User:Donnie Park/Group 44

Group 44 Inc. was a racing team that was operated by Bob Tullius in Winchester, Virginia, an Anglophile himself, the team became notable for its association with British cars, despite competing in a variety of American cars and was known for its use of the racing number 44, which Tullius and the team has always raced in, printed as a mirror image, as well as racing with a color scheme consisting of a thin light and dark green stripe drapped around the car, to represent British racing green

Bob Tullius
Robert Charles "Bob" Tullius (b 1935), Rochester, New York) intended to pursue a teaching career after his stint with the Air Force, upon his completion of his college course, but he would instead pursue a racing career. --> <!-- ==ref==

Group 44 : the return of Jaguar

Bob Tullius was a racer. When he took on racing, he drove many types of cars, from Dodge Darts to Ford Mustangs, then Jaguar Es, XJS, Triumph TR8s and later, Jaguar XJR5s and 7s. He had a British Leyland dealership and when he took part of the GTP series, his goal was to improve the Jaguar image. At the end of the 1975 season, the Jaguar E was no longer produced and British Leyland needed a new flagship. Lord Stokes showed no interest in auto racing, but Michael Dale, British Leyland Vice President of Sales, remained enthusiastic about racing the XJS. He worked closely with Bob Tullius on the XJS program. The very first race for the XJS was at Mosport Trans Am in 1976. Bob Tullius led for most of the race in category 1, in which the car was entered. However, the car experienced air cooling problems, preventing him from close racing action. He finally took fourth. When he entered IMSA for the first time, it was at Daytona in 1976, for the traditional year end Finale. He drove the Jaguar XJS that had been previously entered in the Trans Am series. Powered by a V12 5,3L, the car was a little short of power, but Bob Tullius was running fourth at halfway point, but he had to retire when the car's interior temperatures became unbearable.

In 1977 and 1978, the team concentrated on the Trans Am series. The car development was Brian Fuerstenau's responsibility, while Latton "Lanky" Foushee was the chief mechanic. As tubeframe cars were not still introduced, the process of building the car was mainly that of stiffening the chassis through the means of a roll cage. The use of a new oiling system was taken care of much attention. A dry sump arrangement was employed and the original fuel injection, used on the customer cars, was replaced by six twin-choke carburetors. A 4-speed manual transmission was used, and it came right from the European version of the car. In 1977, Bob Tullius was the new category 1 Champion, but the team lost the manufacturers Championship to Porsche by a mere two points. In 1978, a car was built, and the car was better than the previous one in two ways : 20 hp were gained and the car had less weight. Although Bob Tullius started slowly, he ended the season with a seven races streak. When the car began its racing career, the engine was given for 475hp. At the end of its first season, 65 more hp had been gained. The Jaguar XJS did very well and posted two category 1 Championship wins. In 1979, Group 44 entered the Triumph TR8 which won two races. It was decided to race it in the IMSA GTO class in 1980. The car was impressive at Sebring and won its class with a fourteen laps margin.

At the end of the season, it was Luis Mendez who took the GTO title despite some very good showings for the 3,5L V8 powered Triumph. Victories at Daytona, Mosport and Road America were not enough to secure the GTO title. The Jaguar XJS was back in Trans Am Racing in 1981 and finished second to Eppie Wietzes in a Corvette. The car the team had built was quite different from the beginnings, as it featured now a full tubeframe chassis. It was the standard by now and Bob Tullius took three wins, while Eppie Wietzes was more consistent, and he won the title. After this last Trans Am season, the Jaguar XJS would be seen on a very last occasion at Daytona in 1982. The car was driven by Bob Tullius, Bill Adam and Gordon Smiley. Too much developed to be eligible for the GTO class, it was moved to the GTP class, against the Porsche 935s, Lola T600s and March 82Gs. They finished twenty first overall. Gordon Smiley had planned to run the Jaguar XJS in the Trans Am series in 1982, but he was killed later at Indianapolis, and the program was dropped. That would be the last year Group 44 would run a GT car. The goal assigned to the team was clear : they wanted to improve their image. So it was decided to launch a new prototype that would be called the XJR5. Bob Tullius had commissioned Lee Dyjkstra to build the car. He had achieved many glorious cars, including the Dekon Chevrolet Monza, the CRC Can Am car. Everything had to use authentic Jaguar parts and they had to use the V12 5,3L engine. The car had to be legal for GTP and Group C Racing. The car was sleek and used the usual V12 engine, given for 530hp. The very first race was to be at Road America, where Bob Tullius and Bill Adam ran a very conservative race to finish third overall. For this very first event, the team could see the new GTP car appeal to the marshals as they clapped their hands while watching the new car running for the first time. The remainder of the season proved to be much more difficult to handle for the team as a succession of woes occured. The car experienced a practice accident at Mid Ohio and was forced into the wall at the Daytona Finale. The drivers and the team had to learn how to develop the car and it took a lot of time to apprehend it. The 1983 season would be hard in the beginning, yet success was to come by quickly.

They failed to finish the two first enduros of the season, but at Road Atlanta, Bob Tullius and Bill Adam survived typically wet conditions to record their first win. It was the first major win for the marque since long. Then the car won at Lime Rock. The car won its first pole position at Portland but had to retire from the race after Bill Adam collided with Jim Mullen's car in the race. The car now was able to be fast on the track, while reliable. The team won again at Mosport but, later, Bill Adam would be fired from the team. Bob Tullius had replaced him by Doc Bundy, hoping things would improve with time. The new Bob Tullius-Doc Bundy pair won at Pocono their fourth race of the season. At the end of the season, Bob Tullius was second in points, to Al Holbert, winning in his March 83G Porsche. For 1984, the team lost the Quaker State sponsorship. After considering any collaboration with the team, Miller Brewing Company, with its Lˆwenbr‰u brand, decided not to go further with Group 44, so the 1984 season began with no sponsor but Jaguar. The Daytona 24 Hour race began with a retirement, after leading the race for more than a hundred laps. Bob Tullius-Doc Bundy and David Hobbs were rewarded with a third overall. Two cars were entered for most of the season for Bob Tullius-Doc Bundy and Brian Redman-Hurley Haywood. The main success for the team was a one-two at Miami with Brian Redman-Hurley Haywood taking victory over Bob Tullius and Doc Bundy. The team took a third at Road Atlanta and second and third on the high banks of Charlotte Motor Speedway. A third at Watkins Glen and a second at Portland, a second and third at Sears Point and a second at Pocono was not so bad for the team who had however great hopes but ended up the season quite disappointed. It was decided to send the cars to Le Mans, for the famous 24 Hour race. It was a real challenge, and some kind of nightmare for the team, who was not prepared for such a trip. After qualifying on row seven and ten. They managed to take the lead of the race, thanks to their superior fuel mileage. Unfortunately, the two cars had to retire later in the race. Despite this failure, the race was a relative success for Jaguar. The team had had some transmission failures and it was decided during the winter to replace the original gearbox by a new Hewland. Now designated XJR5B because of the numerous changes, the 1985 season began with a terrible accident at Daytona when Bob Tullius hit the wall after a failed tyre severed oil lines, sending him into the wall. Trapped in his car for more than forty minutes, Bob Tullius had his hands badly burned. He recovered quite fast and drove three weeks later at Miami. Chip Robinson had been signed as Bob's new co-driver, and they would finish second at Road Atlanta, while Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood took the win in the number 04 car. While confident with his cars, Bob Tullius felt that was missing to them was a turbocharger. He asked Jaguar if he could use the Metro 6R4 engine, but Jaguar declined. The next races were rewarding seconds at Laguna Seca, Charlotte and Lime Rock, and the Le Mans experience was renewed. They felt confident and had been warmly welcomed, this time bringing their own radios. Qualifying sixteenth and seventeenth, the cars had suffered pistons in practice. Realizing after the race that they had been awarded a bad batch of fuel by the organizers' fuel supplier, they had detuned their engines for the race. For the race, things went mildly with car number 44 finishing thirteenth after a cylinder dropped ninety minutes short of the chequered. Bob Tullius was rewarded with the cheers of the crowd while passing the stands. Back to US, the team had a string of seconds and thirds, but no win. It was time for the team to develop a brand new car, the XJR7, which was entirely new, except for the windshield. The car was debuted at the Daytona Finale, for Bob Tullius and Chip Robinson.

