguar collection along with a Globetrotter luggage set.
A special award went to Martin O’Connell for Spirit of the Series. Martin took part in four races of the five and got off to the perfect start by winning his class and the overall race in the opening round. However luck was never on his side, with three separate mechanical issues forcing him to retire from the remaining three. He showed superb driving skill throughout and was consistently leading in all the races until having to pit and embodied the racing spirit.
Tim Hannig, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Heritage, said: “Along with the Heritage Parts and restoration businesses, the Jaguar Heritage Challenge aims to support and nurture the passion for the Jaguar brand and its iconic models. The racing and camaraderie between the drivers was fantastic to witness and provided a fitting tribute to the brand’s rich racing pedigree.”
Drivers wishing to take part in 2016 can visit the dedicated web page for the new season athttp://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-heritage-challenge for full details and information on how to enter.
