Goodwood: Watch ‘Mr. Le Mans’ Drift an E-Type

Racing legend Tom Kristensen turns in his Audi overalls for a shot in a classic Jaguar at the Goodwood Revival.

A good friend and racer told me recently that the best parts of Goodwood are that (A) car owners hire some major ringers and (B) those ringers go for broke. He left out the implied part about the cars all being spectacular, but we know that’s a given.

At last weekend’s Goodwood Road Racing Revival, one Jaguar XKE owner handed the big cat’s reins over to a legend: Tom Kristensen. Yes, Mr. Le Mans himself flogged the E-Type.

If you’re a fan of the Goodwood Revival, you’ll know Kristensen has cultivated a vintage-racing legend with some spectacular displays. This Revival found the nine-time Le Mans winner again in fine form. That included some of the finest displays of car control on the knife-edge that you’ll see.

Because the cars race in period-correct trim, the Danish driver had only small tires to work with. Unlike modern slicks, these tires seem to work best when the cars four-wheel drift through corners. Add a sprinkle of rain to keep things interesting and you have potential to see the difference it makes with a Le Mans legend in the car.

Kristensen frequently uses the whole track and does so with the car’s tail stepping out. For a guy who drove high-downforce prototypes, that’s not too bad.

Of course, few will forget Kristensen’s epic sunset run in the Ferrari 250 SWB. What could be more memorable than TK in a priceless Ferrari? His 2015 race in a Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt, where he ripped through the entire field like it was standing still.

Kristensen may have turned 50 this year, but he still wheels the car with youthful exuberance. Enjoy this E-Type ballet from Mr. Le Mans.