The XJR5 took a second place with Hurley Haywood and Brian Redman, while Bob Tullius and Chip Robinson finished fourth after an early incident with the wall. The 1986 season began at Daytona with two XJR7s running. The two cars experienced gearbox problems caused by drivetrain overload from the chassis. The number 44 car, driven by Bob Tullius, Chip Robinson and Claude Ballot LÈna, finished sixth overall. A new gearbox was installed for the Sebring race, but neither car finished the race. Lee Dykstra and Bob Tullius had ceased their relationship prior to the race. In fact, Jaguar wanted to hire him, which they did, so Bob Tullius had to fire him. Things changed a lot after Lee Dykstra's departure, and the relationship between Bob Tullius and Jaguar worsened. The race held at Riverside was reminded for everyone as one of the most spectacular crashes ever. Chip Robinson collided with Doc Bundy and Lyn St James on lap thirty six, resulting in the Jaguar flying up in the air. Fortunately, neither driver was hurt but the three cars were completely written off. This major incident resulted in Group 44 entering only one car for the next round at Laguna Seca. The third chassis had been damaged in a practice session. Hurley Haywood was partnered by Chip Robinson and they finished second to Klaus Ludwig, who gave the Ford Probe its first win. The remainder of the season was a succession of dnfs, mainly caused by crankshafts. They had to revert to older parts and had a third place finish at Columbus for Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood. The end of the season had a special taste, because Chip Robinson and Brian Redman were leaving the team. The team scored its only victory at the Daytona Finale with Bob Tullius and Chip Robinson while Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood had a dnf, with an engine failure. The 1987 season began at Daytona with a dnf for the sole Jaguar XJR7 entered, due to overheating. The car had run as high as second during the race. The next race, held at Miami, rewarded an ignominous tenth to Hurley Haywood and John Morton, while Nissan scored its first IMSA victory. The next race was a great success for the team : Hurley Haywood and John Morton won the Riverside race over Al Holbert and Chip Robinson by a 2.78 second margin. Things were getting tight between Group 44 and Jaguar. The team felt that they lacked support from the British marque. Yet, for the season to come, Jaguar had chosen Tom Walkinshaw to run their IMSA cars and then it was over. The team entered the West Palm Beach race, and it would be the very last IMSA win for Group 44. John Morton and Hurley Haywood won over the Al Holbert Porsche 962. The last official race for the team was held at Watkins Glen, where Bob Tullius and John Morton finished thirteenth. From Bob Tullius point of view, things were sealed from the beginning. They entered the last race of the season at Del Mar, but not under the Group 44 banner. The team was entered in a single event in 1988, and the car was dubbed "Group 44 V12".

Bob Tullius, John Morton and Whitney Ganz had a very disappointing last race with a retirement at 7.55PM, due to an overheating. The team signed to run Audi Quattros in the Trans Am series, and they earned the title with Hurley Haywood driving. Hans Stuck and Walter Rohrl were part of that dream-team. However, Bob Tullius had still GTP hopes, and had a car built by Randy Wittine. It was based on the last XJR7 chassis and was powered by a Chevrolet engine. He had in mind several chassis that he wanted to sell as customer cars. But the project did not arouse sufficient interest to build a second car. The story of Group 44 in IMSA was over, and it was as if Group 44 had never existed. When speaking about Jaguar history, Group 44 is never quoted as a great team, and very few people think of them as Jaguar spearhead. Yet, they must be credited with many wins, and they have brought back Jaguar to their first international wins. The Jaguar XJS, Triumph TR8, Jaguar XJR5 and XJR7 have succeeded in many races, and the Group 44 team has achieved some great successes. However, the team has always been underestimated, and it is a shame for every Jaguar or Triumph lover. The Group 44 team remains one of the most successful team in SCCA and IMSA racing. They deserve a better recognition from everyone.

Nice story on Group 44, they built some very fast race cars. I am fortunate enough to currently race his 1981 XJS Trans Am car. What a blast had it not been for a few gremlins with this new car it would have dominated the 1981 Season.

It's about time someone said so. Most people involved with Jaguar don't even know it was an american that coined the still persevering "XJR" designation. If Bob was a bit better at getting sponsors history would have been quite different.

http://alex62.typepad.com/imsablog/2006/08/group_44_the_re.html IMSAblog: Group 44 : the return of Jaguar

It was the V12, though, which was proving itself on the track. In the US, Bob Tulliusí Group 44 team ran a wild space-framed car (see pics above), while in the UK Tom Walkinshawís TWR team developed the big XJ-S into a successful Group A car for the European Touring Car Championship, Walkinshaw himself winning the title in 1984. That success would encourage Jaguar to bankroll a full Group C sports car programme, which would eventually net them a series of world championships and Le Mans wins. http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=52&i=12153 Pistonheads: Jaguar XJ-S

Bob Tullius of Group 44 built this car to compete in the 1989 Winston Cup Series with driver Jim Sauter. They competed in 8 Cup races in 1989 with a best finish of 9th at Watkins Glen. Tullius is famous for his road racing success with championships in SCCA, TRANS-AM and IMSA. He took his experience to NASCAR and created one of the best road racing stock cars of it's time http://www.canepa.com/inventory/racecar/2803.html Canepa Design http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/1989/18/data/results_official.html RESULTS: 1989 Official Race Results : Bud at Glen

Bob Tullius and Brian Fuerstenau left their jobs at an Arlington foreign car dealership in 1964 to become full-time professional sports car racers.

