JD Classics secured two overall race victories at this weekend’s Donington Historic Festival.

• JD Classics secured two overall race victories at this weekend’s Donington Historic Festival, having entered a total of four cars
• The Maldon-based team competed in a Bastos Rover SD1, ex-Tom Walkinshaw Racing Jaguar XJS, Costin Lister and Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar XK120
• The JD Classics Costin Lister took victory in the Stirling Moss Trophy, while the Bastos Rover won the Historic Touring Car Challenge
• Latest two victories follow JD Classics’ season-opening two race wins at the 75th Goodwood Members’ Meeting

JD Classics has followed up its double-win at the season-opening Goodwood Members’ Meeting with a further two victories at this weekend’s Donington Historic Festival.

The Maldon-based classic car specialist was competing with four fully race-prepared entries; a Bastos Rover SD1, ex-Tom Walkinshaw Racing Jaguar XJS, Costin Lister and an Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar XK120. 

The weekend’s racing kicked off with qualifying for the Historic Touring Challenge, in which JD Classics was fielding the Bastos Rover and Jaguar XJS. Early laps revealed a breather tank issue for the Rover, which was quickly rectified by the JD Classics engineers, before it went on to set a blistering pole position time of 1:16.267. The Jaguar XJS, with John Young at the wheel, was sitting 11th on the grid by the end of the session.

The Historic Touring Car Challenge race got underway on Saturday afternoon, with Steve Soper taking over driving duties in the JD Classics’ Rover, and Chris Ward piloting the Jaguar XJS. After the rolling start, the Rover began to show its pace, pulling away from the pack with each lap. The Jaguar XJS was performing well, too, having moved from 11th to fifth in the space of just five laps.

By the time the pit window opened for the mandatory 60-second stops, the Rover SD1 had pulled out a 45-second lead. Even coming in for its stop and allowing Chris Ward to swap from the XJS into the Rover, it still rejoined the race in second position. Just a couple of laps later it was back in the lead, eventually crossing the finishing line 39 seconds ahead of the chasing car. The XJS, meanwhile, was consistently quick throughout, finishing in sixth position.

Next up was the Stirling Moss Trophy, where Chris Ward once again put in an incredible qualifying lap that saw the Costin Lister set a pole position time within his first six laps. No other car on track was able to beat the time for the remainder of the session, including the JD Classics-supported XK120 which qualified in 26th position with a lap three seconds quicker than its time last year.

The race began late on Saturday with a rolling start, in which Chris Ward established his place at the front of the pack and began pulling away in the Costin Lister. On lap 8, Ward had begun to lap the slowest cars, and the team decided to bring the Lister into the pits for its 60-second stop, before rejoining the race in fifth. As other cars began to pit, the Costin Lister made its way back into the lead, persistently chased by a Lister Knobbly that closed the gap to 0.4 seconds. But by the time the chequered flag fell, Ward had secured JD Classics’ second victory by a margin of 1.1 seconds.

The Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar XK120 of Steve and Josh Ward, meanwhile, made up seven places over the course of the race to finish in 19th overall and first in in its class.

JD Classics Managing Director, Derek Hood, said: “This was another weekend of fantastic performances from our Competition Department. The cars were brilliantly prepared by our engineers back at our Maldon HQ, and maintained to perfection at the track. We’re only two events into the historic racing calendar and JD Classics has already secured four victories –here’s to plenty more over the next few months.”

The 2016 calendar of events for the Motor Racing Legends Series has been released, dont miss this, its great.

Motor Racing Legends has unveiled its 2016 racing calendar which launches at the three day spectacular; Donington Historic Festival in May.

The four premier racing grids which come under the highly respected Motor Racing Legends banner include; the Historic Touring Car Challenge, Pre-War Sports Car Series, the highly competitive Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-’61 Sports Racing cars and for gentleman racers, the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy for original pre-’56 Sports cars.

All four of the Motor Racing Legends grids get the opportunity to race at a range of premier international historic meetings offering competitors a chance in the spotlight at some of the world’s best historic racing events.

