Page 9 - On the Prowl: The Definitive History of the Walkinshaw Jaguar Sports Car Team

ON THE PROWL
1983-1984: Group 44 and TWR
« 83 »
In the race, the Andrettis jumped out in front and looked comfortable
until the transmission stuck in fifth gear, losing a big chunk of time. Tullius’
#44 car had been lying in wait and by hour three was leading the race,
although the team car was hobbled by cooling system drama. Group 44
occupied the lead for more than 100 laps before experiencing an issue
it was to battle for the whole race in which the toothed rubber auxiliary
belts kept shearing teeth and failing.
Despite these challenges, the Tullius/Bundy/Adam car stayed in
contention, and after splitting two of the Porsche 935s came home in
a fine third position. As far as the Jaguar execs who were present were
concerned, the first hurdle had been cleared.
Following the podium finish at Daytona, the team scored a magnificent
1-2 at Miami, the lead car in the hands of Redman and Bundy. The race
was televised worldwide, and the positive press unlocked the Jaguar
purse strings to allow Le Mans prep to begin. The goal was to get the cars
ready to test at Pocono, which would entail skipping a couple of IMSA
rounds in California.
√ The Tullius/Bundy/Hobbs car finished a fine third at Daytona, despite
an ongoing issue in which the vibrations from running on the high-speed
banking caused the auxiliary belts to keep losing teeth and then slipping,
requiring replacement. (Bob Tullius archive)
VThe 1984 Budweiser Grand Prix of Miami was a triumph for Group 44. The
race was televised worldwide, the perfect platform for Group 44 to take a
1-2 finish. The #04 of Brian Redman and Doc Bundy took the win, ahead of
Tullius and Bedard’s #44. Both cars had been using the new Lucas Micos
ECUs, which helped noticeably with fuel mileage. (Bob Tullius archive)
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