Le Mans TR8 Returns to Action

The TR Register's track day at Castle Combe back in April had one very special guest that represented a welcome and historic return to action. It has since gone on to all sorts of trials and tribulations in racing, much like the previous half century of history! Owner Kevin Jones picks up the story...

Back in 1980, I was a rally car guy, working for Saab. I vividly remember seeing a TV program narrated by Chris Goffey. I thought at the time "a rally car doing Le Mans".. that's interesting!

 
In the early 90s, I was lucky enough to own an ex-Tony Pond V8 TR8, which I sold to Charles Golding in 1993. I really fancied a Pond TR8 again, so, 25 years on, I started chasing where they had all gone. By accident, I stumbled upon the Le Mans car on a rolling road in the UK. Troy of Northampton Motorsport gave me the phone number of Bert Smeets, so I called him (really to try to buy an ex-works rally car). After some negotiation, I bought the Le Mans TR8 as a non-runner. I also purchased the spare parts and travelled to Belgium to collect them. Oh boy, did I underestimate the volume of 40 years' worth of spare parts for one car! 

Sadly, I never got to meet Alec Pringle, who was the main drive behind the 1980 push for Le Mans. After having spoken to Jan Odor (sadly now gone) and Diane Pringle (also no longer with us), Derek Bell, John Sheldon, Bill Wycombe, Ian Harrower and a couple of knowledgeable mechanics of the time, I was able to build a perfect picture of how the car was built, the struggles with Leyland and the crowd funding to get the car to La Sarthe!

Diane Pringle was invaluable. I went to see her a few times. She had a great memory and loads of clippings and memorabilia from the period. I also spoke with Peter Knott, who was the first owner after ADA, and Bert, who owned it before me, about the struggles they had trying to run the car. It was clear I had an up hill struggle on my hands as no one said "it's perfect, Swiss watch"... there was more sucking through teeth than my plumber does!
I then drove the TR on my local road, the "Black Mountain Pass" over the Brecon Beacons ... on slicks (naughty naughty) and realised this was not going to be easy to get sorted. Diane became unwell and put me in touch with her son Tom (sadly, he missed the race that Saturday but did come up on the Sunday with his family). Tom has been inspirational all the way with the project, as he also sees it as a job that is not completed. 

I set about restoring the car in 2019 and completed it in 2024. I was warned by John "Driller" Sheldon that this would consume all of my money; he was not wrong! I returned it to the Le Mans colour of British Racing Green. After some issues during testing, the first race was a year ago at Snetterton. It failed in qualifying and broke the panhard rod bracket off the axle, but showed some pace. Axle bracket repaired, I took the car to Silverstone in July 2024... this time it did qualify, either 2nd row or 3rd row on the grid, after a rather timid qualifying (I did not drive it well, and had virtually zero testing with the car)... the race had a standing start.

I got to the start line, dropped the clutch and all hell broke loose!! The axle broke in the centre, snapping the pinion off, propshaft failed around, taking out the dry sump line, followed by the wiring loom, fuel lines and everything else in its path!

It took until March this year before we were back out testing, with a strengthened axle, and tried again. I went to the TR Register Car Club's  "Novice" test day at Castle Combe. After 58 laps, almost without incident (one person had no idea how to use mirrors and stuck me on the grass), I felt it was good to try again at Snetterton. The car still needs a little fine tuning, with understeer and brake fade, but turned in a pole position lap time of 1.18.031.... more than 3 full seconds clear of the rest of the field!! Wow wee it really was working now!! (Baby Bertha, the famous Jerry Marchal V8 Ferrenza, setting a best time last year in the 1.20's... 1.18 was on the money.

 
Realising that pace was going to kill the brakes, I drove the Saturday evening race sensibly, not something I am well known for! Resulting in the TR8 LM's first ever race completed, to top it off with a pole to victory race was something special. We even had a blessing from the man above, courtesy of Chaplin Motorsport (who is a motorsport clergyman)... without exception, the pit lane was thrilled the car has, after 45 years, finished a race... it was really well supported by fans and competitors alike. Sunday was another start from pole, this time I used it as another test session, and did not drive around the brake issue... pulling out a 25 second gap to second place after only four laps... sadly the car once again failed, possibly due to a faulty battery, I have not investigated as had a flight to Japan the next day. I will be back, it will keep getting faster, and more reliable by refinement... watch this space!