Mike Hawthorn Challenge & XK Series Donington Park 9th May 2021
Mike Hawthorn Challenge9th May saw the Mike Hawthorn Challenge & XK Series headed to the AMOC meeting at Donington Park for a forty-minute pit stop race. The Jaguars sharing a grid with the AMOC Jack Fairman Cup cars but our focus for this report is naturally on the Jaguars.
For a slightly damp qualifying, The Hawthorn Challenge welcomed new blood in the form of Rob Newall long time Jaguar racer sharing with Nigel Webb, Gregor Marshall (son of the touring legend Jerry Marshall) sharing with Simon Lewis and for his first outing of the season Grant Williams in the very historic MK2, JAG400.
Qualifying
Qualifying proved to be pretty much uneventful although John Young in Nigel Webb’s (Mk1) (IVA 400) appeared to be off the pace, this later transpired to be a gearbox problem. Following Qualifying it was found that the gearbox on John Young’s (Mk1) had failed and as the teams spare box was not on the van things didn’t look promising until Tom Lenthall saved the day, having one of his mechanics drive up to Donington from Reading with a replacement. After two hours of frantic work, the box was duly changed with only minutes to spare prior to the race.
The pairing of Rob Newall & Nigel Webb in the Lister (Mk1) took pole from Darren McWhirter (Mk1) second and John Young (Mk1) despite the gearbox issues third.
Qualifying Result
Pole, Webb/Newall, 2nd McWhirter, 3rd Young, 4thPearson/Dorlin,
5th Williams, 6th Lewis/Marshall, 7th Pearce/Lenthall 8th Seath 9th Ottley
10th O’Shea 11THOttley.
Qualifying Gallery
Race
With a rolling start for this race, and as the course car pulled in the field gathered momentum and crossed the line disaster for the Newall pole car as the bonnet came up as the car gained speed forcing Newall/ Webb into assumed retirement pulling off into the Redgate marshals’ post.
The lead was taken up by Darren McWhirter’s Mk1 followed in second by Dorlin with Young third. Young then moving up to second halfway through the lap with Williams fourth and the rest of the field gradually sorting themselves out.
On lap three the Newall /Webb Lister Mk1 was allowed to re-join following the Marshalls assistance bending back & securing the Mk1’s bonnet although three laps down on the leader.
Further down the field the two Mk2’s of Pearce & O’Shea were running close together as were the Mk1 of Simon Seath and the XK120 of Geoff Ottley
Young with the newly installed gearbox managed to pass McWhirter for the lead followed by Dorlin a lap later McWhirter now running third. Ottley managed to relieve Seath of eighth and O’Shea took sixth from Pearce the places then appeared to remain static, until Williams was the first to take the mandatory pit stop. Once the pit stops were over the cars that had driver changes were, Dorlin to Pearson, Pearce to Lenthall, Lewis to Marshall and Newall to Webb the race settled back into a straight order.
On his out lap from the pit stop John Young spun into the gravel trap entering McLean’s, although after around thirty seconds he managed to use his experience to extradite himself and continue with only his pride hurt.
With eleven of the forty minutes remaining Pearson with a brave move managed to pass McWhirter for the lead although McWhirter managed to retake the lead down the Exhibition straight but upon approach to the Roberts chicane the Mk1 of Gregor Marshall spun in the middle of the chicane, both cars having to scatter off track and back on, McWhirter being held up worse than Pearson and again losing by around twenty car lengths. Marshall recovered although he had to complete the remaining laps with his boot lid flapping up and down.
With five minutes to go McWhirter caught back up to Pearson and again they were nose to tail until McWhirter was held up while the two were passing a back-marker allowing Pearson to again to pull out a gap on McWhirter.
McWhirter again caught Pearson and it was nip and tuck, Pearson cleverly drove a very defensive last few laps crossing the line first for the win.
Result:
1st & Class win Glen Pearson MK1
2nd & Class 2nd Darren McWhirter MK1
3rd & Invitation Class win Grant Williams MK2
4th & Class 3rd John Young MK1
5th & Class win Derek Pearce/ Tom Lenthall MK2
6th & Class 4th Simon Lewis / Greagor Marshall MK1
7th & Class win Geoff Ottley XK120
8th & Class 5th Simon Seath MK1
9th & Class 2nd Michael O’Shea MK2
10th & Class 6th Nigel Webb / Rob Newall MK1
Race Gallery
