Mike Hawthorn Challenge

The Mike Hawthorn Challenge series of races was created in 2018 by a consortium of racers looking to aim towards a stand-alone Jaguar Saloon grid and is for Pre 1960 saloons, Mk 1, Mk2, Mk7, 8 & 9 and inspired by the Hawthorn legacy and influenced by the well supported Castle Combe Autumn Classic JEC Pre’66 Jaguar races, which has been run for the last five years. A hit with spectators, 2015 saw a record 11 Jaguar MK 1’s racing in what was the highlight of the meeting. The Autumn Classic now forms a part of the Hawthorn Challenge season. The driving force behind the series has been our own Competition Secretary, Chris Robinson, notable Hawthorn historian and collector Nigel Webb, and Mk1 driver and regular Goodwood Revivalist Richard Butterworth.

Both the Hawthorn Challenge and XK Series have been run in conjunction with the AMOC (Aston Martin Owners Club) Jack Fairman Cup (Fairman also raced Jaguar X120’s at Le Mans as well as Aston Martin’s and went on to compete in twelve formula one races) in recent years providing a classic feast of racing from the ‘Golden Era’ of British racing.