Jaguar D-Type Dominates 2018 Le Mans Classic
1955 Jaguar D-Type battles 1956 D-Type for the lead in the second group of competitors of the biennial classic.
Every two years, droves of vintage Le Mans competitors go on a pilgrimage to the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France to stretch their muscles and remind the world why they were there in their day during the three-day Le Mans Classic. Everything from the XJR-9s and -12s of the Group C era, to the C- and D-Types of the 1950s can be seen mixing it up with the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin over the course of the weekend.
Such was the case in this year’s outing. Veteran driver Patrick Simon spent his Le Mans Classic weekend behind the wheel of a handful of classics, including the green 1955 Jaguar D-Type in this video.
Simon launches from the grid at the start of the race, blasting past several competitors ahead of him through the Dunlop Curve. The real fun, however, begins with the final car in his sights: a black 1956 D-Type.
Into the Dunlop Chicane and through the long straightaway, Simon slowly moves up on the black D-Type, but is at first unable to catch up to the challenger up ahead. Once through the Mulsanne, however, Simon’s green D-Type finally manages to nearly pass the leader before the lead is reclaimed.
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Simon does manage to pass the D-Type shortly thereafter, but now it’s the black D-Type’s turn to pass on the right to take back the lead. The two D-Types spend the next few minutes going back and forth before, at last, Simon’s green machine takes the lead back for good.
Passing through lap traffic on the Ford Chicanes, Simon is finally able to thrust his fists into the victorious air, the checkered flag waving in a hard-earned win for the veteran and his green 1955 D-Type.
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