The result, Group 44, now based in Winchester, Va., became one of the first professional racing teams and the official factory team for Triumph, British Leyland, Jaguar and Audi. It has won races and championships in every series, and made forays into stock cars, Indy cars, Le Mans (three times) and special projects for Ford, Pontiac and Dodge.

And Car and Driver named Group 44 one of the 10 best race teams in history, right up there with the ... HighBeam Research: Group 44 Seeks New Road to Victory; Virginia-Based Team Puts Full-Time Effort Into NASCAR Series -- http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/images/samples/may_40_49_group44_reprint.pdf

-- While they had their down time before making their way around the track rumors surfaced prior that Bob Tullius was at his shop about 2 miles away. For many of you that may not know Mr. Tullius was a driver for Group 44 Inc from the mid 60s to the late 80s. He drove a TR3, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 8, Jaguar XJS, GTP and many others to various championships. I know him as a legendary figure that drove a TR8 in SCCA Trans-Am series and IMSA GTO. I had an opportunity to meet him that I never thought I would have! Interrupting the thoughts of grandeur was the sound of rolling thunder that brought me back to earth.

I had taken my place with camera in hand with Tina Lanocha at my side to take pictures of the two kids playing. I was an experience seeing the various cars shuffling around the track for 4 laps. Tim and Rick moved around like a confused teenager from front to back and almost back up front. Rick was driving and Tim instructing and as far as I knew trying to keep the car out of a ditch. I figured at one point maybe they broke something cause they dropped back in the pack, but it was their way of looking for victims to prey upon like a shark in a tank of fish. When it was done we met them in the pits and watch the photo shoot and hear all the reactions. I think just by looking at them and the expression on their face said it all.

With the adrenaline rush wearing off we heard that Bob Tullius, a.k.a. Mr. Group 44 was at his museum and we might see him. Pulling a ìDukes of Hazzardî we jumped in the 8s and hauled nails. After a few extra turns we came across a hanger meeting the description we were given. I small picture of a P-51 mustang loomed on the door to the hanger and in small text sure enough it said Group 44. Tina was first in the door, followed by myself. A man was walking towards us and I said, ì I am looking for Bob Tulliusî. He replied with a ìYou got himî. Having read test reports and seeing 20-year-old pictures of him, I couldnít wait to ask my million questions. Off to our right was a Group 44 Jaguar XJS in the color scheme of light and dark green on white. We couldnít wait to start poking and prodding from car to car and heck plane to plane too. He took us on the tour starting with the last Triumph TR8 and TR6 built. The TR8 was Platinum with blue velour interior. The odometer read a mere 300 miles. It was still wearing its Good Year GS800+ tires. One noticeable item was the Laurel Wreath above the 3.5-liter was missing on both sides. I figured they were in such a hurry to get rid of the car it wasnít a major concern. For having 300 miles, it was as it should be, new and perfect! The TR6 was passed over but I couldnít help but notice it too was a low mileage car having only 800 miles. It bore the British trademark color, British Racing Green.

Looking around we caught a glimpse of white and green gathering in the corner of the hanger. Looking harder and harder there she was, Group 44 TR8! If I could have I would have jumped over all things in the way. I held back walking with the crowds pace. It seems Mr. Tullius had a slight limp and now enjoying the years after work was moving at his own pace. Adjacent to the TR8 was another Jaguar but this was a GTP car raced after the 8. Being the most superior racecar there it was looked at for a few seconds and passed over. The TR8 was wearing its 12-inch rear spoiler and enormous fender flares and looked as if it just ran Sebring and was resting for the next race. It had so many lines of the production TR8 that appeared through out the body. Interior was sparse having a few wires and hoses that a car built for its soul purpose would need. Our eyes kept finding their way to the fender flares and the 12 inches of rear tire. Without warning the flashes and clicks of the two cameras commenced! It was a free for all to get every aspect and detail possible. This wasnít the back up Group 44 #4 car but #44! The Road & Track test car that played with John Buffumís Rally TR8 and the production car.

The car as we found out was built out of a White TR7 or TR8 body shell. No numbers were attached, so the production year couldnít be determined. It was white inside and out. The body shared a lot of its stock frame rails and mounting points but the backbone that made the difference was the intricate roll cage. It had tubes running in all directions. The front suspension mounted to two tubes running from the roll cage through the firewall and to the front bumper creating a solid frame. Two angled support tubes ran from just behind the front upper suspension mounts into the interior connecting to the roll cage. At the upper suspension mounts were two high strength reinforcements keeping the tubes from rolling inward. There was plenty of camber and caster adjustment incorporated in this design. The stock strut tubes had been kept, but the Koni inserts with different tops for mounting had taken over. The lower arm and ball joint were stock items. To our surprise a TR8 sub frame adorned the front end. The front sway bar was 1 inch plus. The set up after looking it over wasnít as complex as we anticipated. The rear was a mess. It had rods with adjustments all over the place and since the car was so low it was difficult to see everything. I managed to get a few pictures that were pretty vague. The stock lower arms, spring and shock locations, and mounting points were retained. Koni shocks ruled in the back too. A NASCAR like Franklin Baby Grand rear end fit in between the tires showing its aluminum pumpkin and additional reinforcing. The sway bar was moved and oversized to provide the least amount of body roll. The upper suspension arms were removed and new ones installed. They no longer ran at angles like stock but parallel with the lower arms. The mounting was not to the body, but to the roll cage inside the car. This could be seen behind the drivers seat and out in the open on the passenger side. A 5th suspension arm/bar was added. A panhard rod known to many connection to the body behind the rear differential and running to the right side of the rear end to tie it in as completely as possible. No detail was overlooked and with its short wheelbase and wide stance, no risks were taken!

The interior was all business. No radio, armrests, or luxurious appointments to hinder its functionality could be spotted. Not a single piece of vinyl or fabric from the factory could be found. One factory item that was used and had me appreciating the creative genius of the fabricator was the 1975 to 1977 dummy crash pad found on the steering wheel of a TR7. Its application wasnít far from the original intention of British Leyland. This time it was a headrest for the driverís helmet. The TR8 coupe steering wheel used at first was removed in favor of a Momo steering wheel. A matte black metal dashboard ran across the interior holding the minimum required gauges with a few warning lights and switches.

