Swallows Racing Brings Smiles of TrackSport Time

Nearly twelve months ago we sat down with our friends at the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club to map out a plan for the future of JEC track days under the new ‘banner’ of JEC TrackSport. Yesterday’s track day at our ‘home’ circuit Castle Combe, was the season culmination of a year building JEC TrackSport in partnership with the club. Along with the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust, Swallows have worked to bring many exciting elements to the track days that add huge value.

Our fleet of track cars rolled into Castle Combe at the crack of dawn along with our trade display of performance parts. Set up against the backdrop of our race truck it made for an impressive sight, something we were justifiably proud of. Once the day was underway the demand for ‘passenger hot laps’ was never ending from 9.30 until close at 5.00. Thrilling members with the Palmer XKR, JP1, Jack’s XJ40 race car and selected runs in Tom’s XJR6. Joe and Chris manned our trade display with plenty of interest in our own SR performance exhausts, SR/Pipercross Fliters, Tarox Brakes and AVO Shocks.

If that wasn’t enough, there were several ‘Cherries’ on a very big cake. Our good friend Andrew Maynard brought along his very special XKRS-GT (one of ten right hand drive cars) and let us give passenger rides in it all day. Next cherry, he also brought his even rarer R9R, the original XJR-15 chassis number one and the TWR prototype. Andrew kindly drove several guests around the circuit before handing the car over to former F1 & Le Mans racing driver Mike Wilds to give some demonstration laps. Topping the mounting cherry pile JDHT then brought out the Project 8 prototype, the XJ X351 SVO ‘Ring Taxi’ and the big cherry the 1984 TWR XJS Walkinshaw/Percy ETCC car. This brought grown men running to the trackside to get a glimpse of the car that literary ‘saved’ Jaguar parading around the circuit. When Walkinshaw and TWR started winning the ‘win on Sunday sell on Monday’ philosophy delivered growing sales for the beleaguered Jaguar brand. This car can make Jaguar fans weep!

To finish the day we had Mike Wilds driving passengers in our own JP1, the problem is how we top that!,