Inside line - Gary Pearson

The TT at Goodwood left very special memories for the rapid Jaguar specialist

What were your racing highlights in 2003?

I was a lucky boy again last season! The most fun was racing the Jaguar XJR11 for JD Classics in historic Group C. We only did the British rounds, but I won both races on the Silverstone GP circuit in May, and one at Donington Park’s DTM meeting. In the second race at Donington I was having a good battle with John Nielsen in the Kremer Porsche 962 when we had trouble with the front bodywork. That’s a fantastic car, and I’m keen to race it again this season.

What about the TT Celebration race at Goodwood?

That was very special. I raced the E-type of Carlos Monteverde with Juan Fangio II. It was a real treat just to be there and we nearly won the race. We just lost out in traffic at the very end. Fangio is a really nice guy and it was great to see my name in the programme alongside his. I’d love to do that again.

What are the plans for next year?

I’ve just bought the ADA 02B from Laurence Jacobsen and I’m going to race that in GpC when I’m not in the Jaguar. It raced at Le Mans at least twice and it’s in fantastic condition. It was rebuilt about eight years ago with a Heini Mader DFZ engine, so it should be a very good car.

What about the BRDC Historic Sportscars?

I’m planning to do the whole championship with the Lister Knobbly. It’s been a while since we had a proper go at the championship. We also run cars for Nigel Webb, and the good news is that Win Percy is going to be our team manager for the season.