With Bob Tullius standing there we asked if we could see the engine and with out hesitation he said ìno problemî. We dropped on to the hood or bonnet like buzzards on a dead body! With some minor finagling it popped off. The look on Timís face was funny as he was standing there holding it. The hood was fiberglass and must weigh 10 pounds at the most. The engine was nestled between the front suspension was looking right at home. At first glance it looked like a science project. It was different from anything the guys and I have seen before. The fiberglass air boxes had deteriorated foam in them. Clear tubes for the fuel injection ran from the front of the engine to the throttle bodies and intake manifold. How simple was it? It was mechanical fuel injection related to many of that time period. It was belt driven and had a line for each cylinder giving it the look of an octopus. The distributor was a Mallory unit mated to a high-energy coil. Cylinder heads were of stock casting and the block looked like the typical mid production from 1975 to 1981. We did overlook something, the engine number? I will inquire with Mr. Tullius later about that. As I had read the engine was a 3528cc, 3.5 liter, 215 cubic inch Rover V8 bored and stroked to create a 3989cc, 3.9 liter, 243 cubic inches. The typical race modifications, blue printing and balancing were done to it and a gross of 360 horsepower could be achieved. The water pump was a high flow special with casting blank outs for useless hoses. Power steering was used even though it was a special pump and modified stock rack giving a precise and light feel for the driver. Special brackets and pulleys grew out of the front of the engine giving it a real race look. The headers did their duty. The restrictive heads could easily choke the performance out of the engine but as Group 44 and Tim Lanocha found that if you go bigger and better, life could be achieved above 6100 rpms! Snaking out of the header flanges were 2-inch diameter tubes wrapping around and forming a 4 to 1 system giving maximum performance. From there a 3-inch pipe ran under the floors in special cutouts to exit the sides in front of the rear wheels. This is how they built power and got the top end horsepower and torque needed for racing. The radiator was an aluminum corvette unit that was angled and took up the remainder of the nose of the car. The aluminum over flow tank was hidden in the right rear of the engine bay. As I said earlier the heart and soul of a car is in what makes it go, well in this case itís an orchestra of instruments making sweet music.

We know the body is that of a production shell, stripped and set up for racing. Steel weighs more than fiberglass or aluminum and that is why they found their way onto the car. The hood, trunk, fenders/wings, bumpers and front air dam were fiberglass. Doors, header panel (head light surround), tail light panel, and the basic body was all steel. The transmission tunnel was modified to provide access from the interior/topside of the car through a removable panel. Body trim was kept like the door handles (interior and exterior), black rear roof pillar plastic vents, upper door trim was painted white and not matte black, and windshield trim/moldings with reinforcing tabs welded in-place. The back glass was known to be easily removable so in order to prevent it popping out two strips of aluminum was place across it. The rear spoiler come to find out was required to eliminate the 400 pounds of lift created by the stock body lines across the top of the car. The panel between the back glass and trunk lid had the battery cut off and halon fire system rising out of it. The rear light panel had the TR8 lights still in-place with the gaskets. Up front the headlights were removed and metal panels riveted covering the holes. The theory of less weight makes up for a lack of horsepower rules every part that was removed and carefully thought about and either re-installed or discarded in favor of a better replacement. Holes where the front directional lights would normally be are specially incorporated to feed the oil, transmission and rear end coolers. A small but noticeable item was the mini spoiler on the rear edge of the roof. We were told it was experiment attempting to give more air and cut down on turbulence created by the rear glass. It was taken from a BMW and to our surprise did nothing at all. Things were tried for grins and giggles and one would never know if they would or would not work, but trying is half the fun.

To see and feel a piece of history that only a few get to see and appreciate is an event to be remembered always. I think we had a new outlook on what we have seen and are doing to these cars. Over 20 years ago a race team set out with a goal in mind, to build a car and win. The Triumph TR8 had the most potential, but due to its dominance in the first year sanctioning bodies tried to hold the car back. Win after win a decision was met and 400 pounds would be added to the body to penalize it. A change in organizations and classes put them back in the winners circle but time caught up and the car was no longer being produced, so it quietly disappeared only to be admired from a distance by those lucky enough to do so. Mr. Tullius told us that the Jaguars were work to get them around the track and the TR8 was fun.

We got back to the motel with a new look on things. I know we made Mr. Tullius feel like a Roman God! He could take a soapbox and drive it to victory lane. Tim had one thing in his head; I want a Group 44 TR8! We conversed all night about the car and all the possibilities. I know going to bed that night I was there pressing the starter button and running my own 12 hours of Sebring.

Wednesday-March 7, 2001

The day was like all the others, another set of spark plugs put into the blue beast. It was like gas, oil and spark plugs were all it needed to survive. We drove around and tuned, tuned and tuned the beast. Around 10:00 am we sneaked off to the Group 44 Museum. I had brought with me a poster of the Group 44 TR8 in action. I picked it up about 7 years ago and have hung on to it all these years. The caption was ìTriumphs New Championî. My goal was to get it autographed by Bob Tullius and since the car was there take pictures of him and the car with the poster. The assistant/maintenance technician was there at the shop and we asked if we could talk to Mr. Tullius after we arrived. Mr. Tullius came rolling out of his office and we said our greetings and Tim brought the blue beast over to let Bob take look at it. I know that in his mind he thought this thing is way too radical and he didnít know what to think? The discussion was shifted to what he wish would happen to the TR8 and the other cars in his collection. We soon found out that he thinks of them as tools and his planes as a hobby. He would like them to be displayed or in a collection to be preserved for future generations. He was completely against track time or anything related to that. A $100,000 couldnít even make an attempt in the purchasing of the TR8.

We did show him the poster and with him looking confused he told us he had never seen this one before. He figured it was Watkins Glen in late 79 or early 80. The car had brake fans for cooling and Brian Fuerstenau below Bob Tulliusís name on the door. The small spoiler adorning the car now on the rear of the roof is not in the picture. He took it inside and signed it in the perfect way, his back ward 44. We then took pictures of him and myself holding the poster and then Tim Lanocha. He was getting ready to pick up his Mustang from being repaired, so he was getting a plane out of the hanger. We then swarmed all over the TR8. We couldnít get enough. This time we broke out the video camera getting the engine, body, interior and this time the trunk compartment. Hidden under fiberglass like the engine the trunk compartment was another sign of the superior skill involved with the construction of this car! The rear end fluid tank was there and the filter and hoses. The gas tank with filler neck and cap rose out like a snake. The car had no battery or at least not in the trunk as far as we knew. The trunk lid was like the hood but had more reinforcing for the tall rear deck lid spoiler. I guess at 170 mph you might need to beef up some parts of the car for down force? The fun was too much and I think we got as much as we could without taking the car with no one knowing. The thought of the hood on the wall of my office did cross my mind a few times or the trunk lid.

