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The Masters Series and Top Hat racing at Donington Park - 5th May 2008 - the XK Challenge

Event Report by John Davies Roberts

How to make your Jaguar XK go really fast to get
3rd place overall in the race

Bank Holiday Monday was a day to be remembered, where the weather threw everything at us. There was rain in the morning and bright sunshine in the afternoon. So how does one prepare a race car under such conditions?

It was also a mad dash to get signed-on, scrutineered, attend a briefing and to be called to the Assembly Area for qualifying and all in less than an hour. The answer was that we did it, but with no time to set the car up for very wet conditions. So I kept the dry tyres on and hoped for the best.

Therefore, Qualifying was very wet and slippery. The car also developed the interminable misfire, yet again. I’ve written about this before, but we have never really got to the bottom of it. On balance the car has performed well over the last three years but at Donington it really came to a head. The course of action that followed was a breath of fresh air, when Nick Swift of Swiftune showed up and asked Barry from CKL to remove the Distributor completely. Nick stripped it down in his mobile workshop and found tension springs disconnected, the Dizzy spindle had too much vertical play. So he managed to fix it all and, in double quick time. Thanks Nick!

Nick also recommended fitting his newly designed remote mounted ‘Condenser’ which can breakdown in the Distributor due to heat from the engine. The result was nothing short of miraculous. Barry re-timed the engine and we were ready for the race.

In qualifying CKL and I only managed 9th fastest in the XK race and 22nd overall from a 35 car grid with the dreaded misfire.

However, the afternoon race was to put the morning’s session on its head. I started the race and from the word go, the engine sounded a lot different. It was revving more freely even up to 6000 RPM. However, I got bogged down on the inside following a ‘Rooky Driver’ in an XK120 Roadster. But once I had manoeuvred through the first corner, Redgate, I went on the charge.

By the end of the first lap I had overtaken five cars and had more than recovered my grid position. Then I was picking cars off as I smoothed out my driving and got faster lap times. The next step also played into my hands. Somebody (Who shall remain anonymous, but in an XK) dropped oil all around the circuit. I noticed the oil warning flags but there were a number of drivers who hadn’t. When I first hit the slick, I thought I had a puncture, but soldiered on. CKL at this time was driving his trusty red XK120 Roadster. He was so convinced he had a puncture, he came into the pits to have it checked. Of course, yours truly took full advantage of this and gained another place.

At Redgate once more, John Burton in his XK120 Coupe went off on the oil (Chalk up another place JR!!). Then, to my utter astonishment, Phil Keen a professional racing driver (lovingly known as the Milky Bar Kid, sorry Phil) had gone off at the Old Hairpin, so another place was gained.

As you now know this season’s races are 45 minute mini enduros and after 25 minutes I came in as CKL had already pitted and was waiting to take over my XK150S. Having built up a good head of steam (Not the engine water problem this time!), I scrambled out and CKL was head-butted into the cockpit. Claire from The Masters timed our one minute compulsory Pit Stop and let CKL go out.

He managed an excellent second half and continued to lap at equivalent lap times. The net result at the end of the race was that we finished:

3rd overall in the race and 2nd in Class

Our next race will be at Brands Hatch on the 24th May (Bank Holiday Monday)

Hope to see you there! John D R.

Action shot courtesy of Roger Gage, official Jaguar Enthusiasts` Club photographer
For more XK Jaguar Racing photos visit his web site at www.xkjaguar.co.uk

Our thanks to Donington Park for kind permission to film

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