Page 18 - On the Prowl: The Definitive History of the Walkinshaw Jaguar Sports Car Team

ON THE PROWL
1988: The Third-Year Promise at Le Mans
« 246 »
to get valuable heat into the tires, hoping to be ready to defend the lead
on the opening laps.
Finally, the start flag flew and Stuck and Wollek were hard on the gas,
charging towards the Dunlop curve, desperate to take up their place in
first position, followed by the deafening roar of the entire field getting
underway. It was Stuck that immediately took the lead, but moments
later, as they crested the hill under the iconic Dunlop Bridge, Wollek pulled
alongside his team-mate and nosed in front, taking the point before the
Forest Esses. Through Tertre Rouge, the quick right-hander that leads
onto the Mulsanne Straight and past the row of poplars, Stuck came
back and by the time they had made it to the end of the straight, fifty
seconds later, it was he who was back in first. It wouldn’t last long as the
Frenchman exited Mulsanne Corner in front, but again had to concede
to Stuck before the next major braking point at the Indianapolis corner.
Behind the battling Porsches, the Jaguar challenge was not being
led by Brundle, but by Lammers. From sixth on the grid, he had already
passed the Joest Porsche, his own team-mate and the Andretti car,
and was closing fast on the leading duo. The lower rear ride height was
paying dividends, with the XJR-9 noticeably more rapid than the team
cars on the straight. Brundle on the other hand was finding the #1 a
proper handful. In a desperate attempt to soften the rear, he had opted
instead to remove the anti-roll bar and run higher downforce. The result
was poor traction out of the slower corners and slower speeds on the
straights. He was burning more fuel too.
Three minutes after losing sight of the cars, the crowd along the
pit straight craned their necks to see who might be the first car back
around. As he exited the sweeping Porsche Curves, Hans Stuck revealed
himself as the leader, now with a clear buffer between himself and
Wollek. Lammers was coming up fast, and as the howl of the V12 Jaguar
engine reverberated between the grandstands the massive army of Brits
pumped their fists and yelled in support of the “their” race cars.
The opening laps clicked off at seemingly breakneck speed and by
√ The clean and shiny reds and
yellows of the works Porsche team
herald the start of the 1988 Le
Mans 24 Hours. Hans Stuck and
Bob Wollek are side by side in #17
and #18, followed by the Andretti
family #19. Behind, Brundle is in
the first Jaguar followed by the
Joest Porsche, Lammers’ Jaguar
and the turquoise Kremer Porsche.
(Corporate Archives Porsche AG)
◊ Jag leads Le Mans. It’s a dream
come true for the army of British
fans as Lammers leads the way
through the Forest Esses. Without
the benefit of qualifying boost,
Porsche is on the same level
playing field as Jaguar. Behind,
the #1 Jaguar is struggling with
handling problems. (Martin Lee)
024 David Bull Pub
©2024 David Bull Publishing
©2024 David Bull Publishing
©2024 David Bull Publishing
©2024 David Bull Publishing
©2024 David Bull Publishing
©2024 David Bull Publishing
024 David Bull Publish