Upon our return to the motel we had to hit the road and catch up to the V8 guys. Dave Huddleson and Bill Sweeting of the TR8 Car Club of America were in the area on vacation and joined in the festivities. It was set up for us to have a police escort into historic Sebring. We had missed the caravan and figured out where it was. A few turns and there it was downtown Sebring. It had a rotary that was the center of town filled with a tall trees and small shrubs. Benches were at ever intersecting road so people could sit back and watch time go by. The buildings were of the tropical and southern architecture. With a few new buildings sticking out like soar thumbs amongst the older and historic buildings it created a mixed but relaxed setting. We strolled around and admired the scenery enjoying an ice cream at Express Yourself CafÈ, just a glance away from the rotary. The cars were parked on a blocked off street that would normally lead traffic into town. All with their bonnets up showing the craftsmanship and personality of each owner, people of Sebring and other V8 owners stopped and admired each car. Stories and tales of times gone by filled this small sleepy town. After a few hours the police blew the siren letting us know it was time to go. One by one we filed out into the rotary going back to the racetrack to get ready for our club dinner. On the way back my coupe cruised by an MGB that I though was just on the side of the road possibly waiting for some one? It turned out he was broken down and to my surprise after arriving at the motel he was being towed by a fellow MGB. It was all over a bad module in the Mallory distributor. As we advised the owner the proper fix is to carry a spare in the glove box. Try imagining a Triumph towing a MG with the historic circumstance of the love hates relationship of the marques?

To whine down from the afternoon and morning epics we hung out for dinner provided by the club. To compliment this day Bob Tullius was our guest of honor at our dinner. Mr. Tullius had branded our little group of wedgies as ìThe Interlopersî and when we look back at it no one could have put it better! Afterwards we journeyed to the motel bar to get a few more tid bits of information and have a few beers with our guest. I did manage to get the names of the individuals responsible for the construction and maintaining the cars, especially the TR8. I think with the laps around the racetrack and the Group 44 Museum we had so much churning in our minds. Could the Group 44 car be replicated and retrofitted for every day use? What race organization would we run it in and would it be competitive? Would Tim ever finish tuning that dam blue car? Finally could we arrange to get jobs at the track? The more we asked those questions to ourselves the more it felt like an ill-fated attempt at sanity! http://www.lanocharacing.com/sebring_event.html

-- (AMC Javelin) A proposal to go road racing with the SCCA came in from Bob Tullius, who had formed a competitive racing team called Group 44 to compete in the relatively new Trans-Am classes. In fact, Tullius won the first Trans-Am race in the class for 2.0L to 5.0L production sedans on March 25, 1966, at Sebring, and took the SCCA D/Production class championship in 1964. Alexander said he met with Tullius, helped refine the proposal and submit it to the committee.

"We had just introduced the Javelin, and the SCCA was just then getting into A/Sedan racing, which had a 305-cu.in. limit," Alexander said. "We were already in that category, so it was a natural for us to play on equal terms."

The committee agreed to go Trans-Am racing in 1968, but due to some "Wisconsin politics," the committee picked Ronnie Kaplan to head the race team rather than Tullius and his Group 44 team. -- http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/2006/09/01/hmn_feature3.html Hemmings Motor News: The Racy One --

Bob's son Russ is chairman of NASCAR Hall of Fame http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/t508647.html -- 1966 Trans-Am Bob Tullius was not an easy one to get along with.

He and Dick Gilmartin, were partners in Group 44. Dick was the real person behind securing the Quaker State Sponsorship, one of the longest running sponsors over the years. When his driving ability did not measure up to Bob's yardstick, they had a split and I got the opportunity to drive the Dart.

It was a good pairing as we won the Marlboro 12 hour race at Marlboro, Md., the rest is history.

http://www.a2zracer.com/page9.html

The Dart Program was pretty successful for the time and effort involved. We were the only factory backed Trans Am Team that really did well, especially with what we had to work with, technology wise. We were limited as to what we could do, the Mustangs and Camaros were better equipped.

I never understood why Bob Tullius never got another opportunity to run, even when the Challengers were being built....... Politics?

Tony & Bob Tullius finished 1st in class, and 2nd

overall at Sebring in the first SCCA Trans-Am race.

15th @ Mid America

33rd @ VIR

1st @ Marlboro

6th @ Green Valley

2nd @ Riverside Raceway

Tony finished 5th in the 1966 Trans-Am Points Standing, winning the princely sum of $1,330.

After my time was up at Group 44 in late 67, they did not have a contract to run Trans Am,

http://www.a2zracer.com/page11.html -- The first Trans Am race was at Sebring on March 25, 1966. It was the Dodge Dart driven by Bob Tullius that finished 1st in the "over 2 litre" class. Tullius would rank 3th overall in 1966, and would go on to have another 1st place and a 2nd place finish. Bob Johnson raced a Barracuda (before switching to a Mustang mid-season) and finshed 2nd overall in season points with 2 first place victories The overall (points leader of both the 2 litre and 5 litre classes) first place went to the Kwech/Andrey Alfa GTS team.

Bob Tullius' race team was called "Group 44" and had a good sponsorship with Quaker State for several years. Tony Adamowicz was hired as a 3rd driver for the team with Tullius and Martinshop. Group 44 raced Triumphs (TR4's, and later Spitfires) as well as the 1966 Dodge Darts. The team won the 1966 Marlboro 24hr Endurance race in car No.4, a 1966 Dodge Dart, driven by Adamowicz and Tullius.

For 1966, Darts and Barracudas were campaigned with good success in the series overall, and, for the most part, dominated the "over 2 litre" class. The cars raced were Dart 270 model coupes or GT coupes with 273/4bbls. Rules allowed for the use of any engine component available over the dealer parts counter, but this allowance was not utilized by the manufacturers in 1966 like it was later in the 60's by Ford and Chevrolet.

For whatever reason, Dodge and Plymouth dropped their factory backed Trans-Am support for the 1967 season. It was possibly due to the small cash winnings, or the fact that road racing crowds were a fraction of the size of the NASCAR and the drag racing crowds. It has been said the reason Chrysler pulled its factory support was that Mopars gave away too many cubes to the competition, but this an unlikely reason because Mopar dominated the 66 season! At this point GM had no involvement in the class (other than privateers racing corvairs), and only competitor was Ford, who was racing a 289. It wasn't until 68/69 when everyone maxed the cube limit. Chevy, Ford and Mercury each witha 302cid V8, AMC with a 304cid V8, and Ponitac with a destroked 303cid V8.

