Goodwood Hillclimb Record Run with Jaguar XJR-12D Race Car
Classic Jaguar XJR-12D race car relives Group C glory at Goodwood.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a legendary racing event that gives owners of priceless automotive artifacts a chance to relive the car’s glory days in the form of a hillclimb race. With Jaguar’s extensive racing history, it’s no surprise to see former racecars come out of retirement proving their prowess once more at Goodwood.
In this video, a Jaguar XJR-12D, a variant of the car that won Le Mans overall in 1990, is seen making its hillclimb run. The XJR-12 was one of Jaguar’s most successful racing cars of all time, running in both FIA Group C and IMSA GTP.
For Goodwood 2017, the XJR-12D adds another feather to its well-adorned cap with a hillclimb victory. It managed to set the fastest time of the event by just one-tenth of a second. Piloting the famous Jaguar is Justin Law from Don Law Racing. It should be no surprise that Justin Law set the fastest time for 2017, he also claimed the same feat in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2009.
Despite the priceless nature of the cars involved, the competition is close and fierce. Watch how close the Jaguar gets to the hay bales to take the best line, utilizing the full width of the narrow track.
Watching this video, it’s hard not to be transported back to the late ’80s and early ’90s, the heyday of Group C racing. The era-correct Bud Light racing livery certainly helps. Most of the cars at Goodwood retain their original sponsorship paint schemes, long after those contracts have expired.
Watching in-car footage of old race cars, it’s incredible how much effort and muscle was required just to keep the car in line. In an era before driver aids, these cars were a real handful. Thankfully, there are drivers out there like Justin Law to show us how it was done in the good old days.
