Page 15 - On the Prowl: The Definitive History of the Walkinshaw Jaguar Sports Car Team

ON THE PROWL
1987: The World’s Best Sports Car Team
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which Jaguar controlled the commercial side (sponsorship, branding and marketing) and TWR the drivers.
Walkinshaw would also get to keep all the start and prize monies. Once again, he had closed a deal that was
strongly weighted in his favor.
The IMSA news was out as TWR made the short hop to its home circuit of Silverstone, looking for a fourth win
on the trot. Anticipation was building that this was the year that Jaguar could win at Le Mans, so Silverstone
was seen as a chance to test the new Le Mans-spec car. The first XJR-8LM, chassis #186, had already tested
six times, most recently at Silverstone on May 5th, alongside the two 1987 race cars, the spare car and the
second Le Mans chassis, #286.
The extra car brought the need for extra drivers, and Eddie Cheever’s substitute John Nielsen was tapped
for the third entry. He was joined by the returning Martin Brundle who would be on the crew for the 24-hour
race. Brundle was two races into what would become another tough year in Formula 1, having switched places
with Jonathan Palmer in the under-funded German Zakspeed operation. He had secured a fifth-place finish the
week before at San Marino, but it would turn out to be the team’s only F1 points in its five-year run.
The XJR-8LM had some notable differences that should in theory have made it much more potent. The
engine had been tilted up at the rear slightly, raising the gearbox which in turn gave the driveshafts more
of a straight run through to the wheels. This was to address the numerous driveshaft failures the team had
experienced, including the #53 car at Le Mans in 1986.
The other main change was in the aerodynamics: Tony Southgate had lowered the height of the underbody
venturi tunnels, as well as the rear wing, which made for significantly higher speeds. Brundle was impressed,
noting that “it would arrive at Stowe Corner at terrifyingly high speed.” The downside was that it was a handful
in the corners, with less downforce and a higher center of gravity.
Despite cool conditions, some 23,000 fans turned up at the pancake-flat Northamptonshire track, eager
to support their hometown favorites. But it was Mercedes, not Jaguar that was making the headlines at
Silverstone. The Swiss Sauber-Mercedes team was back in the championship with a new car, the C9, looking
very impressive indeed. The fresh design incorporated the latest in aerodynamics with underbody tunnels like
the Jaguar’s replacing the flat bottom of the previous car.
In qualifying the Sauber had looked unimpressive for most of the session. However, it turned out that it
had been suffering a misfire and brake pad knock-off. To make matters worse, fourth and fifth gear had been
installed backwards so drivers Mike Thackwell and Henri Pescarolo were having to change gear in the wrong
order!
VAt one point, a long-tail design
was evaluated for Le Mans, similar
to the treatment that Porsche had
put on its 962, but it was ultimately
dismissed. The combination of
the underbody tunnels and the
low rear wing worked much better
than a body-mounted long tail.
(Bonhams)
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