More on Bob Tullius

Prior to racing Darts in the 1966-67 seasons, Bob Tullius raced Triumphs. He earned the National Champion title in 1964 in the SCCA D Production class. During the 66 season, in addition to his Dart, he campaigned a Trimuph TR4A. After Dodge dropped factory support of the Trans Am series in 1967, he continued to race a Dart but switched to Firebirds in the late sixties. Tullius's greatest racing days came in the 70's and 80's with Jaguar. Starting in 1973, Tullius won several National titles in the 70's including the 1975 SCCA B-Production title. He continued throughthe 70's racing the XJR series Jaguar GTP cars in IMSA GTP competition, winning several races, and carried Jaguar's colors at LeMans in 1984, following the marque's absence of some 25 years. http://www.autohobbydigest.com/66ta.html AutoHobbyDigest : the 66 Trans Am season --

Tullius nowadays keeps his old racing car in his Hangar at Sebring, where houses his P-51 Mustang there as well as flying them in his spare time http://www.jcna.com/library/news/2002/jcna0061.html Florida Jaguar Clubs at Sebring - Jaguar Clubs of North America

This Jaguar XJS Trans-AM Racing Car wears number 44 and was driven by Robert (Bob) Tullius during the 1976 and 1977 Trans-AM racing seasons. It accounted for one first-place victory in 1976 and five in 1977.

Bob Tullius was born in Rochester, New York in 1935. He is an Air Force Veteran who had planned on a teaching career after he finished college, but entered the sport of racing instead. In 1961, he began racing his TR3. This lead to stock car racing, driving for names such as Buck Baker and Jim Pascal.

Much of his later success was achieved in his own modified cars, which were known as Group 44 cars. The Group 44 racing team was formed by Bob Tullius and Brian Fuerstenau and provied Triumph/British Leyland with many victories and championships.

The team received sponsorship from dodge and Tullius drove a Dodge Dart in the first ever Trans-Am race. He was positioned to take the checkered flag, leading most of the race, but fell to second when a six-minute pit stop allowed an Alfa-Romeo driven by Jochen Rindt to take the overall victory. Tullius finished in second place and first in the Over 2-Liter Class. A short time later, he won the 12 Hour Trans-Am Enduro at Marlboro in the Dodge Dart.

Tullius lost his Dodge sponsorship but continued to race in the series. He has the second most career Trans-Am races with a total of sixty. First in this category is George Follmer with sixty-five races. Tullius had 21 career wins in the Trans Am series, making him second in career wins behind Mark Donohue.

Jaguar approached the team to develop the XJS for IMSA GTP and Trans-Am competition. The XJS was Jaguar's replacement for the E-Type in 1975. Group 44's engineer, Brian Fuerstenau and chief mechanic, Latton Foushee, did much to prepare the cars for competition. The engine was given a dry-sump oiling and the fuel-injection system was replaced with six twin-choke Weber carburetors. At the start of the season, the car produced 475 horsepower. By season end, the car had been tuned to over 500 horsepower. The car was given a four-speed gearbox. An eight-point roll cage was fitted to strengthen the car and to protect in case of an accident.

The Group 44 team enjoyed modest success in IMSA GTP competition and even brought the Jaguar marquee to LeMans, a first since the 1950s in a D-Type with factory support. In the Trans-Am Series, the Group 44 Jaguar XJS cars won 13 of the 21 events they were entered.

This Jaguar XJS was offered for sale by RM Auctions at Amelia Island, Florida. This car is the 1977 SCCA Championship Group 55 car and has spent many of recent years in the Bob Tullius Collection. It was offered without reserve and estimated to sell between $250,000 - $350,000. The car is powered by a 5.5-liter V12 engine and produces over 500 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and A/P racing disc brakes on all four corners.

At auction, Bob Tullius drove the car onto the stage and was greeted by a loud applause. There was much interest in this car, as it is very rare and has a strong racing history. At auction, the car found a new owner, selling for $225,500. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z13447/default.aspx Concept Carz: 1976 Jaguar XJS Trans-AM -- http://www.classicmotorsports.net/news.php?cat=17 -- http://www.jaguar.org.au/xjs25perform.htm The first one to perform on the racetrack with the XJ-S was Bob Tullius and his Group 44 team in the USA.

Lord Stokes of British Leyland had shown no inclination to get the XJ-S out on the world's race circuits, Jaguar's time-tested way of stirring public admiration for new models, but in America Mike Dale, Jaguar's director of sales and servicing, remained an enthusiastic supporter of racing as a promotional and emotional tool.

Even if "head office" didn't want to see the XJ-S out on the tracks, he did, and it was Dale who worked closely with Bob Tullius to have the Group 44 XJ-S programme replace that of the E-type V12 development. Fitting six twin throat Webers and other conversions raised the power to 475bhp @ 7,600rpm, and the first race entered in July 1976 was at Watkins Glen where the car qualified, but with poor weather, Bob decided to wait until August at Mosport (Canada) where he qualified fastest, led for over half the race till the oil temperature soared, then backed off and finished 10th overall.

It is interesting to note that at this time, Bob's competition included Tom Walkinshaw, Brian Redman and John Fitzpatrick driving a BMW CSL, all of whom would feature in Jaguar's future racing history. Numerous pole positions, fastest laps and clear-cut victories were a convincing record for Group 44, and following the three seasons 1977, 78, & 79, Bob Tullius drove the Group 44 XJ-S in 29 races, won 3 outright and achieved 15 Category 1 victories. For that, Bob was the first recipient of the Sir William Lyons International Jaguar Trophy.

Having dominated the Trans-Am championship, Bob Tullius stopped the XJ-S race programme in 1981 to concentrate on preparing the Jaguar XJR-5 for the IMSA series.

-- Meanwhile in the USA the V12 E-type was making a big impact on the racing scene. Bob Tullius, whose team Group 44 had successfully entered Triumph and MG sports cars in SCCA racing, persuaded Jaguar that the E-type would be competitive. Jaguar decided to back Group 44 on the east coast and Joe Huffaker, who had been similarly successful with MGs over the years, on the west coast. The E-types dominated their respective regional championships for two years, breaking the Corvette domination of the series. In 1975, Tullius easily won the B Production Championship. To put this into perspective it is worth reflecting that in the previous 17 years Corvettes had won the championship 14 times. Ironically, the E-type had gone out of production towards the end of 1974 and these racing successes just served to illustrate what an advanced design it had been in 1961. Arguably the most famous sports car of all time, some 70,000 had been built with around 60% shipped to the States. US legislation played a major role in the design of the E-type's replacement, which was not a conventional sports car but was rather more of a Grand Touring car.

Launched in September 1975 the XJ-S was closely related to the XJ saloons. While some considered the overall appearance of the new car to be somewhat controversial, no one could argue about its impressive specification. The fuel injected V12 engine was used and gave the car superb performance. 0-60 mph was achieved in 6.9 seconds and the maximum speed was 150 mph. Levels of refinement and quietness were raised to saloon car standards with air conditioning as a standard feature. Initially both manual and automatic transmissions were available but later the manual option was dropped. With the advent of the XJ-S, Group 44 built an example to go Trans-Am professional racing. A few exploratory outings in 1976 showed the potential and a full season was planned for '77. Group 44 fought off a multitude of Porsches with their XJ-S, which was now developing 540 bhp, and Tullius ended the season as Category 1 Trans-Am Champion.