2016 calendar highlights include all Legends grids starting at the Donington Historic Festival (April 30-May 2). This year the Pre-War Sports Car grid will also head to Zandvoort for the Historic Grand Prix event on the 2-4 September and the Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy and Stirling Moss Trophy grids will both head to Silverstone Classic (Jul 29-31), Spa Six Hours (Sept 16-18) and the Algarve Classic Festival (Oct 28-30).

A first for 2016 sees the Historic Touring Car Challenge (HTCC) making its debut appearance on the Silverstone Classic programme with its own grid. This series is made up from touring cars from 1966 for Groups 1 & 2 and Group A Touring Cars that raced in the British and European Touring Car Championships between 1972 and 1985.

Motor Racing Legends Chairman Duncan Wiltshire commented “We’ve got a great calendar line-up for 2016, I am particularly excited to see the Historic Touring Cars featuring at Silverstone Classic and some interesting rule changes to be announced in the new-year should boost grid sizes as well as competition.  I am also looking forward to joining the Pre-War Sports Car Series when they head to Zandvoort where we hope to meet up with some new European competitors. All our grids will be out in force at the Donington Historic Festival and I am delighted to reconfirm support in 2016 from our sponsors JD Classics and EFG.”

Provisional Motor Racing Legends Calendar for: Historic Touring Car Challenge, (HTCC) Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy & Stirling Moss Trophy

• Donington Historic Festival (April 30 – May 2)
• Silverstone Classic (July 29, 30, 31)
• Spa Six Hours (September 16, 17, 18)
• Algarve Classic Festival (October 28, 29, 30)

Pre War Sports Car Series - Calendar

• Donington Historic Festival (April 30 – May 2)
• Historic Grand Prix - Zandvoort  (September 3 & 4)

JD Classics celebrates successful Donington Historic Festival 2015.

• JD Classics takes two podium finishes and two pole positions at the 2015 Donington Historic Festival
• The team’s Costin Lister was driven from sixth on the grid to a second place finish
• In the new Jaguar Heritage Challenge, JD Classics’ E-type also raced to third in a strong field of pre-1966 Jaguars
• In a successful weekend of racing, the JD Classics team also posted two fastest laps in its Cooper T33 and Costin Lister
• JD Classics’ Bastos Rover SD1 and Cooper T33 both forced to retire from the lead following technical issues

JD Classics finished the Donington Historic Festival with two podiums, two pole positions and two fastest laps – despite technical difficulties forcing two of its entries to retire from leading positions.

Competing in the Stirling Moss Trophy for pre-1961 sports cars was JD Classics’ Costin Lister, which qualified well in sixth place at the hands of JD Classics’ own Chris Ward. 

A slight misfire prevented a higher qualifying position but with the car running smoothly for the race, the Costin Lister was in the lead by lap six, having posted the fastest lap of the race. 

With a time penalty for using just a single driver and a driver mistake while chasing the leader, the Costin eventually finished second.

In the newly created Jaguar Heritage Challenge event for pre-1966 Jaguars, JD Classics was competing in an E-type, again with Chris Ward at the wheel along with historic racing driver John Young. With a qualifying position of fifth, the team were in good shape for the race, and were dicing for the lead with two other E-types. 

At one point an oil spill forced all three cars off the track and the race was red-flagged. Following a driver change shortly after, the JD Classics’ E-type came home in third place.

JD Classics’ Bastos Rover SD1 was competing in the Historic Touring Car Challenge race, where former Touring Car driver, Steve Soper, drove it emphatically to pole position. 

As the race kicked off, the Bastos Rover began pulling away from the pack, looking set to dominate from the front. Unfortunately, though, it was forced to retire with technical issues before the chequered flag.

In the Woodcote Trophy, JD Classics’ entered its Cooper T33, which put in a brilliant qualifying time to take pole position more than six-tenths of a second ahead of the Aston Martin DB3S sitting in second. 

While sitting comfortably in the lead – and having posted a fastest lap of the race – the occasional puff of smoke in the corners hinted at a mechanical problem. With the car in the pits, the team were forced to retire the Cooper T33 with a head gasket failure.

Following its successes at Donington and at the 73^rd Goodwood Members’ Meeting earlier this year, JD Classics’ next challenge is to take on the gruelling Mille Miglia with a host of expertly prepared cars.