Alex Buncombe had a busy three days at the Nurburgring Oldtimer GP this past weekend, racing with the Jaguar Heritage racing team in the C Type and E Type. Driving the car he won last year’s E Type Challenge race with, he beat off stiff competition in a very close 50-minute race. Despite Alex qualifying in pole position, he saw his advantage snatched away as he got stuck behind other entrants on the grid and ultimately had to start from the pits. He soon got back to the front of the pack and went on to win in the race-proven 1961 E-type, which carries the registration: ‘1196 WK’.
His second victory of the weekend came on Sunday in the Two Seater GT race (1960/1961 with Le Mans start), which Alex won in a C-type once owned by Formula One legend Juan Manuel Fangio.
Alex said: “What a fantastic weekend for Jaguar, and for me personally. I won the E-type Challenge race here in 2012, so to come back this year and win again is extremely satisfying, especially in the circumstances where I lost my pole advantage to congestion on the grid. The victory in the C-type was equally as sweet, and I feel very privileged to be part of this great Jaguar Heritage Racing team in such significant historic race cars.”
The cars are operated for Jaguar Heritage by JD Classics, owning, maintaining and racing them under the Jaguar Heritage banner. They also raced a MkII Jaguar in the Friday AvD Historic Marathon Buncombe beuing joined by 1998 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Andy Wallace and German journalist Roland Löwisch.
Andy Wallace – “It was my first time racing on the Nordschleife, so I’m very pleased with our performance on Friday. The opportunity to race on this historic circuit in such a beautifully prepared Jaguar Mk II was fantastic and I enjoyed every minute. The rest of the weekend belonged to Alex, and all credit to him for some really fantastic finishes. Jaguar race cars have a very special place in my heart, and I feel very privileged to continue racing these legendary vehicles – they never fail to astound, and that goes for drivers and spectators alike.”
Some pretty evocative photography by Jaguar shows the atmosphere of the event perfectly. We thought it only correct to show them all, full width so take a moment to scroll downwards.