The following year, with a new lighter car fitted with a 560 BHP engine, Tullius won the last seven races and again took the Championship. By entering the '77 XJ-S for Brian Fuerstenau, the car's designer, to drive in the last three events, Jaguar took the Manufacturer's Championship as well.

http://www.jaguar.com/int/en/jaguar_ownership/company/heritage/1968_1979.htm -- Late in 1982 Group 44 had been given the go-ahead to design and build a sports racing car around the Jaguar V12 engine. The car was built for IMSA racing in the States. Named the XJR-5, the car featured an aluminium honey-comb monocoque which employed the mid-mounted engine as a stressed member from which was hung the rear suspension. A striking fibreglass body was finished attractively in white with green stripes. The car finished third on its debut at Road Atlanta and won at the same venue in '83. Two further victories followed at Mosport and Pocono, much to the delight of the British racing fans. The following season brought a late decision to enter the Le Mans French classic, as a learning experience. One car retired after damage sustained from a puncture and the second was running in the top six after 18 hours. It sadly succumbed to gearbox maladies. http://www.jaguar.com/int/en/jaguar_ownership/company/heritage/1979_1989.htm -- Check out the archives at www.scca.org for information of National Championships (U.S.) in club racing. They won several in the sixties and seventies. Also won TransAm with the Jaguar XJS (I am pretty positive). In IMSA they raced the XJS and Triumph TR8 (I think that was GTO Champion in 1980). From there they built the Jaguar GTP which raced in North America and also Le Mans in the mid eighties.

The "44" in Group 44 was reversed in the team logo. You will see it in pictures of the transporters and such. A sign painters mistake, which they ended up liking.

Is this a school project? In high school years ago (even I don't want to calculate how long ago right now), I did an English Composition on the history and development of the Porsche 917. My teacher told me there was no way I could come up with enough information to complete the assignment. I proved her wrong and pulled top grade in class. All this pre internet and before the publication of virtually all the books available. = Born 1935, Rochester NY. Started racing at Marlboro, 1961. SCCA national E Production champion 1962, national D Champion 1963, 1964, NE Division D Champion 1965. Drove in works Triumph team at Le Mans 1964. Shared the Howmet turbine car with Dick Thompson at Le Mans 1968. Won the first ever Trans-Am race - Sebring March 1966 - in a Dodge Dart. =

1) Jaguar V12 Race cars - 'Bred to Win' by Ian Bamsey and Joe Saward, published by Osprey in 1986

2) Jaguar XJR Group C & GTP Cars - ' A Technical Appraisal of the V12 cars' by Ian Bamsey, published by Foulis in 1989.

Both contain some good info. on both Bob Tullius and his Group 44 team. Mind you 8th July's a bit tight!!!! = His full name is Robert Charles Tullius. He went from selling Kodak products to selling Jaguar Products. He formed Group 44 in 1965 working initially to promote Triumph, and later MG cars. Group 44 originally concentrated on SCCA 'amateur' racing on the US East Coast.

According to the Bamsy book, the first win in TransAm was indeed by Tullius in a Dodge Dart, but he places it at Daytona in 1967, so sorry if that confuses with Vitesse's info. Maybe a little more research required!

In 1974, Tullius persuaded BL to add the V12 E-type to its SCCA programme and with it Group 44 won the National title in 1975. Group 44 implemented a full TransAm programme with the XJS in 1977, winning the title in both 1977 (Tullius himself becoming category 1 Champion) and 1978, when Tullius again won the drivers title as well. In that year Tullius shared a drive with his engineer, Brian Furstenau, in the Watkins Glen 6 hours race (a round of the World Championship of makes) to win their class and finish 7th overall.

In 1979 & 1980, Group 44 raced TR8s in the IMSA GTO series, Tullius finishing second to his team mate, Bill Adam, in the GTO class at the 1980 Daytona finale.

Jaguar, going through a very rough patch, nevertheless then (1981) approved Tullius's proposal to develop a Jaguar IMSA GTP car with the longer term objective of going to Le Mans with it. The result, eventually, was the XJR5 which started to win races in 1983. In 1984, Tullius took Jaguar back to Le Mans with a two car team where sadly both retired. Entered again in 1985, Tullius drove the last stint in the sick No 44 car to finish 13th on classification.

=

Vitesse, yes, you are right; it started in 1966 but I'm even more confused now because although the first race was indeed at Sebring, according to Dave Friedman's book - TransAm, The Pony Car Wars 1966-72 (Published by MBI in 2001), Tullius was second, sharing his Dodge Dart with Adamowicz. The winner was none other than Jochen Rindt in an Alfa GTA. The Dart was class winner though. Tullius did then win the 1967 season opener at Daytona in the Dart. Just shows how facts can get jumbled, I guess. = Thank you all so much for your help with information, it has proved very useful. In reply to Skycafe, I had to write a short biog of Bob as he is has become a benefactor of the museum that I work in and the powers that be wanted a short piece on him. I foolishly said: "Oh! Bob Tullius, the Group 44 man?", and the job was mine:rolleyes: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/hendon/news/article.cfm?news_id=23 = Tullius came out to Australia for Bathurst in 1982 to partner John Goss in a woefully underfinanced and underprepared Jaguar XJS.

It's a pity he didn't get a few more years from Jaguar for the Group 44 Group C program, it looked like better days were ahead when they gave it to TWR. = Looking back through the thread I realise I have sown some seeds of confusion! :rotate: The link that I posted was just to explain how Bob Tullius had become a benefactor of the RAF Museum and was the news item that the PR department put together. My biography features much more of his racing achievements, as so generously related by the good people who read the Racing History Forum, but has not been posted on the website yet as it is being sent to Bob himself for approval. I'm not 100% sure that my biography will be posted on our website as it is planned to load it into an interactive display screen which will be next to the P-51 which he donated. Sorry for any confusion.

-- This beautiful IMSA Championship endurance racing Coupe epitomizes everything that is best about American racing design, construction and preparation combined with the best of British international racing heritage and pedigree from Jaguar. It was campaigned in period by no lesser drivers than the celebrated Brian Redman and multiple Le Mans winner Hurley Haywood, together with Pat Bedard, and it is offered here in what appears to be generally beautifully preserved condition.

Bob Tullius had been a long time enthusiast for the British marque when he formed the Group 44 racing team in the early 1960s with partner Brian Feurstenau. He loyally campaigned Jaguar E-Types ñ in addition to MGs and Triumph TR8s ñ in the USA for the following two decades. He had also found time to be deeply involved with the ground-breaking Howmet gas turbine-engined Le Mans car project of 1968 and his experience of racing that car at Le Mans ñ in the world-famous 24-Hour race which Jaguar had won five times through the 1950s ñ determined him to return there one day in a car of his own construction. The result was the Jaguar XJR-5, which was built essentially with the IMSA race organizationís premier GTP class in mind. Bob Tullius persuaded Mike Dale of Jaguar Cars Inc, New Jersey, to fund the project, and he engaged former GM and Ford designer Lee Dykstra to design an up-to-date car for him, to accept the Jaguar V12 racing engine as already prepared by Group 44 for their Championship-winning E-Type variant.

By January 1982 drawings and clay models of the Lee Dykstra-designed ground-effect aerodynamics Coupe contender were released for public consumption. Dykstraís design was for a sheet aluminum monocoque chassis with honeycomb floor section and tubular-reinforced steel bulkheads. Long underfloor aerodynamic venture tunnels extended from behind the flat-bottomed cockpit area alongside the fully-stressed V12 engine block, curving inwards towards the rear to exit beneath the full-width rear wing. The graceful and beautifully-proportioned bodywork was fashioned in carbon fiber and Kevlar composite and the first 5.3-liter V12-engined XJR prototype was tested at Summit Point as early as June 1982.

In late-August it made its racing debut at Road America, where Bob Tullius and Bill Adam co-drove to a third-place finish behind two of the familiar Porsche 935s. They were the first GTP crew home ñ a most promising debut.

Lee Dykstra embarked upon a lengthy development programme to improve his new carís competitiveness, and this program would ñ by the summer of 1985 ñ have seen a claimed ì99.9 per centî of the Group 44 designís original components being re-drawn. The engine grew from 5.3-liters to fully 6-liters by 1984, and the V12 units were fitted with Lucas/Micos engine management systems. Bob Tullius/Bill Adams had won their first race outright at Road Atlanta in 1983 and further victories followed, at Lime Rock, Mosport and Pocono where Doc Bundy co-drove with Tullius, who finished second only to Porscheís Al Holbert in that yearís IMSA Driversí Championship.

Multiple Le Mans-winning driver Derek Bell meanwhile tested one of the Group 44 teamís XJR-5 cars at Silverstone in mid-1983 and his very favorable report attracted the final green light from Jaguar for Group 44 to enter Le Mans 1984. The two-car Group 44 team was unlucky there, but the white and two-tone green liveried Coupes made a superb impression.

Meanwhile, this particular car was retained at home in the USA as a major team contender. Within its fully equipped cockpit on the left-side you will find this chassisís identity plate, recording build date as November 14, 1983 and individual serial ë009í.

Included with the car is a document attributed to Lawton L. Foushee, Jr, Crew Chief of Group 44, which confirms the following information, this car racing under IMSA competition number ë04í virtually throughout apart from the Mid-Ohio IMSA race of 1985 at which it wore ë44í:

ëXJR-5 Serial No 009

1984: Atlanta ñ 3rd ñ Redman/Bedard; Charlotte ñ 3rd ñ Redman/Bedard; Watkins Glen ñ 3rd ñ Redman/Haywood.

1985 (all Redman/Haywood apart from Mid-Ohio): Daytona 24-Hours ñ DNF engine; Miami ñ 4th; Atlanta ñ FIRST; Riverside ñ DNF accident; Laguna Seca ñ 3rd; Charlotte ñ 2nd; Lime Rock ñ 2nd; Mid-Ohio ñ co-driven by Robinson/Haywood ñ 3rd; Watkins Glen ñ Redman/Haywood again, who co-drove the car for the rest of its frontline IMSA career ñ DNF, transmission; Portland ñ 4th; Sears Point DNF, transmission; Watkins Glen ñ 3rd; Columbus, DNF, transmission; Daytona 3-Hours ñ 2nd.

The car was restored by Group 44 in September 1987, and on March 3, 1988 was sold via David J. Bate of Weston, Connecticut, and Jaguar Deutschland Gmbh to renowned German collector Peter Kaus for his Rosso Bianco Collection at Aschaffenburg.

This mouth-wateringly handsome American/British co-creation has been lovingly preserved within the collection ever since and it is offered today as a car restored by its manufacturer but which has seen very little use other than long-term display ever since. A letter from David J. Bate in the documentation file confirms that ìPrior to sale, the car will be totally rebuilt to new standardsî ñ and that ìThe car will be driveable but not for competition purposesÖî ñ both perfectly normal and respectable considerations by an established pure-blooded racing organization such as Group 44 Jaguar. Due to the nature of the car, and having been a long term museum exhibit, no attempt has been made to fire the engine.

These XJR-5 IMSA GTP Coupes were magnificent machines that provided in very many ways the complete antidote to endurance racingís contemporary domination by the relatively common Porsche 956/962-series Coupes from Zuffenhausen. Unlike the distinctly muffled-sounding turbocharged German cars, these British-engined V12s sang a wonderfully distinctive Ferrari-like tenor song. So here we are delighted to offer a most handsome yet still rare example of the celebrated Bob Tullius/Lee Dykstra IMSA-cum-Le Mans pedigree Group 44 design.

These XJR-5s proved to be the precursor to Jaguarís return to Le Mans 24-Hour and World Endurance Championship victory with the subsequent Walkinshaw XJR-series cars. But this pristine white and green beauty has a long and honorable racing record, in which it was handled by two hugely respected star drivers in Brian Redman and Hurley Haywood ñ and it is on record, above all, as being the an IMSA race winner, with the additional cachet of three second places, six third places, and two fourth fabulously impressive future Vintage racer for a lucky new ownerÖ

http://www.motorbase.com/auctionlot/by-id/1960732148/ Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia, Bonhams & Butterfields (18th August 2006): Lot 514: 1983-85 Group 44 Jaguar XJR-5 IMSA Racing Coupe -- Tullius donated his plane to RAF Museum in 2003 http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p51registry/p51-4474409.html -- Group 44 was (and still is) a well known and highly successful racing team. It was founded by Bob Tullius and Brian Fuerstenau. They achieved countless victories and championships for Triumph/British Leyland.

Bob Tullius raced the works Spitfires at Sebring and Le Mans 1964. The name of the team owes its origin to the success of the white TR4ís with the racing number 44 which Tullius drove to many victories prior to the formation of the team.

Did you know that he brought Jaguar back to Le Mans 1994 and drove the XJR himself to a good finish. http://www.triumphspitfire.de/tullius.html -- http://www.templeoftriumph.org/tsoa/TSOAMay74.pdf http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:vxAgjz2v32kJ:www.templeoftriumph.org/tsoa/TSOAMay74.pdf+Tullius+%22group+44%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=51&gl=uk -- http://www.templeoftriumph.org/tsoa/TSOAJun73.pdf http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:C7P20cvM1dIJ:www.templeoftriumph.org/tsoa/TSOAJun73.pdf+Tullius+%22group+44%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=52&gl=uk --

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